Mundakopanishad : ( 12/12/2012. )

Chapter:-2. Section:-1. Mantra:-4. Agnir-murdha  caksusi  candra-suryam disah  srotre  vag  vivrtasca  vedah, vayuh  prano  hradayam  visva-masya pasdbhyam  prthivi  hyesa  sarva-bhutani-ratma. Fire (Agni) is his head; Sun and Moon---his eyes; four Quarters or Directions----his ears; the declared Vedas----his speech; the air----his breath; the Universe----his mind (heart); the Earth originated from his feet. He is indeed the inner Self (Atma) of all beings. Continuing the analogy in the last mantra(3), there will not be any contradiction if we were to describe the cotton as the sum-total shape of all the patterns  in the piece of cloth. Here in this mantra, we are having a description of the cause of its effects. Technically the Supreme, identifying with an individual physical structure, as we always do in our waking state of Consciousness, is called Visva. And, the Reality or the Self, identify...

Chapter:-2. Section:-1. Slokam:-3. Etasmaj-jayate  prano  manah  sarvendriyani  ca, kham  vayur-jyotir-apah  prthivi  visvasya  dharini. From Him are born the Prana ( life ), the mind, all the organs, the sky ( Akasa), the wind (Vayu), the fire ( Jyotih ), thewater ( Apah), and the earth( Prthivi) which supports all. From the Supreme Reality explained in the previous mantra, was created the entire world, knowable and knowing objects. Thus here, we have the enumeration explaining that the five elements, the ten senses, the Prana and the mind came out of Brahmam( The Supreme). It is Sastrik declaration that the form--quality of creation has come out of seventeen tattvas. Also, it declares that the entire world of activity (prana), of feelings(mind), of cognition ( sense organs), and the outer world of the five great elements have all the same source in the eternal Realty as explained in the previous mantra, In case, the pyre Exis...

Section:-1. Slokam:-2. (The Absolute nature of Brahmam)- Divyo  hyamurtah  purusah  sabahya-bhyantaro  hyajah, aprano  hyamanah  subhro  hy-aksarat  paratah  parah. Self-resplendent, formless, unoriginaled and pure, that all-pervading Being is both to life and mind, He transcends even the transcendent, unmanifested, causal-state of the universe.   

Section:-1. Slokam:-1. (Birth of all beings from Brahman, like sparks from fire.) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ tad-etat  satyam  yatha  sudiptat  pavakad visphulingah   sahasrasah  prabhavante  sarupah, tatha-ksarad  vividhah  somya  bhavah prajayante  tatra  caivapi-yanti. This is the Truth: as from the flaming  fire  thousands  of sparks, similar  to  its form(nature) issue forth;  so from the  immortal ( Brahmam ) O ! my beloved youth, diverse ( manifold ) beings (Jeevatmas ) originate and they find their way back into it.

Section:-2. Slokam:-13. Tasmai  sa  vidvan-upasannaya    samyak prasanta-cittaya  saman-vitaya yenaksaram  purusam  veda  satyam provaca  tam  tattvato  brahma-vidyam. To that  pupil  who  has  thus  approached  him  in  a  proper  manner,  whose  mind  is  at  rest  and  whose  senses  are  subdued,  let   the  wise  teacher  truly  teach  that  Brahma  Vidya  (Science of Brahmam)  by  which  the  true  immortal  purusa  is  known.     

Section:-2 . Slokam:- 12.       Priksya  lokan  karma-citan  brahmano nirvedam-ayan-nasty-akrtah  krtena tad-vijnan-artham  sa  guru-mevabhi-gacchet samit-panih  srotriyam  brahma-nistham.     Let a brahmana (an aspirant ), after he has examined the worlds gained by karma, acquire freedom from all desires, that nothing that is eternal can be gained by karma. Let him, in order to obtain the knowledge of the eternal, take sacrificial fuel (Samit) in his hands and approach that preceptor alone who is well-versed in the Vedas and is established in Brahmam.        

Section:-2. Slokam:-11. Tapah  sraddhe  ye  hy-upavasanty-aranye santa  vidvamso  bhaiksya-caryam  carantah surya-dvarena  te  virajah  prayanti yatra-mrtah  sa  puruso  hyavya-yatma. But they who perform penance( Tapas ) with faith,concentration, listening, attention, following ( all mean Sraddha)  in the forest ( Solitude), having control over the senses, are learned  and are living the life of a mendicant, go through the orb (path) of the sun, their good and bad deeds consumed, when That immortal and undecaying Purusa is.     

SECTION:-2. SLOKAM:-10. I sta-purtam  manya-mana  varistham nanyac-chreyo  vedayante  pramudhah nakasya  prsthe   te  sukrate-nubhutva imam  lokam  hina-taram  va  visanti.     Those ignorant men, fancy sacrificial and charitable acts as most important, do not know any other way of bliss. Having enjoyed in the heights of heaven, the abode of pleasures, they enter again into this (human life) or even inferior (animal) worlds.    

SECTION:-2. SLOKAM:-9. Avidyayam  bahudha  vartamana vayam  krtartha  ity-abhimanyanti  balah, yat  karmino  na  pravedayanti  ragat tena-turah  ksina-lokas  cyavante. Engrossed in the many ways of the ignorant, these people childishly think that they have gained the ends ( goal) of life. But being subject to passions and attachment, they never attain knowledge, and, therefore, they fall down from wretched, when the fruits of their good deeds are exhausted.   

SECTION-2. SLOKAM-8. Avidyayam-antare   vartamanah  svayam dhirah  panditam  manya-manah janghanya-manah  pariyanti  mudha andhenaiva  niyamana  yathandhah. Ignorant beings existing (gloating) in the midst of ignorance, but  fancying themselves to be wise and learned, go round and round oppressed and miserable, as blind people when lead by the blind.  

SECTION:-2. SLOKAM:-7. Plava  hyete  adrdha  yajna-rupa astadasoktam-avaram  yesu  karma etac-chreyo  ye  bhinandanti  mudha jara-mrtyum  te  punare-vapi  yanti. Undependable  ( frail ) is the boat  of Yajna,  is said to be manned  by  eighteen  supporters   on whom  depend  the  lower  ceremonials.  Those  ignorant  persons  who acclaim  this  as  the  highest,  are  subject,  again  and  again, to  old  age  and  death.       

SECTION:-2. SLOKAM:-6. Ehy-ehiti  tam-ahutayah  suvarcasah suryasya  rasmibhir-yajamanam  vahanti, priyam  vacam-abhivadantyo-rcayantya esa  vah  punyah  sukrto  brahma-lokah. 'Come hither, come hither', say these brilliant oblations unto him and carry the sacrificer through the rays of the sun, addressing to him the pleasant words of praise, "This is the holy world of  Brahma gained by the good works".   

SECTION:-2. SLOKAM:-5. (Attainment of heaven by performing 'Agnihotra ritual' properly )  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Etesu  yas-carate  bhraja-manesu yatha-kalam  cahutayo  hyadadayan, tam  nayantyetah  suryasya  rasmayo yatra  devanam  patireko-dhivasah. He who offers oblations in proper time into these shining flames----him, the the oblations, as sun's rays, lead to the place where the one Lord of the Gods (Indira) resides.   

SECTION:-2. SLOKAM:-4. Kali  karali  ca  manojava  ca sulohita  ya  ca  sudhuumra-varna, Sphulingini  visvaruci  ca  devi lelaya-mana  iti  sapta  jihvah. The seven flickering tongues of flames are : Kali ( the black one ), Karali ( the terrific one ), Manojava ( the swift-as-mind one ), Sulohita ( the deep-red one ), Sudhumra-varna (the smoke-coloured ), Sphulongini (the sparkling ), and Visvaruci ( the bright all shining---variegated one ).   

SECTION:-2. SLOKAM:-3. Yasyagni-hotram-adarsam-apaurna-masam acatur-masyam-anagrayanam-atithi-varjitam ca ahutam-avaisva-devam-avidhina  hutam asaptamams-tasya  lokan  hinasti. If a man's Agnihotra  sacrifice  is not accompanied by 1) the new moon and full moon sacrifices(Darsa and Purnamasa), 2)by the four months of the autumnal season's sacrifices(catur-masya), 3.by the sacrifice of offering first-fruits at harvest time (Agrayana) or if it is  unattended by guests or is without offering or performed without the worship of Visvadevas or not performed strictly according to the rules laid down in the Vedas--then such karma destroy (all) his worlds (seven generations: three ancestors and three descendants, and himself )   till the seventh.

SECTION:-2 SLOKAM:-2. Yada  lelayate  hyarcih  samiddhe  havya-vahane, tada  jya  bhaga-vantaren-ahutih  pratipadayet. When the fire is kindled and the flames begin to move, let the sacrificer offer his oblations (with faith) on the space between the two portions of the sacred fire where the ghee (clarified butter) should be poured. "This mantra indicates that the Karma, itself limited,has its own rules ordering where an d  when it is to be performed. The aim of the teacher seems to be, when the entire section is read together as whole, only to point out to the disciple that the Karma is painful, complicated and difficult. The laboriousness of the rituals which becomes a shackle upon a full-grown seeker, in his flight across the realms of the higher meditation, is vividly brought out in the following next stanza".

SECTION:-2. SLOKAM:-(STANZA) 1. Tad-etat  satyam  mantresu  karmani  kavayo yany-apasyam-stani  tretayam     bahudha  santatani tanya-caratha  niyatham  satyakama esa  vah  panthah  sukrtasya  loke The various karmas  which seers found in the mantras are true and were much practiced in the Treta-yugam(age) or in the three vedas; practice them always with a desire for the true results. This is your way for attaining to the worlds of the fruits of karma.  

SECTION:-1. SLOKAM:-9. Yah  sarvajnaj  sarva-vid  yasya n jnana-mayam  tapah Tasmad-etad  brahma  nama  rupam-annam  ca  jayate. Iti  Mundakopaisadi  prathama-mundake  prathamah  ca  khandah.   From the Brahman  ( the Supreme Reality) ---who  not  only  is  aware  of  the total  happenings  in the  world  but is  equally  in  the  know  of  all  details  of  happenings  every  minute,  whose  very  thought  is  of  the  nature  of  knowledge,---are  all  these  produced : the Creator,  names  and  forms,  and  nourishment  for  all. With this stanza, the first section of the first chapter of the Mundakopanisad  is completed. Naturally, Sruti is trying to summarise the entire chapter in a p...