Mundaka Upanishad : Chapter 1: Section 1 : 12.

23/11/2018
Mundaka Upanishad : Chapter 1: Section 1 :  Discussion-12.
(Mundakopanishad : Chapter-1 : Section-1 :Mantram-7)

Thus, how many things are there?

Firstly, there is the Supreme Absolute.

Secondly, there is anna, or the potential for the future manifestation in the form of tapas.

Thirdly, there is Hiranyagarbha, the vibratory cosmic prana.

Fourthly, there is thinking, which is the cosmic thought identifiable with Virat.

Fifthly, there is law and order.

Sixthly, there is the manifestation of the fourteen worlds.

Seventhly, there is individuality, the individuals or jivas, who are propelled towards action, karma.

Eighthly, there is the fruit of action.

So there are eight degrees : -

1.Brahman, 2. prana, 3.manas, 4.satya, 5.loka, 6.karma, 7.manifestation,8.amrita.

Look at this wonderful mantram. It is like a sutra, one thirty-two lettered verse giving us the whole scheme of creation from Brahman to dust. Look at the power of the composer of this mantra. Great thing indeed!

"Tapasa ciyate brahma tato’nnam abhijayate, annat prano manah satyah lokah karmasu camrtam"—a very difficult mantram.

Yah sarvajñam sarva-vid yasya jñanamayah tapah; tasmad etad brahma nama-rupam annah ca jayate (1.1.9).

That Great Being is sarvajñam and sarva-vid.

According to the commentator, sarvajñam and sarva-vid mean two different things. Though the literal meaning of both words is ‘all- knowing’, the connotative meaning is that Being which knows everything in general and also in particular.

This is Acharya Sankara’s interpretation. God knows everything in general and also in particular. Somebody asked me a question: “Does God know that a cat is moving in the kitchen?” I said, “God not only knows the movement of the cat, but He also knows how many hairs the cat has.”

This is the direct knowledge of the minutest details of even an atom.

To be continued ..