Mundaka 2.1.1 Trans & Comms

(Note: Chapter 1.2 was on the lower truth (and not transcribed in this effort) 2.1 returns to the highest truth.)

tadetat satyam. yathā sudīptāt pāvakād visphuliṅgāḥ sahasraśa prabhavante sarūpāḥ. tathākṣarād vividhāḥ somya bhāvāḥ prajāyante tatra caivāpi yanti. (2.1.1)

tad – that; etat – this; satyam – is the truth; somya – Oh pleasing one; yathā – just as; sudīptāt – well-lighted; pāvakāt – from the fire; sahasraśaḥ – in thousands; visphuliṅgāḥ – sparks; prabhavante – come out; sarūpāḥ – of the same nature (as of the fire); tathā – so too; akṣarāt – from the Brahman; vividhāḥ – varieties of; bhāvāḥ – beings; prajāyante – are born; ca – and; tatraiva – into that alone; apiyanti – they go back

This is the truth, oh pleasing one! From a well-lighted fire how innumerable sparks of the same nature as fire come out, so too, varieties of beings are born from the Brahman that is akṣara, and they go back into that alone.

The spark example is excellent if one understands it properly. Otherwise, it can create all kinds of problems. Here, the example is not meant to show that the sparks come from the fire and go back into the fire, but it is to point out that one fire alone is in the form of many sparks due to many upādhis. The spark has some kind of upādhi-viśeṣa, attributes of a limited form. It is fire with a dimension of its own. With this conditioning, the fire is called a spark. Therefore, we use two different words, ‘spark’ and ‘fire’. The sparks are many, but all of them are one fire. That is the extent of the example here.

~Dayananda

This is the truth, as from the flaming fire thousands of sparks similar to its form (nature) issue forth; so from the Immortal (Brahman) O My beloved youth! Diverse (manifold) beings (jīvas) originate and they find their way back into it.

In this second chapter, the attempt is to paint for us an idea of a supreme Knowledge with its contents, functions and qualities. The Supreme, being Infinite, will not, and cannot come within the expressiveness of language which is but an expression of the finite. The Infinite cannot be expressed in terms of the finite and yet, no other scripture in the world, we can most assuredly say, has succeeded in pointing out to us the Infinite so successfully as the Upaniṣads have done. Some wondrous expressions pointing to the Infinite and some perfect techniques of explanation are employed in this chapter. In short, we may say that without this chapter Muṇḍakopaniṣad could not have been considered as a scripture at all.

~Chinmayananda

THIS IS THE TRUTH: As, from a blazing fire, sparks essentially akin to it By forth by the thousand, so also, my good friend, do various beings come forth from the imperishable Brahman and unto Him again return.

TRUTH: The truth here referred to is the ultimate Truth, in contrast to the truth mentioned in I. ii. I. The latter is only a relative truth, being the object of the lower knowledge and also heing associated with work and its results. The truth stated here is the goal of the Higher Knowledge.

As, FROM ETC: Brahman, the goal of the Higher Knowledge, is realized only in immediate and direct awareness. It cannot be objectified like a physical thing or a mental idea. For that reason Brahman is here described to the disciple indirectly, by means of an illustration, to make it as clear as an object of direct perception.

~Nikhilananda

This is the Truth: just as sparks come out of the blazing fire by the thousands, even so, many kinds of beings come forth from the Immutable Supreme and then they return to It.

~Sri M

Mundaka 2.1.2 Trans & Comms

divyo hyamūrtaḥ puruṣaḥ sabāhyābhyantaro hyajaḥ. aprāṇo hyamanāḥ śubhraḥ hyakṣarāt parataḥ paraḥ. (2.1.2)

hi – indeed; puruṣaḥ – that Brahman; divyaḥ – self-shining; amūrtaḥ – formless; sabāhyābhyantaraḥ – all-pervasive (that which is external and internal); hi – indeed; ajaḥ – unborn; aprāṇaḥ – free from prāṇa; hi – indeed; amanāḥ – free from mind; śubhraḥ – pure; hi – indeed; akṣarāt – than māyā; parataḥ – which is great; paraḥ – beyond

That Brahman is self-shining, formless, all-pervasive, unborn, free from the prāṇa, free from the mind, pure and which is the truth of māyā.

All the words of this mantra reveal the meaning of mahā-vākya. It is not that there are only four mahā-vākyas. Every upaniṣad has mahā-vākyas. Four mahā-vākyas have been chosen from the four upaniṣads belonging to four Vedas to prove that all the Vedas talk about the same thing.

~Dayananda

Self-resplendent, formless, unoriginated and pure, that all-pervading Being is both within and without. Anterior both to life and mind, He transcends even the transcendent, unmanifested, causal state of the universe.

If all names and forms are nothing but sparks of that Spirit riding over specks of matter seemingly consuming it, then what is the exact nature of the pure Spirit? This would certainly be the question that will arise in the mind of every consistent seeker. An attempt at Its definition, descriptive enough to give a direct clue to any sensitive aspirant, is being made here in this mantra.

~Chinmayananda

He is the self-luminous and formless Purusha, uncreated and existing both within and without. He is devoid of prana, devoid of mind, pure, and higher than the supreme Imperishable.

SUPREME IMPERISHABLE: The word Imperishable (Akshara) here means Saguna Brahman, in which the upadhis of the names and forms of the manifested universe exist in a seed state. It is the seed of all causes and effects seen in the relative world. Saguna Brahman is called supreme because It is higher than all the diverse entities in the manifested universe, which are Its modifications. The attributeless Brahman, or Pure Consciousness, is superior to Saguna Brahman, or the seed state, because It is beyond maya and all differentiation, manifest or unmanifest. It permeates Saguna Brahman and the multiplicity of the universe, as cloth permeates its warp and woof. It is the transcendental and unrelated Ground of all relativity. Prana, mind, and senses are later stages in the evolution of prakriti; therefore they are absent in Pure Consciousness 

~Nikhilananda

The Purusa is transcendental, since He is formless. And since He is coextensive with all that is external and internal and since He is birthless, therefore He is without vital force and without mind; He is pure and superior to the (other) superior imperishable (Maya).

~Gambhirananda

Note on Sanskrit:

divyo: self-shining, resplendent (by virtue of self-effulgence or residence in His own resplendent Self ~Shankara)

hyamūrtaḥ: formless

puruṣaḥ: (The all-pervading Brahman, who dwells in all bodies as Consciousness. ~Nikhilanana) "Sankhya system: It is pure consciousness, unattached and unrelated to anything. It is non-active, unchanging, eternal, and pure. According to Advaita, it is fundamentally one. It is the eternal witness, the modificationless, the one who knows the body. Really speaking, the paramatman is the one and only purusa." ~from A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy

sa bāhyābhyantaro: both within and without

hyajaḥ: unborn

aprāṇo: free from prana (vital air; life breath; vitality) "There are two meanings for the word ‘aprāṇaḥ’—There was prāṇa once and now it is not, that is, the person is dead or there was no prāṇa in the first place. Here, ‘aprāṇaḥ’ has the second meaning. Puruṣa has no birth." ~Dayananda

hyamanāḥ: free from mind

śubhro: pure

hyakṣarāt: "The word ‘akṣara’ is used in two different senses—one in the sense of the vastu, the other in the sense of māyā, the unmanifest cause. In ‘akṣarāt parataḥ’ the word ‘akṣara’ means māyā only. Māyā is called akṣara because when everything is dissolved, māyā continues to remain in its causal form, and it is called parā because everything goes back into it.' ~Dayananda

parataḥ paraḥ: transcending the transcendent

Mundaka 2.1.3 Trans & Comms

etasmājjāyate prāṇaḥ manaḥ sarvendriyāṇi ca. khaṁ vāyurjyotirāpaḥ pṛthivī viśvasya dhāriṇī. (2.1.3) 

etasmāt – from this (Brahman); jāyate – are born; prāṇaḥ – the prāṇa; manaḥ – mind; sarvendriyāṇi – all senses and organs of action; kham – space; vāyuḥ – air; jyotiḥ – fire; āpaḥ – water; ca – and; pṛthivī – the earth; viśvasya – of the entire world of life; dhāriṇī – that which is the sustainer

From this Brahman are born prāṇa, the mind, all senses and organs of action, space, air, fire, water and the earth that sustains the entire world of life.

There is a particular order here in the enumeration of the five elements. If one analyses it, one can observe the order to be from the subtlest to the grossest.

~Dayananda

From Him are born the prāṇa, the mind, all the organs, the sky (ākāśa), the wind; (vāyu), the fire (jyoti), the water (āpaḥ) and the earth (pṛthivī) 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 enumeration explaining that the five elements, the ten senses, the prāṇa and the mind came out of Brahman. In case, the pure Existence – the Reality – is removed from the created world, we shall find the observed world of plurality dwindling itself into nothingness or non-existence.

The pure Consciousness, the eternal pure Wisdom is that knowledge, ‘knowing which every other knowledge becomes known.’ Out of this Knowledge Absolute has all the world of names and forms emerged out, and in it they exist and into it they merge back. It is, in order to make us understand this single idea in all its pregnant imports, that Mother Śruti has started this section with so many mantras, each in a different way, expressing this one and the same idea.

~Chinmayananda

From Him are born prana, mind, all the sense-organs, akasa, air, fire, water, and earth, which supports all.

ARE BORN: The creation is illusory. From the standpoint of Pure Consciousness the created objects do not exist. It is through maya, or nescience, alone that Brahman appears as the universe and all created objects. 

As before creation, so also afterwards, Brahman is free from prana, mind, and sense-organs. These are modifications of Saguna Brahman and therefore have no independent existence. According to Vedanta all modifications are unreal; they are mere words. A tray, a tumbler, and a cup, made from clay, have no existence independent of the clay, which is their only real substance. They are mere names used for convenience in man's practical life. Being in themselves unreal, prana, mind, and sense-organs do not exist, as such, in Brahman before or after creation. A childless man cannot be called a father simply because of his dreaming about a son. The creation is like a dream. Just as the dream is real to the dreamer, so the world is real to the unillumined person and continues to be so till he wakens to the light of Truth. 

~Nikhilananda

Mundaka 2.1.4 Trans & Comms

agnirmūrdhā cakṣuṣī candrasūryau diśaḥ śrotre vāgvivṛtāśca vedāḥ. vāyuḥ prāṇo hṛdayaṁ viśvamasya padbhyāṁ pṛthivī hyeṣa sarvabhūtāntarātmā. (2.1.4) 

eṣaḥ – this (virāṭ); sarvabhūtāntarātmā – self of all beings; hi – indeed; etasmāt – of this (Brahman); jāyate – is born; asya – his; mūrdhā – head; agniḥ – heaven; cakṣuṣī – eyes; candrasūryau – are the moon and the sun; śrotre – ears; diśaḥ – quarters; vāk – his speech; vivṛtāḥ – well known; vedāḥ – Vedas; prāṇaḥ – prāṇa; vāyuḥ – the air; hṛdayam – mind; viśvaḥ – the world; ca – and; padbhyām – his feet are; pṛthivī – earth 

This virāṭ who is the self of all beings, is indeed born of Brahman. His head is heaven; his eyes are the sun and the moon; his ears are the quarters; his organ of speech is the well-known Vedas; his prāṇa is air; his mind is the world and his feet are the earth.

That virāṭ alone is sarva-bhūtāntarātmā, the self in all beings. Not only is he the whole creation, he is the caitanya behind the whole creation. He is, indeed, in all beings as seer, hearer, thinker and knower, and he is the basis of all beings. There is nothing outside this puruṣa. Therefore, any upādhi is non-separate from the puruṣa. The puruṣa is satya and the upādhi is mithyā. We have to separately state this all the time.

~Dayananda

Heaven as fire is His head; sun and moon are His eyes; four quarters or directions are His ears; the Vedas that are expressed are is His speech; the air is His breath; the universe is His mind (heart); the earth has come from His feet. He is indeed the inner Self of all beings.

Technically the Supreme, identifying with an individual physical structure, as we always do in our waking state of consciousness, is called Viśva. And, the Reality or the Self, identifying with the entire world of gross forms is, in Vedānta, called Virāṭ. In this mantra is the description of Virāṭ as the formless Reality.

~Chinmayananda

The heavens are His head; the sun and moon, His eyes; the quarters, His ears; the revealed Vedas, His speech; the wind is His breath; the universe, His heart. From His feet is produced the earth. He is, indeed, the inner Self of all beings.

In this verse Brahman is conceived of as Virat, the first embodied manifestation of the Lord as the totality of the bodies in the universe, and also as the inmost Self of all beings. Virat is present in all beings as the seer, hearer, and knower. He is also the infinite, all-pervading Spirit (Vishnu).

~Nikhilananda

The indwelling Self of all is surely He of whom the heaven is the head, the moon and sun are the two eyes, the directions are the two ears, the revealed Vedas are the speech, air is the vital force, the whole Universe is the heart, and (It is He) from whose two feet emerged the earth.

~Gambhirananda

Mundaka 2.1.5 Trans & Comms

tasmādagniḥ samidho yasya sūryaḥ somāt parjanya oṣadhayaḥ pṛthivyām. pumān retaḥ siñcati yoṣitāyām bahvīḥ prajāḥ puruṣāt samprasūtāḥ. (2.1.5)

tasmāt – from that Brahman; agniḥ – the heavens; yasya – whose; samidhaḥ – light; sūryaḥ – the sun; somāt – from the moon; parjanyaḥ – clouds (are born); oṣadhayaḥ – from the vegetation; pṛthivyām – on the earth (are born); pumān – the male; siñcati – places; retaḥ – the seed; yoṣitāyām – into the female; bahvīḥ – (thus) varieties of; prajāḥ – beings; samprasūtāḥ – are born; puruṣāt – out of Brahman

From that Brahman is born the heaven whose light is the sun (which is lighted by the sun). From the moon, which is born of the heaven, clouds are born. The male born of food places the seed into the female. Thus varieties of beings are born out of Brahman.

Īśvara is looked upon as five fires. These fires have come from Īśvara, so they are non-separate from him. Whatever one superimposes on these fires are also from Īśvara. This is the sarvātma-bhāva that goes all the way. Īśvara alone in the form of clouds, rain, food and seed in male and female becomes finally this body. That is being told here.

~Dayananda

From Him are produced the sky (which is the first fire) whose fuel is the sun; from the moon the rain clouds (the second fire); from the clouds the herbs that grow on the earth (the third fire); from these (eaten herbs) the man (the fourth fire), who sheds his semen into the woman (the fifth fire). Many living beings are (well) produced from the Puruṣa.

In order to understand the stanza, we must know that in the Chāndogya-upaniṣad, a method called ‘the Meditation of the five Fires’ has been advised.

~Chinmayananda

From Him comes the Fire whose fuel is the sun; from the moon comes rain; from rain, the herbs that grow on the earth; from the herbs the seminal fluid which a man pours into a woman. Thus many living beings are born of the Purusha.

The heavens, rain, earth, man, and woman are described as five kinds of sacrificial fire, and the soul's journey through them is compared to the offering of an oblation. The Purusha, or Brahman, is the final cause of all beings. The Upanishad explains man's origin and journey as a spiritual act.

~Nikhilananda

Mundaka 2.1.6 Trans & Comms

yajñāśca sarve kratavo dakṣiṇāśca. saṁvatsaraśca yajamānaśca lokāḥ somo yatra pavate yatra sūryaḥ. (2.1.6) 

tasmāt – from that Brahman; ṛcaḥ – ṛk mantras; sāmaḥ – sāma mantras; yajūm̐ṣi – yajur mantras; dīkṣā – a vow made ceremonially; sarve – all; yajñāḥ – rituals (without the sacrificial pole); ca – and; kratavaḥ – rituals (with sacrificial pole); dakṣiṇāḥ – the knowledge of all types of dakṣiṇā; ca – and; saṁvatsaraḥ – the year; ca – and; yajamānaḥ – the knowledge about performer of ritual; ca – and; lokāḥ – worlds; yatra – where; somaḥ – the moon; pavate – moves; yatra – where; sūryaḥ – the sun (moves)

From that Brahman are born the ṛk mantras, the sāma mantras, the yajur mantras, ceremonial vows, all rituals without sacrificial pole and with sacrificial pole, knowledge of all types of dakṣiṇā, the year, the knowledge about yajamāna, and the worlds which the moon and the sun bless (where the light of the moon or sun reaches).

This mantra talks about the creation of things connected to the Veda.

~Dayananda

From Him are born the Vaidika hymns, the sacred chants, the sacrificial formulae, preliminary rites, sacrifices, ceremonies, sacrificial gifts, the time of the sacrifice, the sacrificer and the worlds, purified by the sun and the moon.

~Chinmayananda

From Him have come the Rik, the Saman, the Yajus, the Diksha, all sacrifices, the Kratus, gifts, the year, the sacrificer, and the worlds which the moon sanctities and the sun illumines. 

The scriptures and the religious rites prescribed by them all have a spiritual origin. 

~Nikhilananda

Mundaka 2.1.7-9 Trans & Comms

7. By Him are begotten the various devas, the sadhyas, men, cattle, birds, and also prana and apana, rice and corn, penance, faith, truth, continence, and law.

This verse describes the spiritual origin of various beings, forces, and objects

8. From Him have sprung the seven pranas, the seven flames, the seven kinds of fuel, the seven oblations, and also the seven planes where move the pranas, lying in the cave, which are seven in each living being.

For a seeker of the Self, the senses, their objects, and the perceiver are all Brahman. (See B. G. IV. 24.) He worships Brahman alone through all actions. Actions, instruments of action, and results of action, belonging to the illumined or the unillumined, have all been produced from Brahman 

9. From Him come all the oceans and the mountains; from Him flow rivers of every kind; from Him have come, as well, all plants and B.avours, by which the inner self subsists surrounded by the elements. 

It has been stated above that everything is born of Brahman. He alone is the cause of all, as clay is the cause of all earthenware. According to Vedanta there is no essential difference between the cause and the effect. So there is no real difference between Brahman and material objects.

~Nikhilananda

Mundaka 2.1.10 Trans & Comms (wip)

puruṣa evedaṁ viśvaṁ karma tapo brahma parāmṛtam. etad yo veda nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ so’vidyāgranthiṁ vikiratīha somya. (2.1.10) 

idam – this; viśvam – world; karma – rituals revealed by the Veda; tapaḥ – religious disciplines and meditation; brahma – Veda; puruṣa – is puruṣa; eva – alone; saḥ – the one; yaḥ – who; veda – knows; etat – this; parāmṛtam – limitless; nihitam – present; guhāyām – in the buddhi; vikirati – resolves; avidyā-granthim – the knot of ignorance; iha – here itself; somya – O pleasing one! 

O pleasing one! The world consisting of Vedic rituals, religious disciplines and meditation, and Vedas is Brahman alone. The one who knows this limitless, timeless Brahman present in the buddhi, resolves the knot of ignorance here itself.

That Brahman is guhāyāṁ nihitam: abiding in the cave. The cave here is buddhi. Buddhi is compared to a cave because like a cave it is dark. One does not see anything inside a cave unless light is brought in. Brahma-vidyā is the light because of which one recognises Brahman in the buddhi.

~Dayananda

The Puruṣa alone is all this universe – the sacrificial works (karma) and knowledge (tapas). All this is Brahman, the highest and the immortal. O good looking youth! He who knows this as seated in the cavity of the heart, he unties the knot of ignorance even here.

Summarising these mantras mentioned above, Śruti is here declaring the spiritual conclusion that the entire world of names and forms, feelings and ideas is but a manifestation of the dynamic whole – the Puruṣa. Action and thought (knowledge) when combined together provide us with the different fields of activities called universe.

To know that this Puruṣa is the vital centre in the individual, man is to gain the true knowledge of the Self. Today to each one of us, our centre is false ego. To discover ourselves to be not the body, mind and intellect, that we are nothing but the spirit-centre – the Puruṣa, is to end all our self-made shackles, the chains of ignorance.

~Chinmayananda

The Purusha alone is verily the universe, which consists of work and austerity. O my good friend, he who knows this Brahman-the Supreme and the Immortal, hidden in the cave of the heart--cuts asunder even here the knot of ignorance.

The Upanishad began with a question regarding that by the knowing of which all can be known. The answer has been given. The universe and all things therein are born of Brahman, or the Supreme Self. They are nothing but Brahman. Therefore when one knows Brahman one knows the universe. This Knowledge is to be attained here on earth, when one still dwells in the body, by realizing the identity of the self with Brahman. Its attainment is known as jivanmukti, or Liberation in life. 

~Nikhilananda

Mundaka 2.2.1 Trans & Comms

mahatpadamatraitat samarpitam. ejatprāṇannimiṣacca yadetajjānatha sadasadvareṇyaṁ paraṁ vijñānādyadvariṣṭhaṁ prajānām. (2.2.1) 

āviḥ – self-shining; sannihitam – very near; guhācaram – manifests always in the buddhi; nāma – well known; mahatpadam – the most exalted; ejat – moves; prāṇat – is alive; ca – and; nimiṣat – that closes (and opens) the eyes; yad etat – all these; atra – here; samarpitam – are placed; sad-asat – with form and without form; variṣṭham – free from all limitations; vareṇyam – the most worshipful; yat – which; vijñānāt – from perception and inference; param – beyond; prajānām – of all beings; jānatha – may you know; etat – this

Brahman is self-shining, very near and always manifests in the buddhi. It is the most exalted goal. (Anything) which moves, is alive, that closes and opens eyes—all these here are placed in this Brahman. It is with and without form, free from any limitation and most worshipful. It is beyond the perception and inference of all beings. May you know this Brahman.

Śaṅkara gives here the analogy of spokes on the hub of a chariot’s wheel to point out how everything has its being in Brahman. Without the hub the spokes have no being. Similarly, everything is placed in this Brahman alone. The hub and the spokes enjoy the same order of reality. The example, therefore, has a limited scope and is meant only to show that the hub supports all the spokes. These factors have their being in the hub of Brahman. It is not a hub of activity; it is a hub of placement.

The first step in recognising the vastu is to know that one is not the upādhi. The next step is to see that one is not enclosed in the upādhi. The final step is to know oneself as the one in whom all the upādhis are placed.

Any knowledge is gained by the senses and mind through perception and inference, and whatever knowledge is gained by a person through these means is aparā-vidyā. The knowledge of Brahman, on the other hand, is parā-vidyā which is not available for perception and inference. Brahman does not require the mind and senses to reveal itself because it is self-evident and reveals everything else.

~Dayananda

Bright, existing very close, known as moving in the cavity of the heart; great and the support of all; in Him is all the universe centred round; what moves, breathes and winks. Know it, which is both with form and without form, the most adorable, the highest of beings, the One beyond the understanding of creatures.

Bright – Consciousness is considered to be bright in the sense it is the light that illumines for us our thoughts and ideas.

Moving in the cavity of the heart – In the love-heart is the cave of intellect in which intelligence resides; and according to the language of Vedānta, Ᾱtman or the Spirit is the central light in the intelligence. The Consciousness is to be realised in the intelligence when it is integrated completely through a harmonious process of balanced development of both the head and the heart.

~Chinmayananda

THE LUMINOUS BRAHMAN dwells in the cave of the heart and is known to move there. It is the great support of all; for in It is centred everything that moves, breathes, and blinks. O disciples, know that to be your Self-that which is both gross and subtle, which is adorable, supreme, and beyond the understanding of creatures.

Brahman is without any form. How, then, can It be known? The Upanishad describes the method of Its realization: All things perceived in the universe are effects and therefore limited. They are dependent upon something else, which is their cause. Brahman is the cause and support of everything, gross and subtle, and also of maya. That Brahman, again, is the inmost Self of all and the illuminer of their mental states.

~Nikhilananda

Mundaka 2.2.2 Trans & Comms

yadarcimadyadaṇubhyo’ṇu ca yasmim̐llokā nihitā lokinaśca. tadetadakṣaraṁ brahma sa prāṇastadu vāṅmanaḥ tadetat satyaṁ tadamṛtaṁ tadveddhavyaṁ somya viddhi. (2.2.2)

tad – that; etad – this; akṣaraṁ-brahma – is Brahman; yad – which; arcimat – is shining; yad – which; aṇubhyaḥ aṇuḥ – subtler than the subtlest; ca – and; yasmin – in which; lokāḥ – the worlds; ca – and; lokinaḥ – the indwellers of the worlds; nihitāḥ – have their being; saḥ – that; prāṇaḥ – is prāṇa; tad – that; u – indeed; vāṅmanaḥ – is speech and mind; tad etat – that Brahman; satyam – is truth; tad – that; amṛtam – is immortal; tad – that; veddhavyam – has to be understood by you; somya – O pleasing one; viddhi – may you know it 

That Brahman is shining, is subtler than the subtlest, and all the worlds and their indwellers have their being in it. That is prāṇa. That is speech and mind. That Brahman alone is the truth. That is immortal. That has to be understood. O pleasing one! May you know that.

One need not put all the names and forms into a melting pot and make an advitīya, a non-dual, stew to understand Brahman. The subject is Brahman, the object also is Brahman, the relationship between them is Brahman and the order that brings the relationship into existence is also Brahman. This is what we call non-dual. It is cognitive. One knows the differences, one sees them, and yet makes them disappear.

Tad amṛtam, tad veddhavyam: that is free from death, and has to be targeted by one. That should be the lakṣya, the goal for everyone. When you send an arrow, it is meant to hit the target. Similarly, any meditation or ritual that you do is indirectly for gaining Brahman alone. For a karma-yogin as well as a sannyāsin the end is Brahman. If you do not understand the teaching, you can meditate in order to get the mind ready. Somya viddhi: O pleasing one, may you know it.

~Dayananda

Luminous, subtler than even the subtlest, that imperishable Brahman alone is the abode of the world and all its inhabitants. He is life, speech, mind, reality and immortality. That is the mark (goal) which should be penetrated by the mind. Penetrate It, O my friend!

In Vedānta, mind and intellect are considered to be one and the same stuff and it has different names, only to indicate its different functions. With the intellect to discriminate and separate the dead matter from the dynamic Spirit, is the Vedānta sādhanā for the intellect, which is fulfilled only when we seek and establish our identity with the Spirit which is all-pervading, all-perfect and all-full. This is the method of Vedānta meditation – know, feel, expand and realise.

~Chinmayanda

That which is radiant, subtler than the subtle, That by which all the worlds and their inhabitants are supported-That, verily, is the indestructible Brahman; That is the prana, speech, and the mind; That is the True and That is the Immortal. That alone is to be struck. Strike It, my good friend. 

TO BE STRUCK: That is to say, to be known by the mind. STRIKE: That is to say, concentrate your mind on Brahman. 

~Nikhilananda

Mundaka 2.2.3 Trans & Comms

धनुः – bow; गृहीत्वा – having taken; औपनिषदं – furnished by Upaniṣads; महास्त्रम् – the great weapon; शरं – arrow; हि – indeed; उपासानिशितं – sharpened by japa; सन्धयीत – must be fixed; आयम्य – having drawn; तद्भावगतेन – fixed on Brahman; चेतसा – with mind; लक्ष्यं – the mark, goal (Brahman); तत् – that; एव – alone; अक्षरं – immortal Brahman; सोम्य – O! friend; विद्धि – penetrate (learn)

Having taken the great weapon – the bow – furnished by the Upaniṣads and fixed in it the arrow rendered pointed by constant meditation; and having drawn it with the mind fixed on the Brahman, O good looking youth! Penetrate that mark – the immortal Brahman.

In these two inimitable mantras we have one of the many examples in Hindu philosophy where poetry and thought are wedded together. Literary art, nowhere in the world, has so far outshone as it is here; for here, we have an example of exquisite rhythm, choicest words, pregnant suggestions, endless significances and the most striking picture, all brought to work in the sevā (service) of the philosophy at its best. In these two mantras we have the entire sādhanā according to Vedānta explained to exhaustion. No wonder then, we observe this stanza at the lips of every Master, at the tip of the pen of every writer and, in the throat of every speaker!!

The method of penetrating the Truth centre in us with our mind, is the theme of these two mantras for which no better metaphor could have been employed than that of bow and arrow. The bow here is the chanting of ‘Om’ with a knowledge of the significance of ‘Om’. The arrow is the life centre in the individual. The awareness in us, propelled by the motive force generated in voiceless ecstasy, during the thoughtless meditation, ‘flies’ to touch total Awareness, the Brahman, the all-pervading Reality.

~Chinmayananda

dhanurgṛhītvaupaniṣadaṁ mahāstraṁ śaraṁ hyupāsāniśitaṁ sandhayīta. āyamya tadbhāvagatena cetasā lakṣyaṁ tadevākṣaraṁ somya viddhi. (2.2.3)

dhanuḥ – bow; gṛhītvā – taking; aupaniṣadam – that which obtains in the upaniṣads; mahāstram – the great weapon; śaram – arrow; hi – indeed; upāsā-niśitam – sharpened by meditation; sandhayīta – fix; āyamya – pulling the string of the bow; tadbhāvagatena – committed to the meaning of Om; cetasā – with the mind; lakṣyam – the target; tad – that; eva – only; akṣaram – Brahman; somya – O pleasing one; viddhi – strike O pleasing one! 

May you take the great bow of Om that is revealed in the upaniṣads and fix the arrow of mind that is sharpened by meditation. Then may you strike the target of Brahman with a mind that is committed to the meaning of Om by pulling the string of the bow.

~Dayananda

Take the Upanishad as the bow, the great weapon, and place upon it the arrow sharpened by meditation. Then, having drawn it back with a mind directed to the thought of Brahman, strike that mark, 0 my good friend-that which is the Imperishable. 

By contemplating the meaning of Orn and repeating the sound, the aspirant realizes his self to be the reflection of Brahman. The meditation on the atman as such is denoted by the placing of the arrow upon the bow. The realization that the reB.ected consciousness is identical with Pure Consciousness is described as striking the mark. Beginners are advised to meditate on Brahman through the symbol Om.

~Nikhilananda

Mundaka 2.2.4 Trans & Comms

प्रणवः – the praṇava; धनुः – bow; शरः – arrow; हि – indeed; आत्मा – Ᾱtman; ब्रह्म – Brahman; तत् – that; लक्ष्यम् – the goal, mark; उच्यते – is said to be; अप्रमत्तेन – steady and undeflected; वेद्धव्यं – should be hit; शरवत् – like the arrow; तन्मयः –one with the mark; भवेत् – should become

The praṇava is the bow, the Ᾱtman is the arrow and the Brahman is said to be its mark (goal). It should be hit by one, who is self-collected and that which hits becomes, like the arrow, one with the mark meaning Brahman.

Here, the picture is more than significant to one who contemplates over it. When the arrow is fixed to the bow and pulled towards us, though the arrow is facing outward, the bow string bends itself to represent an arrow head turned towards ourselves. Thus the ‘Om’ chanting is to be done in the heart and its significances are to be meditated upon and experienced in the inner most vaults of our personality. When the string is strung to the maximum, the bow-man is only to relax his firm grip on the arrow – the Self – and the flight of the instrument pointing through the space is automatic, immediate and instantaneous. Having reached its goal, the bulls-eye, the Brahman, the Śruti says that the individual Self merges with the total Self to become one with it.

~Chinmayananda

praṇavo dhanuḥ śaro hyātmā brahma tallakṣyamucyate. apramattena veddhavyaṁ śaravat tanmayo bhavet. (2.2.4) 

praṇavaḥ – oṁkāra; dhanuḥ – is the bow; ātmā – the self; hi – indeed; śaraḥ – the arrow; brahma – Brahman; tallakṣyam – its target (implied meaning); ucyate – is said; apramattena – without indifference; veddhavyam – has to be understood; śaravat – like the arrow; tanmayaḥ – one with that (Brahman); bhavet – one should become 

Oṁkāra is the bow, ātman indeed is the arrow and Brahman is said to be its target. It must be known without indifference. One should become one with that Brahman, like the arrow (with the target).

The meaning of Om is consciousness that is invariable in all thoughts. It is something you can straightaway see. Every thought that occurs in the mind has to be recognised as Brahman. Then the thought really loses its virulence, and your vision is only in Brahman, which is you.

Śaravat tanmayo bhavet: may one become one with the target like an arrow. Just as an arrow that strikes the target becomes one with the target and no longer remains separate, similarly may one become brahma-niṣṭha. May one recognise oneself as Brahman. May one not have any doubt whatsoever with respect to this fact. Śaṅkara says, “By giving up the notion of ‘I’ in the physical body, may one have clear knowledge of oneness with Brahman, which is the implied meaning of Om.”

~Dayananda

Om is the bow; the atman is the arrow; Brahman is said to be the mark. It is to be struck by an undistracted mind. Then the atman becomes one with Brahman, as the arrow with the target. 

OM IS THE BOW: As the bow is the cause of the arrow's entering into the target, so Om is the cause of the atman's entering into Brahman. The atman becomes purified through the constant repetition of Om, and then with the support of this mystic syllable is absorbed in Brahman.

THE ATMAN: Here the word means the reflection of the Supreme Self, which is like the reflection of the sun in water. This is called the individual self, the cognizer of the different states of the mind. Like an arrow, it is discharged at the Supreme Self, the immortal Brahman. Therefore Brahman is said to be its mark.

BY AN UNDISTRACTED ETC: The mind of the aspirant should be free from restlessness caused by longing for external objects. It should be detached from the world. Through a mind disciplined by self-control and concentration one can realize Brahman.

THEN THE ATMAN ETC: After reaching Brahman, the atrnan becomes one with It. Just as the goal of the arrow, after it has been discharged from the bow, is to be absorbed in the mark, so the goal of the atman is to become one with Brahman through the elimination of such erroneous ideas as are created by its identification with the body, the mind, and the senses.

~Nikhilananda

Notes:

Pranava - the primeval word; om; onkara. Vide om.

Om - the Word; the pranava; the Eternal. All words are said to be but various forms of the one sound, om, according to the Upanisads. It represents the divine and the power of God. It is the sound-symbol for the ultimate Reality.

Aparoksanubhuti TOC

 

Aparoksanubhuti 2025

• Apararok
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 16: knower, witness
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 17/21: Atman is
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 22-24: sea of satcitananda
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 25-28: real knowledge
• Talking Aparoksanubhuti 25-28: rock opera
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 31,2,3,9,&40: supreme I
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 43-45: Brahman only
• Talking Aparoksanubhuti 43-45: ignorance of the rope
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 49-51: born of Brahman
• Talking Aparoksanubhuti 49-51: from The Aparok Opera Experience
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 52-54: no second
• Talking Aparoksanubhuti 52-54: body, ego, god, and dna
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 56-58: the real seer
• Talks on Aparoksanubhuti 104-124 (work in progress)
• 
  

Turiyam, Turiyam

In Samsara, there is doing and not doing.

In Isvara is nondoing.

Turiyam.

Brahman is consciousness-existence.

Maya is the sword of Brahman.

Turiyam.







~rj35

Jijnasu Zen of Both and Neither

Consciousness-existence is the silver screen.

The mind is the movie. To be or not to be?

Am I the movie or the movie screen?

~rj34

Vidya

1. In the Beginningless Beginning

Our conditioning turns original vidya into avidya.

Living in avidya is this material world.

Believing 'vidya in avidya' is really vidya is a darker place than just believing in avidya itself.

2. Vidya in Avidya

Vidya in avidya is a divine vehicle of deconstruction.

Like any kind of mass transportation, there's a time to get off. 

If nihilism isn't your destination.

3. Aumdada Says to Kabir, Isa 9-11

Vidya in vidya is satcitananda.

Vidya in vidya is nameless and formless.

Aum

~sr17

Isa TOC

• • • Isavasya 1 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 2 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 3 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 4 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 5 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 6 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 7 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 8 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 9 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 10 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 11 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 12 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 13 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 14 Translation Fantasia
    • Isvayasa 15 Translation Fantasia
    • Isvayasa 16 Translation Fantasia
    • Isvayasa 17 Translation Fantasia
    • Isavasya 18 Translation Fantasia
    • A. Chinmayananda on Isa Structure
    • B. Isa Selected Translation
    • C. Best Isa Upanishad Translations
    • D. An Isa Transcreation (wip)
    • E. Transcreating Isa 1, 4-8

Suite Turiyam

1. Dark Side of the Sun (a)

Consciousness-existence transcends space-time. 

It is one without a second and a second in no time.

It doesn't have a reason. It transcends all rhyme.

2. Dark Side of the Sun (b)

I am of that order of the principle of existence. 

I know the ground of consciousness like the back of my mind.

I am here transcending space. I am right now beyond time.

3. Song of Isvara

Brahman lives at the crossroads of Saguna and Nirguna.

That Great Square where the power of Maya veils and unveils!

This is where the Gita and Mandukya coexist. Om.

4. Seasons

Memories are like dreams remembered.

The Fourth of July. The Fifth of November.

This blessed eve of meteorological spring.

5. To Turiyam

The Quantum Controller of Maya is Isvara. Isvara is the God of Universal Consciousness! Turiyam is the Godhead. Aum.

~sr16

Song of Isvara

Brahman lives at the crossroads of Saguna and Nirguna.

That Great Square where the power of Maya veils and unveils!

This is where the Gita and Mandukya coexist. Om.

~rj33

In the Dark Side of the Sun

1.

Consciousness-existence transcends space-time. 

It is one without a second and a second with no time.

It doesn't have a reason. It transcends all rhyme.

2.

I am of that order of the principle of existence. 

I know the ground of consciousness like the back of my mind.

I am here transcending space. I am right now beyond time.

~rj32