Mundaka Upanishad

यस्याग्निहोत्रमदर्शमपौर्णमास- मचातुर्मास्यमनाग्रयणमतिथिवर्जितं च । अहुतमवैश्वदेवमविधिना हुत- मासप्तमांस्तस्य लोकान् हिनस्ति

Whose Agnihotra is without the new moon and full moon rites, without the four-monthly rites, without the first-fruits offering, and neglects hospitality; whose offering is not to Vaiśvadeva, or is made improperly—seven worlds are destroyed for him.

काली कराली च मनोजवा च सुलोहिता या च सुधूम्रवर्णा । स्फुलिङ्गिनी विश्वरुची च देवी लेलायमाना इति सप्त जिह्वाः

Kālī, Karālī, Manojavā, Sulohitā, Sudhūmravarṇā, Sphuliṅginī, Viśvarucī—the goddess, flickering, these are the seven tongues of flame.

एतेषु यश्चरते भ्राजमानेषु यथाकालं चाहुतयो ह्याददायन् । तं नयन्त्येताः सूर्यस्य रश्मयो यत्र देवानां पतिरेकोऽधिवासः

Whoever acts among these shining flames, offering oblations at the proper time, those rays of the sun lead him to the place where the lord of the gods dwells alone.

एह्येहीति तमाहुतयः सुवर्चसः सूर्यस्य रश्मिभिर्यजमानं वहन्ति । प्रियां वाचमभिवदन्त्योऽर्चयन्त्य एष वः पुण्यः सुकृतो ब्रह्मलोकः

Come, come!—the bright oblations call, and the rays of the sun carry the sacrificer. Speaking sweet words and praising, this is your virtuous, well-earned world of Brahman.

प्लवा ह्येते अदृढा यज्ञरूपा अष्टादशोक्तमवरं येषु कर्म । एतच्छ्रेयो येऽभिनन्दन्ति मूढा जरामृत्युं ते पुनरेवापि यन्ति

These, indeed, are fragile rafts in the form of sacrifice, described as eighteen kinds of inferior actions. Those who delight in this as the highest good, the deluded, return again to old age and death.

अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमानाः स्वयं धीराः पण्डितं मन्यमानाः । जङ्घन्यमानाः परियन्ति मूढा अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः

Dwelling in ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, the deluded wander, battered about, like the blind led by the blind.

अविद्यायां बहुधा वर्तमाना वयं कृतार्था इत्यभिमन्यन्ति बालाः । यत् कर्मिणो न प्रवेदयन्ति रागात् तेनातुराः क्षीणलोकाश्च्यवन्ते

Dwelling in ignorance in many ways, children think themselves accomplished. What the ritualists do not understand because of passion, by that they are afflicted; their worlds perish and they fall.

इष्टापूर्तं मन्यमाना वरिष्ठं नान्यच्छ्रेयो वेदयन्ते प्रमूढाः । नाकस्य पृष्ठे ते सुकृतेऽनुभूत्वेमं लोकं हीनतरं वा विशन्ति

Those who consider sacrificial and charitable acts to be supreme, deluded, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed the fruits of their good deeds on the heights of heaven, they enter this world or a lesser one.

तपःश्रद्धे ये ह्युपवसन्त्यरण्ये शान्ता विद्वांसो भैक्ष्यचर्यां चरन्तः । सूर्यद्वारेण ते विरजाः प्रयान्ति यत्रामृतः स पुरुषो ह्यव्ययात्मा

Those who practice austerity and faith, dwelling in the forests, peaceful, learned, living by alms—through the sun's path, purified, they go to where the immortal, imperishable Self resides.

परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायान्नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन । तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम्

Having examined the worlds gained by action, the Brahmin becomes disillusioned, for nothing uncreated is attained by action. To know that, he must approach a teacher, carrying fuel, who is learned and established in Brahman.

तस्मै स विद्वानुपसन्नाय सम्यक् प्रशान्तचित्ताय शमान्विताय । येनाक्षरं पुरुषं वेद सत्यं प्रोवाच तां तत्वतो ब्रह्मविद्याम्

To him, who has approached properly, whose mind is tranquil and disciplined, the wise teacher declares the true knowledge of Brahman, by which the imperishable, true Person is known.

तदेतत् सत्यं यथा सुदीप्तात् पावकाद्विस्फुलिङ्गाः सहस्रशः प्रभवन्ते सरूपाः । तथाऽक्षराद्विविधाः सोम्य भावाः प्रजायन्ते तत्र चैवापि यन्ति

This is the truth: Just as from a blazing fire thousands of sparks arise, all similar in form, so, O gentle one, from the imperishable arise various beings, and into it they return.

दिव्यो ह्यमूर्तः पुरुषः स बाह्याभ्यन्तरो ह्यजः । अप्राणो ह्यमनाः शुभ्रो ह्यक्षरात् परतः परः

The divine, formless Person is both within and without, unborn; without breath, without mind, pure, beyond the imperishable, higher than the highest.

एतस्माज्जायते प्रणो मनः सर्वेन्द्रियाणि च । खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापः पृथिवी विश्वस्य धारिणी

From Him arise the vital force, mind, all the senses, space, air, light, water, earth—the support of the universe.

अग्नीर्मूर्धा चक्षुषी चन्द्रसूर्यौ दिशः श्रोत्रे वाग् विवृताश्च वेदाः । वायुः प्रणो हृदयं विश्वमस्य पद्भ्यां पृथिवी ह्येष सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा

Fire is His head, the sun and moon His eyes, the directions His ears, speech and the revealed Vedas His mouth; air is His vital force, the universe His heart, earth His feet—He is the inner Self of all beings.

तस्मादग्निः समिधो यस्य सूर्यः सोमात् पर्जन्य ओषधयः पृथिव्याम् । पुमान् रेतः सिञ्चति योषितायां बह्वीः प्रजाः पुरुषात् संप्रसूताः

From Him comes fire, whose fuel is the sun; from the moon, rain; from rain, plants on earth. The man pours seed into the woman, and many creatures are born from the Person.

तस्मादृचः साम यजूंषि दीक्षा यज्ञाश्च सर्वे क्रतवो दक्षिणाश्च । संवत्सरश्च यजमानश्च लोकाः सोमो यत्र पवते यत्र सूर्यः

From Him come the Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas, initiation, all sacrifices, rituals, offerings, the year, the sacrificer, worlds—where the moon is purified and the sun shines.

तस्माच्च देवा बहुधा संप्रसूताः साध्या मनुष्याः पशवो वयांसि । प्राणापानौ व्रीहियवौ तपश्च श्रद्ध सत्यं ब्रह्मचर्यं विधिश्च

From Him, the gods are born in many forms, as are the Sādhyas, humans, animals, birds; the vital and outgoing breaths, rice and barley, austerity, faith, truth, celibacy, and law.

सप्त प्राणाः प्रभवन्ति तस्मात् सप्तार्चिषः समिधः सप्त होमाः । सप्त इमे लोका येषु चरन्ति प्राणा गुहाशया निहिताः सप्त सप्त

Seven vital forces arise from Him, seven flames, seven offerings; seven worlds in which the vital forces dwell, hidden in the cave, seven by seven.

अतः समुद्रा गिरयश्च सर्वेऽस्मात् स्यन्दन्ते सिन्धवः सर्वरूपाः । अतश्च सर्वा ओषधयो रसश्च येनैष भूतैस्तिष्ठते ह्यन्तरात्मा

From Him flow all oceans and mountains; from Him pour all rivers of every form. From Him come all plants and their essences, by whom the inner Self abides among beings.

पुरुष एवेदं विश्वं कर्म तपो ब्रह्म परामृतम् । एतद्यो वेद निहितं गुहायां सोऽविद्याग्रन्थिं विकिरतीह सोम्य

The Person alone is this entire universe—action, austerity, Brahman, the supreme nectar. Whoever knows this, hidden in the cave, shatters the knot of ignorance, O gentle one.

आविः संनिहितं गुहाचरं नाम महत्पदमत्रैतत् समर्पितम् । एजत्प्राणन्निमिषच्च यदेतज्जानथ सदसद्वरेण्यं परं विज्ञानाद्यद्वरिष्ठं प्रजानाम्

Manifest, present, dwelling in the cave, the great abode is offered here. It moves, breathes, blinks—know this, which is both existence and non-existence, the most excellent, supreme knowledge among beings.

यदर्चिमद्यदणुभ्योऽणु च यस्मिँल्लोका निहिता लोकिनश्च । तदेतदक्षरं ब्रह्म स प्राणस्तदु वाङ्मनः तदेतत्सत्यं तदमृतं तद्वेद्धव्यं सोम्य विद्धि

That which is radiant, subtler than the subtlest, in which worlds and their inhabitants are contained—that is the imperishable Brahman, that is the vital force, speech, mind; that is truth, immortality, that is to be known, O gentle one, know it.

धनुर्गृहीत्वौपनिषदं महास्त्रं शरं ह्युपासा निशितं सन्धयीत । आयम्य तद्भावगतेन चेतसा लक्ष्यं तदेवाक्षरं सोम्य विद्धि

Taking the Upanishad as the great bow, place the sharp arrow of meditation upon it; draw it with the mind absorbed in That, and know the imperishable as the target, O gentle one.

प्रणवो धनुः शारो ह्यात्मा ब्रह्म तल्लक्ष्यमुच्यते । अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं शरवत् तन्मयो भवेत्

Om is the bow, the Self is the arrow, Brahman is said to be the target. It must be pierced with unwavering attention; become one with it, like an arrow.

यस्मिन् द्यौः पृथिवी चान्तरिक्षमोतं मनः सह प्राणैश्च सर्वैः । तमेवैकं जानथ आत्मानमन्या वाचो विमुञ्चथामृतस्यैष सेतुः

Know that One Self in whom heaven, earth, and the space between are woven, along with the mind and all the life-forces; know only that Self, and let go of all other words—this alone is the bridge to immortality.

अरा इव रथनाभौ संहता यत्र नाड्यः । स एषोऽन्तश्चरते बहुधा जायमानः । ओमित्येवं ध्यायथ आत्मानं स्वस्ति वः पाराय तमसः परस्तात्

As the spokes are held together in the hub of a wheel, so are all the channels united in that One; he moves within, manifesting in many ways. Meditate on the Self as Om—may you prosper and cross beyond darkness.

यः सर्वज्ञः सर्वविद् यस्यैष महिमा भुवि । दिव्ये ब्रह्मपुरे ह्येष व्योम्न्यात्मा प्रतिष्ठितः ॥ मनोमयः प्राणशरीरनेता प्रतिष्ठितोऽन्ने हृदयं सन्निधाय । तद् विज्ञानेन परिपश्यन्ति धीरा आनन्दरूपममृतं यद् विभाति

He who knows all, who is all-knowing, whose glory is manifest on earth—this Self is established in the luminous city of Brahman, in the supreme sky. Made of mind, leader of the life-forces, established in food, with the heart as his abode—by knowing him, the wise behold the blissful, immortal form that shines forth.

भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिश्छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः । क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन् दृष्टे परावरे

When that Supreme, both higher and lower, is seen, the knot of the heart is untied, all doubts are cut asunder, and his actions come to an end.