Mundaka Upanishad

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.

हिरण्मये परे कोशे विरजं ब्रह्म निष्कलम् । तच्छुभ्रं ज्योतिषं ज्योतिस्तद् यदात्मविदो विदुः

In the highest golden sheath is Brahman, pure, without stain, indivisible; that radiant Light of lights, the knowers of the Self behold.

न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः । तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति

There the sun does not shine, nor the moon and stars; these lightnings do not shine there, much less this fire. Shining, he alone illumines all; by his light, all this shines.

ब्रह्मैवेदममृतं पुरस्ताद् ब्रह्म पश्चाद् ब्रह्म दक्षिणतश्चोत्तरेण । अधश्चोर्ध्वं च प्रसृतं ब्रह्मैवेदं विश्वमिदं वरिष्ठम्

Brahman is this immortal before, Brahman is behind, Brahman is to the right and to the left; below and above, Brahman alone pervades—this whole universe is truly the supreme Brahman.

द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते । तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभिचाकशीति

Two birds, united, close companions, perch on the same tree. Of these, one eats the sweet fruit, while the other looks on without eating.

समाने वृक्षे पुरुषो निमग्नोऽ नीशया शोचति मुह्यमानः । जुष्टं यदा पश्यत्यन्यमीशमस्य महिमानमिति वीतशोकः

On the same tree, the individual soul, sunk in ignorance, grieves and is bewildered. But when he sees the other, the Lord, and his greatness, he becomes free from sorrow.

यदा पश्यः पश्यते रुक्मवर्णं कर्तारमीशं पुरुषं ब्रह्मयोनिम् । तदा विद्वान् पुण्यपापे विधूय निरञ्जनः परमं साम्यमुपैति

When the seer beholds the golden-colored Creator, the Lord, the Person, the source of Brahman, then, the wise one, shaking off virtue and vice, becomes stainless and attains supreme equality.

प्रणो ह्येष यः सर्वभूतैर्विभाति विजानन् विद्वान् भवते नातिवादी । आत्मक्रीड आत्मरतिः क्रियावा- नेष ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठः

He is the vital force that shines in all beings. Knowing this, the wise man does not argue excessively. He delights in the Self, rejoices in the Self, and is active—he is the highest among knowers of Brahman.

सत्येन लभ्यस्तपसा ह्येष आत्मा सम्यग्ज्ञानेन ब्रह्मचर्येण नित्यम् । अन्तःशरीरे ज्योतिर्मयो हि शुभ्रो यं पश्यन्ति यतयः क्षीणदोषाः

This Self is attained by truth, by austerity, by right knowledge, and by constant chastity. Within the body, pure and full of light, the ascetics whose faults are exhausted behold him.

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतं सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः । येनाऽऽक्रमन्त्यृषयो ह्याप्तकामा यत्र तत् सत्यस्य परमं निधानम्

Truth alone prevails, not falsehood. By truth is the path laid out, the way of the gods, which the sages, whose desires are fulfilled, travel to where is that supreme treasure of truth.

बृहच्च तद् दिव्यमचिन्त्यरूपं सूक्ष्माच्च तत् सूक्ष्मतरं विभाति । दूरात् सुदूरे तदिहान्तिके च पश्यन्त्विहैव निहितं गुहायाम्

That is vast, divine, of inconceivable form; subtler than the subtle, it shines. It is farther than the far, yet here, very near; it is seen here, hidden in the cave of the heart.