Mundaka Upanishad with Shankara’s Commentary
by S. Sitarama Sastri | 1905 | 19,662 words
The Mundaka Upanishad is a collection of philosophical poems used to teach meditation and spiritual knowledge regarding the true nature of Brahma and the Self (Atman). It is composed of the three main parts (mundakas): 1) The first of three parts expounds the science of higher and lower knowledge. 2) The second part describes the true nature of t...
Verse 1.2.2
यदा लेलायते ह्यर्चिः समिद्धे हव्यवाहने ।
तदाज्यभागावन्तरेणाहुतीः प्रतिपादयेत् ॥ २ ॥yadā lelāyate hyarciḥ samiddhe havyavāhane |
tadājyabhāgāvantareṇāhutīḥ pratipādayet || 2 ||2. When the flame of the fire burning high is moving, then one should perform the oblations in the space between the portions, where the ghee should be poured on either side.
Shankara’s Commentary:
Com.—Of the various kinds of karma, agnihotra is first explained to show what it is, because it is the first of all karma. How is that to be performed? When the flame moves, the five being well fed by fuel, then in the flame so moving between the portions where quantities of ghee are poured on either side, i.e., in the place called avapasthana one should throw the oblations intending them for the devata. As the same has to be done during many days the plural oblations is used. This karma marga which consists in properly offering the oblations, etc., is the road to the attainment of good worlds but it is not easy to do that properly and the impediments are many.