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 2.2.3
धनुर्गृहीत्वौपनिषदं महास्त्रं शरं ह्युपासानिशितं संधयीत ।
आयम्य तद्भावगतेन चेतसा लक्ष्यं तदेवाक्षरं सोम्य विद्धि ॥ ३ ॥dhanurgṛhītvaupaniṣadaṃ mahāstraṃ śaraṃ hyupāsāniśitaṃ saṃdhayīta |
āyamya tadbhāvagatena cetasā lakṣyaṃ tadevākṣaraṃ somya viddhi || 3 ||3. Having taken the how furnished by the Upanishads, the great weapon—and fixed in it the arrow rendered pointed by constant meditation and having drawn it with the mind fixed on the Brahman, hit, good looking youth! at that mark—the immortal Brahman.
Shankara’s Commentary:
Com.—How that is hit is now explained. Dhanuh. the bow. Grihitva, having taken. Upanishadam horn in, i.e., well-known in the Upanishads. Mahastram, great weapon, i.e., the arrow; fix the arrow; of what quality is stated. Upasauisltam, rendered pointed by constant meditation, i.e., purified; after fixing it and drawing it, i.e., having drawn the mind and the senses from their external objects and bending, i.e., concentrating them on the mark, for the bow here cannot be bent as by the hand; hit the mark—the immortal Brahman—above defined with thy mind, Oh good looking youth, engrossed by meditation upon the Brahman.