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...

अरा इव रथनाभौ संहता यत्र नाड्यः स एषोऽन्तश्चरते बहुधा जायमानः ।
ओमित्येवं ध्यायथ आत्मानं स्वस्ति वः पाराय तमसः परस्तात् ॥ ६ ॥

arā iva rathanābhau saṃhatā yatra nāḍyaḥ sa eṣo'ntaścarate bahudhā jāyamānaḥ |
omityevaṃ dhyāyatha ātmānaṃ svasti vaḥ pārāya tamasaḥ parastāt || 6 ||

6. Where the nerves of the body meet together as the spokes in the nave of a wheel, this Atman is within it variously horn; meditate upon “Om” as the Atman. May there be no obstacle to your going to the other side beyond darkness.

 

Shankara’s Commentary:

Com.—Within the heart where all nerves running through the body meet together, as the spokes in the nave of the wheel, this Atman, spoken of, dwells within, as the witness of the states of consciousness, seeing, hearing, thinking, knowing and as it were, being variously born by the modifications of the mind, such as anger, joy, etc; men in the world say ‘He has become angry, he has become “joyful”, according to the conditions of the internal sense (mind); meditate upon Atman having the syllable “Om” as your support and imagining as stated. And it has been said “the preceptor who knows must instruct the disciples.” The disciples are those who being desirous to acquire the knowledge of the Brahman, have renounced Karma and taken the road to emancipation. The preceptor gives his benediction that they may attain the Brahman without hindrance; svasti vah paraya, let Him be without hindrance to your reaching the other shore. Parastat, beyond; beyond what? Beyond the darkness of ignorance, i. e., for the realisation of the true nature of the Atman devoid of ignorance. He who should be reached after crossing the ocean of Samsara and who is the subject of the Para vidya.

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