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Mundaka Upanishad - Mundaka 1, Section 1 ōṃ bha@draṃ karṇē#bhiḥ śṛṇu@yāma# dēvāḥ । bha@draṃ pa#śyēmā@kṣabhi@-ryaja#trāḥ । sthi@rairaṅgai$stuṣṭu@vāgṃ sa#sta@nūbhi#ḥ । vyaśē#ma dē@vahi#ta@ṃ yadāyu#ḥ । sva@sti na@ indrō# vṛ@ddhaśra#vāḥ । sva@sti na#ḥ pū@ṣā vi@śvavē#dāḥ । sva@sti na@stārkṣyō@ ari#ṣṭanēmiḥ । sva@sti nō@ bṛha@spati#-rdadhātu ॥ ॥ ōṃ brahmaṇē namaḥ ॥ Lesson1 : Brahmavidya (Supreme Knowledge) is passed on from teacher to disciple ॥ prathamamuṇḍakē prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ॥ ōṃ brahmā dēvānāṃ prathamaḥ sambabhūva viśvasya kartā Lord Brahma, came first among Gods. He taught Atharvan, his son the knowledge of the ‘Brahman’ the (cosmic consciousness), the foundation of all knowledge. atharvaṇē yāṃ pravadēta brahmā'tharvā taṃ This knowledge passed on from Atharvan to Bhradwaja, from Bharadwaja to Satyavaha and from Satyavahah to Angiras (vedic rishis of the yore). śaunakō ha vai mahāśālō'ṅgirasaṃ vidhivadupasannaḥ paprachCha । Now, Shounaka, a householder (a man fulfilling his marital and societal duties) asks the Angiras (Vedic Rishis) which is that knowledge by knowing which every other knowledge becomes evident. This concept has been clarified with famous Vedantic similes. For example, the knowledge of a a clod of earth can give knowledge on all things made from it. Similarly, the knowledge of gold can give knowledge of all things made from it… Lower knowledge is based on actions both good and bad hence perpetrating the karmic cycle of birth and death for realizing the fruits of such actions. tasmai sa hōvācha । The Rishis replied that there are two kinds of knowledge the Higher and the Lower. tatrāparā ṛgvēdō yajurvēdaḥ sāmavēdō'tharvavēdaḥ Lower knowledge consists of the 4 vedas, the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Atharvaveda and the Samaveda and their code of rituals, also the phonetics (the six angas of Vedas- the Vedangas), the grammar, the medicine, the astronomy, the prosody, metre etc. Further, knowledge that can help reach Cosmic consciousness is called as the Higher Knowledge. yattadadrēśyamagrāhyamagōtramavarṇa- (Through the Higher knowledge) the wise see everywhere (the Brahman which is) invisible- beyond senses (Adrshyam) beyond grasp (Agrahyam), beyond gunas of Sattva, Rajas, Tamas (Agotram), beyond eyes, ears, hands and feet. This is the Eternal, Subtle, All -pervasive and the source of all Creation. yathōrṇanābhiḥ sṛjatē gṛhṇatē cha Just as the spider spins a web and then effortlessly recoils and absorbs it, just as the herbs grow spontaneously on earth and the humans grow hair on their head without any effort similarly the phenomenal world springs forth effortlessly from the Brahman. tapasā chīyatē brahma tatō'nnamabhijāyatē । By austerity (Tapas as in meditation here) the nature expands from the Brahman into creation. First comes Anna (meaning food, it being allegorical of Prakriti matter/Maya, things that humans enjoy). Next Prana (Hiranayagarba or Cosmic Energy) then Manah (Cosmic Mind) and from that evolved Mahabhutas (the 5 elements of Earth, water, fire, air and ether) and then the Lokah (as in the 7 worlds, earth etc) and then the immortality of karmic cycle (karmasu amrutam)(immortal as it takes ages for the results of karmas to fructify) yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavidyasya jñānamayaṃ tapaḥ । This Brahmand (Hiranyagarb), name, form, matter all have come from the one who is Omniscient and whose only austerity (penance/tapas) is Pure knowledge (not self-mortification or rituals) ॥ iti muṇḍakōpaniṣadi prathamamuṇḍakē prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ॥
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