Contributed By Dr Thimappa Hegde
Study Material Mundaka Upanishad by Swami Paramarthananda
Transcribed by Sri T. Srinivasan & Sri P. Balasubrahmanyam available at arshavinash.in
Introduction to Upanishads – Class 4
05 February 2021
Summary of Previous Class
Contributed by Dr. Ravishankar
1.Atma
2.Creation - Maya
3.Creation - Stage of Manifold
4.Jiva - Ishvara Aikyam
5.Laws of Karma
Om Akhanda Manadalakaram
Vyaptam yena Charaacharam
Tadpadam Darshitam Yena
Tasmai Sri Guruve Namaha
Mundakopanishad
Atharva Veda
Munda means Head
3 chapters and 2 sections65 mantras
•ओं । ब्रह्मा देवानां प्रथमः संबभूव विश्वस्यकर्ता भुवनस्य गोप्ता । स ब्रह्मविद्यां सर्वविद्याप्रतिष्ठामथर्वाय ज्येष्ठपुत्राय प्राह ॥ १ ॥
Oṃ | brahmādevānāṃprathamaḥsaṃbabhūva
viśvasyakartābhuvanasyagoptā | sabrahmavidyāṃsarvavidyāpratiṣṭhām
atharvāyajyeṣṭhaputrāyaprāha || 1 ||
•Brahmaji imparted this Brahma-Vidya to his eldest son Atharva to Angi ,Satyavaha, Angiras.
•Brahma vidya is glorified. It has come from Brahmaji himself.
•This has been coming down as a guru shishya parampara.
•शौनको ह वै महाशालोऽङ्गिरसं विधिवदुपसन्नः पप्रच्छ । कस्मिन्नु भगवो विज्ञाते सर्वमिदं विज्ञातं भवतीति ॥ ३ ॥
•śaunako ha vaimahāśālo'ṅgirasaṃvidhivadupasannaḥpapraccha | kasminnubhagavovijñātesarvamidaṃvijñātaṃbhavatīti || 3 ||
•3. Saunaka, a great grihasta, having duly approached Angiras, questioned him “What is that, O Bhagavan knowing which, all becomes known.” (3)
•Brahman is moola karanam of everything
•Para and Apara Vidya
Important mantras and Two Profound Examples
•Shanthipat Om Bhadram Karnebihih
•12th mantra – parikshya lokan karma chithan
•11th mantra – natatra suryo bati
•Satyam (Truth) is emphasized – Satyameva jayate
•Example of 2 birds – Jivatma and paramatma
•Omkara as bow, Jiva as arrow
•yathorṇanābhiḥsṛjategṛhṇate ca
•yathā pṛthivyāmoṣadhayaḥsaṃbhavanti | yathāsataḥpuruṣātkeśalomānitathā'kṣarātsaṃbhavatīhaviśvam || 7 ||
Shanthi Mantra
Om BhadramKarnebhihShrnuyamaDevah
Contributed by Dr. Ahalya
Meaning .....
¡Bhadram – mangalam/shubham / auspicious
¡ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवाः ।
¡Let us hear well and listen to only what is auspicious, with our ears भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभि ;।
¡Let us see well and see only what is auspicious र्यजत्राः protector of worshippers
¡स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवाग्ँ
Let us be endowed with firm limbs and body to be able to worship you
¡सस्तनूभिः vedicsooktam
व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ।
Lets us enjoy the full life as ordained by the Devas/ let us be fit enough till the last breath
¡स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो ।naha-us
¡Indra bless us with physical and mental strength. Let my actions be auspicious
¡वृद्धश्रवाः most famous or brihatkeerthi
स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः ।
¡Let Surya shower his grace and give me pranic energy in addition to physical and mental energy. स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो Tarkshya is Garuda Deva
अरिष्टनेमिः Let the obstacles in my spiritual journey be removed
स्वस्ति नो वृहस्पतिर्दधातु
Lord of speech, bless me with good words and right understanding
¡ॐ
¡ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
¡Adhyatmika Shanthi
¡those that originate from myself
¡AdhibhoutikaShanthi
¡from my surroundings
¡AdhidaivikaShanthi
¡ the forces of nature over which I have no control
Verse 1.1.6
Contributed by Venkatesh Prasad
Nature of Brahman
yattadadreśyamagrāhyamagotramavarṇamacakṣuḥśrotraṃ tadapāṇipādam | nityaṃ vibhuṃ sarvagataṃ susūkṣmaṃ tadavyayaṃ yadbhūtayoniṃ paripaśyanti dhīrāḥ || 6 ||
Verse 1.2.12
Contributed by Dr. Sunder
•parīkṣyalokānkarmacitānbrāhmaṇo
•nirvedamāyānnāstyakṛtaḥkṛtena |
•tadvijñānārthaṃsagurumevābhigacchet
•samitpāṇiḥśrotriyaṃbrahmaniṣṭham || 12 ||
Verse 2.2.10
Contributed by Dr. Anupama
•न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः । तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ॥ १० ॥
•na tatrasūryo bhāti
•na candratārakaṃ
•nemā vidyuto bhānti
•kuto'yamagniḥ | tameva bhāntam
•anubhāti sarvaṃ
•tasya bhāsā
•sarvamidaṃ vibhāti || 10 ||
THE UNIQUENESS OF VEDANTA
•IN EVERY EXPERIENCE WE SHIFT OUR ATTENTION FROM THE OBJECT OF EXPERIENCE TO EXPERIENCER
•THE OBJECT OF EXPERIENCE HOWEVER GREAT OR DIVINE IS MITHYA
•ULTIMATELY IT IS ME THE WITNESS CONSCIOUSNESS ATMA WHO LENDS EXISTENCE TO NOT JUST THE UNIVERSE BUT EVEN SAGUNA ISHWARA
•MAYI EVA SAKALAM JAATAM: MAYI SARVAM PRATHISTHITAM
Swayam Prakashatvam
•Atma is self evident
•Atma is compared to light as it illuminates Anatma
•Illumination in Vedanta à An unknown object is made known
•Illuminator = “LIGHT”
Jyothishyam Jyothi(lights of all lights)
Every sense organ is referred to as Light
Example – Nose - makes smell known
Therefore, Nose is the “illuminator” of smell
The mind – Illumines the sense organs
Therefore, the mind is the “illuminator” of sense organs
The consciousness makes the mind sentient
Therefore, Consciousness is the illuminator or LIGHT OF ALL LIGHTS
Jyothisham Jyothi – Three key words
1.Bhati – Bhanam
2.Anubhati – Anubhanam
3.Vibhati – Vibhanam
Bha = Prakasha = Light
Bhanam
In every cognition – JANAMI – that happens in the waking state – two entities co exist
JANA = revelation of the “OBJECT”
MI = ME the “SUBJECT”
The process of cognition involves
1. The cogniser (Self evident) = BHANAM
2. The Cognised object known through the process of cognition = ANUBHANAM
Difference between Bhanam and Anubhanam
•BHANAM = I the atma = unchanging = The Sakshi Chaitanyam
•ANUBHANAM = Anatma = changing
Since they coexist, We erroneously anchor onto the Anatma and drown in SAMSARA
How many illuminators are there?
तमेव भान्तं सर्वं अनुभान्ति (tamevabhantam sarvaṁanubhānti)
Surya Bhati (Self illuminating)
Chandra – Anubhati (borrows luminosity from the sun)
What is the difference between Bhati and Vibhati
Only One – THE ATMA
•When Atma shines by itself = Bhanam
•The Chit is manifest as Bimba Chaitanyam
•When the Atma manifests through the mind as Pratibhimba Chaitanyam or Chidabasa it is called Vibhanam
Example – during day time the Sun Bhati
- Poornima night the Sun Vibhati
- During shusupti (deep sleep) à Atma Bhati
- During waking state Atma illumines the world through the mind = Vibhati
•BHATI – One ATMA
•VIBHATI – Many (Minds)
•VIVIDA ANTAKARNA, INDRIYA DWARA
•VIVIDA PRAMANA DWARA ATMA EVA VIBATHI
•That Brahman alone illumines directly or indirectly through media
Brahman cannot and need not be Illumined
•Surya na Bhati = The Sun can not illumine
•na Chandra = Neither the Moon
•Na Tarakam = Nor the stars
•Na Vidyuth = Neither the flashes of lightening
•Kutah ayam agni = and definitely not the Fire
•None of these can illumine bhraman – “THERE IS NO NEED AS BHRAMAN IS SELF EVIDENT”
Verse 2.2.4
Contributed by Karthik
•प्रणवो धनुः शारो ह्यात्मा ब्रह्म तल्लक्ष्यमुच्यते । अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं शरवत्तन्मयो भवेत् ॥ ४ ॥
•praṇavodhanuḥśāro
•hyātmā brahma
•tallakṣyamucyate | apramattenaveddhavyaṃ
• śaravattanmayobhavet ||
Verse 3.1.1
Contributed by Vishwanath
dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā
samānaṃ vṛkṣaṃ pariṣasvajāte | tayoranyaḥ pippalaṃ svādvatty
anaśnannanyo abhicākaśīti || 1 ||
Glimpse of next week’s topic
Dr. Thimappa Hegde
Preparation for Mahashivaratri
11thMarch 2021
Shiva Mantras
Namaskarantha Mantra.
•नमस्ते अस्तु भगवन विश्र्वेश्र्वराय महादेवाय
•त्र्यम्बकाय त्रिपुरान्तकायत्रिकालाग्निकालाय
• कालाग्निरुद्राय नीलकण्ठाय मृत्युंजयाय
•सर्वेश्र्वराय सदाशिवाय श्रीमन् महादेवाय नमः
Namaste Astu Bhagwan
Vishweshwaraya Mahadevaya
Trayambakaya Tripurantakaya Trikagni Kalaaya
Kalagni Rudraya Nilakanthay Mrityunjayaya
Sarveshwaraya Sadashivaya Shriman Mahadevaaya
Lord Shiva is the Lord of the Universe
•“Namaste astu bhagavan”- O Lord, my respects to you.
•Vishweshwaraya- Lord of universe
•Maintains the universal laws
•Maintains the Law of Karma
•Understanding this helps us to come to acceptance.
Mahadevaya
•Deva-has many meanings
•One who is in the form of effulgence.
•Lord is called “Light of all lights”
Trayambakaya
•Lord who has got three eyes.
•Third eye represents “eye of wisdom” by which one can understand the truth behind this creation and Atma tattvam
•3rd eye also represents “spiritual knowledge”
Tripurantakaya
•Three asuras known as Tripura Rakshasas with three cities made of gold, silver, Iron.
•These are flying cities.
•They represent the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep
•Tripurantakaya means destroyer of all three unreal states and reveals the real.
Trikagnikalaya
•Trika-group of three
•Agni-fire
•Three types of fire (Gargapathya fire, Aagavania fire & dakshina fire)
•It represents karma kanda of vedanta.
•Trikagnikalaya- Lord Shiva who destroys all the karmas and leads us attain self knowledge.
Kalagnirudraya
•One who is pralaya kala agni which destroys everything
Sarveshwaraya
•Lord of everything.
•Creation and Māya which is unmanifest.
Sadashiva
•Always auspicious
•One who destroys the inauspicious
Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam
Puurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate
PuurnnasyaPuurnnam-Aadaaya
Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||
Om ShaantihShaantihShaantih ||