Mundaka Upanishad - Mundaka 1, Section 2 - Devanagari

The second section of the first Mundaka marks a sharp pedagogical turn. After introducing परा and अपरा विद्या, the Upanishad now examines ritual-centered life with both fairness and uncompromising clarity. It acknowledges the place of Vedic कर्म, yet refuses to let seekers mistake finite merit for final freedom.

This section is therefore not anti-ritual; it is anti-delusion. It first lays out disciplined ritual procedure and its legitimate results, then shows the built-in limits of action-bound attainments. The intent is to move the seeker from karmic optimism to existential discernment.

॥ प्रथममुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
This is the second section of the first Mundaka.

तदेतत् सत्यं मन्त्रेषु कर्माणि कवयो
यान्यपश्यंस्तानि त्रेतायां बहुधा सन्ततानि ।
तान्याचरथ नियतं सत्यकामा एष वः
पन्थाः सुकृतस्य लोके ॥ 1॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
This is indeed true: the rites seen by the seers and taught in the mantras, elaborated in many forms, should be performed with discipline by those seeking rightful results; this is the path to the worlds gained by merit.

यदा लेलायते ह्यर्चिः समिद्धे हव्यवाहने ।
तदाऽऽज्यभागावन्तरेणाऽऽहुतीः प्रतिपादयेत् ॥ 2॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
When the sacrificial fire is properly kindled and its flame is active, then one should offer the oblations at the prescribed point between the two ghee-offerings.

यस्याग्निहोत्रमदर्शमपौर्णमास-
मचातुर्मास्यमनाग्रयणमतिथिवर्जितं च ।
अहुतमवैश्वदेवमविधिना हुत-
मासप्तमांस्तस्य लोकान् हिनस्ति ॥ 3॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
If one performs agnihotra while neglecting its connected observances - new/full moon rites, seasonal rites, first-fruit offering, hospitality, universal offering - or performs it improperly, such action damages the performer's merit across the sevenfold result-fields.

काली कराली च मनोजवा च
सुलोहिता या च सुधूम्रवर्णा ।
स्फुलिङ्गिनी विश्वरुची च देवी
लेलायमाना इति सप्त जिह्वाः ॥ 4॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The sacrificial fire is described as having seven flickering tongues - Kali, Karali, Manojava, Sulohita, Sudhumravarna, Sphulingini, and Vishvaruchi.

एतेषु यश्चरते भ्राजमानेषु यथाकालं
चाहुतयो ह्याददायन् ।
तं नयन्त्येताः सूर्यस्य रश्मयो यत्र
देवानां पतिरेकोऽधिवासः ॥ 5॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
One who offers rightly and timely in these blazing sacrificial fires is led by the rays of the sun to the realm presided over by the lord of the gods.

एह्येहीति तमाहुतयः सुवर्चसः
सूर्यस्य रश्मिभिर्यजमानं वहन्ति ।
प्रियां वाचमभिवदन्त्योऽर्चयन्त्य
एष वः पुण्यः सुकृतो ब्रह्मलोकः ॥ 6॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The radiant sacrificial offerings, as though inviting "come, come," carry the sacrificer along the sun's rays, praising him and saying: this is your meritorious world attained by good works.

प्लवा ह्येते अदृढा यज्ञरूपा
अष्टादशोक्तमवरं येषु कर्म ।
एतच्छ्रेयो येऽभिनन्दन्ति मूढा
जरामृत्युं ते पुनरेवापि यन्ति ॥ 7॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
These ritual forms are fragile rafts; the eighteenfold sacrificial system is inferior with respect to liberation. Those deluded ones who celebrate it as supreme return again to old age and death.

अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमानाः
स्वयं धीराः पण्डितं मन्यमानाः ।
जङ्घन्यमानाः परियन्ति मूढा
अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः ॥ 8॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Dwelling in ignorance yet thinking themselves wise, the deluded wander in repeated confusion - like the blind led by the blind.

अविद्यायं बहुधा वर्तमाना वयं
कृतार्था इत्यभिमन्यन्ति बालाः ।
यत् कर्मिणो न प्रवेदयन्ति रागात्
तेनातुराः क्षीणलोकाश्च्यवन्ते ॥ 9॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Immature people, moving in varied forms of ignorance, imagine themselves fulfilled. Attached to action, they fail to discern deeply; when their earned worlds are exhausted, they decline and fall again.

इष्टापूर्तं मन्यमाना वरिष्ठं
नान्यच्छ्रेयो वेदयन्ते प्रमूढाः ।
नाकस्य पृष्ठे ते सुकृतेऽनुभूत्वेमं
लोकं हीनतरं वा विशन्ति ॥ 10॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Those deluded ones who consider sacrificial and charitable works to be the highest and know no greater good, after enjoying heavenly merit, return again to this world or a lower one.

तपःश्रद्धे ये ह्युपवसन्त्यरण्ये
शान्ता विद्वांसो भैक्ष्यचर्यां चरन्तः ।
सूर्यद्वारेण ते विरजाः प्रयान्ति
यत्रामृतः स पुरुषो ह्यव्ययात्मा ॥ 11॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Those who live with austerity and faith, in peace and disciplined simplicity, moving in contemplative life, purified of stain, proceed by the luminous path toward the deathless imperishable conscious reality.

परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्राह्मणो
निर्वेदमायान्नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन ।
तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत्
समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ॥ 12॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Having examined the worlds attained through action, the seeker gains dispassion, recognizing that the unproduced absolute cannot be attained by produced means. Therefore, to realize That, one must approach a teacher - with humility - who is both rooted in scripture and established in Brahman.

तस्मै स विद्वानुपसन्नाय सम्यक्
प्रशान्तचित्ताय शमान्विताय ।
येनाक्षरं पुरुषं वेद सत्यं प्रोवाच
तां तत्त्वतो ब्रह्मविद्याम् ॥ 13॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
To such a properly approaching seeker - inwardly calm and disciplined - the realized teacher imparts, in truth, that knowledge of Brahman by which the imperishable conscious reality is known.

॥ इति मुण्डकोपनिषदि प्रथममुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Thus ends the second section of the first Mundaka in the Mundaka Upanishad.

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