Mundaka Upanishad - Mundaka 3, Section 2 - Devanagari

The second section of the third Mundaka is the Upanishad's final liberation seal. After guiding the seeker through discrimination, contemplative method, and witness-recognition, this concluding section states with directness what realization is, who is prepared for it, how bondage ends, and how the knower abides.

Its progression is exact: the Brahman-abode and desirelessness, the law of desire-driven rebirth, the limits of mere scholarship, the indispensability of strength, alertness, and disciplined austerity, the nature of realized sages, Vedantic certainty through renunciation, dissolution of constituents, river-ocean merging metaphor, becoming Brahman through knowledge, and disciplined transmission protocol.

॥ तृतीयमुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
This is the second section of the third Mundaka, the concluding liberation-oriented section of the Upanishad.

स वेदैतत् परमं ब्रह्म धाम
यत्र विश्वं निहितं भाति शुभ्रम् ।
उपासते पुरुषं ये ह्यकामास्ते
शुक्रमेतदतिवर्तन्ति धीराः ॥ 1॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
One who knows the supreme Brahman-abode in which the whole universe is established and shines pure - those desireless contemplatives of the supreme conscious reality, being steadfast, go beyond the seed of rebirth.

कामान् यः कामयते मन्यमानः
स कामभिर्जायते तत्र तत्र ।
पर्याप्तकामस्य कृतात्मनस्तु
इहैव सर्वे प्रविलीयन्ति कामाः ॥ 2॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
One who continually desires objects is born again and again according to those desires; but for the fulfilled, self-integrated knower, all desires dissolve here itself.

नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो
न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन ।
यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्य-
स्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वाम् ॥ 3॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
This Self is not attained by discourse, mere intelligence, or extensive hearing alone; it is attained by the one wholly aligned to it, to whom the Self reveals its own nature.

नायमात्मा बलहीनेन लभ्यो
न च प्रमादात् तपसो वाप्यलिङ्गात् ।
एतैरुपायैर्यतते यस्तु विद्वां-
स्तस्यैष आत्मा विशते ब्रह्मधाम ॥ 4॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The Self is not attained by inner weakness, heedlessness, or merely external ascetic marks; but the discerning one who strives through right means realizes this Self in Brahman-abidance.

सम्प्राप्यैनमृषयो ज्ञानतृप्ताः
कृतात्मानो वीतरागाः प्रशान्ताः
ते सर्वगं सर्वतः प्राप्य धीरा
युक्तात्मानः सर्वमेवाविशन्ति ॥ 5॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Having realized this, sages become fulfilled in knowledge, self-mastered, attachment-free, and peaceful; realizing the all-pervading, integrated in Self, they become one with all.

वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्चितार्थाः
सन्न्यासयोगाद् यतयः शुद्धसत्त्वाः ।
ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले
परामृताः परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे ॥ 6॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Those who have firmly ascertained Vedantic truth, and through renunciate discipline are purified in mind, attain complete liberation as supreme immortality at final consummation.

गताः कलाः पञ्चदश प्रतिष्ठा
देवाश्च सर्वे प्रतिदेवतासु ।
कर्माणि विज्ञानमयश्च आत्मा
परेऽव्यये सर्वे एकीभवन्ति ॥ 7॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
At dissolution, the fifteen constituents return to their sources, sensory powers to their presiding principles, and karmic and intellect-associated individuality resolves into the supreme imperishable.

यथा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रेऽ
स्तं गच्छन्ति नामरूपे विहाय ।
तथा विद्वान् नामरूपाद्विमुक्तः
परात्परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥ 8॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
As flowing rivers enter the ocean leaving separate names and forms, so the knower, freed from name-form identification, attains the supreme luminous conscious reality beyond all.

स यो ह वै तत् परमं ब्रह्म वेद
ब्रह्मैव भवति नास्याब्रह्मवित्कुले भवति ।
तरति शोकं तरति पाप्मानं गुहाग्रन्थिभ्यो
विमुक्तोऽमृतो भवति ॥ 9॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Who truly knows the supreme Brahman becomes Brahman; in that lineage ignorance does not persist. One crosses sorrow and sin-bondage, and being freed from the knots of the heart becomes immortal.

तदेतदृचाऽभ्युक्तम् ।
क्रियावन्तः श्रोत्रिया ब्रह्मनिष्ठाः
स्वयं जुह्वत एकर्षिं श्रद्धयन्तः ।
तेषामेवैतां ब्रह्मविद्यां वदेत
शिरोव्रतं विधिवद् यैस्तु चीर्णम् ॥ 10॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Thus it is declared: this knowledge of Brahman should be taught only to those disciplined in conduct, grounded in scripture and Brahman-abidance, endowed with reverent trust, and who have duly completed the required observances.

तदेतत् सत्यमृषिरङ्गिराः
पुरोवाच नैतदचीर्णव्रतोऽधीते ।
नमः परमृषिभ्यो नमः परमृषिभ्यः ॥ 11॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
This indeed is truth, declared anciently by sage Angiras. It is not to be studied by one who has not completed the required discipline. Salutations to the supreme seers.

॥ इति मुण्डकोपनिषदि तृतीयमुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

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

॥ इत्यथर्ववेदीय मुण्डकोपनिषत्समाप्ता ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Thus the Mundaka Upanishad belonging to the Atharva Veda is concluded.

ॐ भ@द्रं कर्णे#भिः शृणु@याम# देवाः । भ@द्रं प#श्येमा@क्षभि@-र्यज#त्राः । स्थि@रैरङ्गै$स्तुष्टु@वागं स#स्त@नूभिः# । व्यशे#म दे@वहि#त@ं यदायुः# । स्व@स्ति न@ इन्द्रो# वृ@द्धश्र#वाः । स्व@स्ति नः# पू@षा वि@श्ववे#दाः । स्व@स्ति न@स्तार्क्ष्यो@ अरि#ष्टनेमिः । स्व@स्ति नो@ बृह@स्पति#-र्दधातु ॥
ॐ शान्ति@ः शान्ति@ः शान्तिः# ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
May we hear and see what is auspicious, and with steady faculties live the life aligned to divine good; may there be peace, peace, peace.

॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The sacred syllable Om. Peace, peace, peace.

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