Mundaka Upanishad - Mundaka 3, Section 2 - English

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.

॥ tṛtīyamuṇḍakē dvitīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ॥

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

sa vēdaitat paramaṃ brahma dhāma
yatra viśvaṃ nihitaṃ bhāti śubhram ।
upāsatē puruṣaṃ yē hyakāmāstē
śukramētadativartanti dhīrāḥ ॥ 1॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

kāmān yaḥ kāmayatē manyamānaḥ
sa kāmabhirjāyatē tatra tatra ।
paryāptakāmasya kṛtātmanastu
ihaiva sarvē pravilīyanti kāmāḥ ॥ 2॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

nāyamātmā pravachanēna labhyō
na mēdhayā na bahunā śrutēna ।
yamēvaiṣa vṛṇutē tēna labhya-
stasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇutē tanūṃ svām ॥ 3॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

nāyamātmā balahīnēna labhyō
na cha pramādāt tapasō vāpyaliṅgāt ।
ētairupāyairyatatē yastu vidvāṃ-
stasyaiṣa ātmā viśatē brahmadhāma ॥ 4॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

samprāpyainamṛṣayō jñānatṛptāḥ
kṛtātmānō vītarāgāḥ praśāntāḥ
tē sarvagaṃ sarvataḥ prāpya dhīrā
yuktātmānaḥ sarvamēvāviśanti ॥ 5॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

vēdāntavijñānasuniśchitārthāḥ
sannyāsayōgād yatayaḥ śuddhasattvāḥ ।
tē brahmalōkēṣu parāntakālē
parāmṛtāḥ parimuchyanti sarvē ॥ 6॥

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

gatāḥ kalāḥ pañchadaśa pratiṣṭhā
dēvāścha sarvē pratidēvatāsu ।
karmāṇi vijñānamayaścha ātmā
parē'vyayē sarvē ēkībhavanti ॥ 7॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

yathā nadyaḥ syandamānāḥ samudrē'
staṃ gachChanti nāmarūpē vihāya ।
tathā vidvān nāmarūpādvimuktaḥ
parātparaṃ puruṣamupaiti divyam ॥ 8॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

sa yō ha vai tat paramaṃ brahma vēda
brahmaiva bhavati nāsyābrahmavitkulē bhavati ।
tarati śōkaṃ tarati pāpmānaṃ guhāgranthibhyō
vimuktō'mṛtō bhavati ॥ 9॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

tadētadṛchā'bhyuktam ।
kriyāvantaḥ śrōtriyā brahmaniṣṭhāḥ
svayaṃ juhvata ēkarṣiṃ śraddhayantaḥ ।
tēṣāmēvaitāṃ brahmavidyāṃ vadēta
śirōvrataṃ vidhivad yaistu chīrṇam ॥ 10॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

tadētat satyamṛṣiraṅgirāḥ
purōvācha naitadachīrṇavratō'dhītē ।
namaḥ paramṛṣibhyō namaḥ paramṛṣibhyaḥ ॥ 11॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

॥ iti muṇḍakōpaniṣadi tṛtīyamuṇḍakē dvitīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ॥

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

॥ ityatharvavēdīya muṇḍakōpaniṣatsamāptā ॥

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

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 śānti@ḥ śānti@ḥ śānti#ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
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.

॥ ōṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

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

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