Mundaka Upanishad - Mundaka 3, Section 2 - English

The wise men who worship Him, He who knows the Self, that Supremely luminous abode of Brahman on which the whole world rests and shines; they will go beyond the seed of birth (samsaric cycle of birth and death)
That is to say, by worshipping a Self- realized soul one can even break free from the cycle of birth and death.

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

Whatever objects one pines for and desires for eagerly, one is born in those very places. But for those whose desires are fulfilled and for those who are Self -Realized, such desires fall off in the current life.

To clarify, here reference is made to the doctrine of reincarnation. This says that other than Karma, a man’s desires also determine the conditions of his next life. Meaning, he will be born in a place where the objects of his desire abound so that he may fulfil them. But by becoming Self-Realized or by prayers to the Self-realized, this can be sidestepped.

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

The Atman cannot be realized by the study of the Vedas or through intelligence (knowing the meaning of scriptures) or even through learning. Only the one who seeks to know Atman (with intense longing) attain it. To such (aspirants) the Atman reveals itself.

Hence, only to the aspirant who wants to attain realization more than anything else, the Atman reveals itself.

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

The ones without strength, attentiveness or austerity/ renunciation cannot realize the Atman. But a wise man who strives with these will enter the realm of the Brahman.

Unrealized souls return back to Earth over and over again in upper/lower worlds depending on their Karma. But the Atman-realized souls attain immortality and are called Jivanmuktas

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

The Sages become content with the knowledge after realizing the Atman. Established firmly in their Self they become desire-free and composed in their mind. Centred in the Self, these wise ones behold the omnipresent Brahman in All, and enter (merge) into All.

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

All the seers well established in the Vedantic knowledge, whose souls are purified through the monastic Yoga, have attained immortality, will get complete liberation in Brahman during the end of time.

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

The fifteen parts of the body (dissolve and) go back to their causes, the senses return to their presiding divinities and the karmas and the Atman reflected in the intellect all become one with the Supreme Indestructible.

To clarify, The fifteen parts of the body as explained in the Prasna Upanishad: They are Prithvi (earth), Agni (Fire), Vayu (air), Jal (water), Aksa (space/ether), Indriyas (sense organs), Manas (mind), Nama (name), Loka (world), Annam (food), Mantras (Hymns), Yajnas/ sacrifices (Rituals) Shraddha (faith), Tapas (austerity) Viryam (vigour).

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

As the flowing rivers merge into the oceans giving up their names and forms, so do the wise merge into the luminous Purusha, higher than the highest Maya, giving up all name and form.

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

He who knows Brahman, becomes Brahman. In his family no one is born ignorant of Self. He is beyond grief, beyond sins and free from the knots of heart, he becomes immortal.

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

This knowledge of the Brahman must be shared with only those who perform their duties, are well-versed in the Shrutis and are devoted to Brahman. Further they must also have faithfully sacrificed to the Ekarshi fire (a fire prayed to by Atharva Veda specialised Yogins) and must have accomplished holding fire on their head (a ritual called Sirovrata)

Meaning, the Brahmanic knowledge must be shared only with the ones who have executed their duties and then opted for renunciation.

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

॥ iti muṇḍakōpaniṣadi tṛtīyamuṇḍakē dvitīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ॥

॥ ityatharvavēdīya muṇḍakōpaniṣatsamāptā ॥

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 ॥

॥ ōṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

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