Mundaka Upanishad - Mundaka 1, Section 1 - Grantha

𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌤𑍍, counted among the principal Upanishads and associated with the 𑌅𑌥𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌵𑍇𑌦, is a foundational Vedantic text for seekers who have outgrown purely result-driven religion and want liberating knowledge. Its opening movement is deliberate: first establish lineage, then clarify the hierarchy of knowledge, then point to 𑌅𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰-𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌨𑍍 as the non-perishing reality.

This first chapter, first section (𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃), is especially important because it sets the epistemic map for the rest of the text. It distinguishes 𑌅𑌪𑌰𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾 (textual/ritual/disciplinary learning) from 𑌪𑌰𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾 (that by which the imperishable is known), without dismissing the former as useless.

𑌓𑌂 𑌭@𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌣𑍇#𑌭𑌿𑌃 𑌶𑍃𑌣𑍁@𑌯𑌾𑌮# 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 । 𑌭@𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌪#𑌶𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌮𑌾@𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌭𑌿@-𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌜#𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌃 । 𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌿@𑌰𑍈𑌰𑌂𑌗𑍈$𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌟𑍁@𑌵𑌾𑌗𑌂 𑌸#𑌸𑍍𑌤@𑌨𑍂𑌭𑌿#𑌃 । 𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌶𑍇#𑌮 𑌦𑍇@𑌵𑌹𑌿#𑌤@𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌾𑌯𑍁#𑌃 । 𑌸𑍍𑌵@𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌨@ 𑌇𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑍋# 𑌵𑍃@𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌶𑍍𑌰#𑌵𑌾𑌃 । 𑌸𑍍𑌵@𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌨#𑌃 𑌪𑍂@𑌷𑌾 𑌵𑌿@𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌵𑍇#𑌦𑌾𑌃 । 𑌸𑍍𑌵@𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌨@𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌯𑍋@ 𑌅𑌰𑌿#𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌨𑍇𑌮𑌿𑌃 । 𑌸𑍍𑌵@𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌨𑍋@ 𑌬𑍃𑌹@𑌸𑍍𑌪𑌤𑌿#-𑌰𑍍𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌤𑍁 ॥
𑌓𑌂 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿@𑌃 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿@𑌃 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿#𑌃 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
May we hear what is auspicious; may we see what is auspicious. With steady bodies and faculties, may we live out the life aligned to divine purpose. May there be peace, peace, peace.

॥ 𑌓𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌣𑍇 𑌨𑌮𑌃 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The sacred syllable Om. Salutations to Brahman.

॥ 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

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

𑌓𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌸𑌂𑌬𑌭𑍂𑌵 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌾
𑌭𑍁𑌵𑌨𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌗𑍋𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌾 । 𑌸 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌾𑌮𑌥𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌯
𑌜𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌪𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌹 ॥ 1॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Brahma, first among the gods, creator and sustainer of the world, taught Atharvan - his eldest son - the knowledge of Brahman, the foundation of all knowledge.

𑌅𑌥𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌣𑍇 𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌦𑍇𑌤 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌽𑌥𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌤𑌂
𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍋𑌵𑌾𑌚𑌾𑌂𑌗𑌿𑌰𑍇 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌸 𑌭𑌾𑌰𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌜𑌾𑌯 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌾𑌹𑌾𑌯 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌹
𑌭𑌾𑌰𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌜𑍋𑌽𑌂𑌗𑌿𑌰𑌸𑍇 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌵𑌰𑌾𑌮𑍍 ॥ 2॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
That knowledge of Brahman taught by Brahma to Atharvan was transmitted onward - to Angiras, then to Satyavaha Bharadvaja, and from Bharadvaja's line to Angiras - as knowledge spanning the higher and lower.

𑌶𑍌𑌨𑌕𑍋 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌶𑌾𑌲𑍋𑌽𑌂𑌗𑌿𑌰𑌸𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌧𑌿𑌵𑌦𑍁𑌪𑌸𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌃 𑌪𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌚𑍍𑌛 ।
𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍁 𑌭𑌗𑌵𑍋 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌤𑍇 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌤𑌂 𑌭𑌵𑌤𑍀𑌤𑌿 ॥ 3॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Shaunaka, a great householder, approached Angiras in the proper manner and asked: "Revered Sir, by knowing what does everything become known?"

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑍈 𑌸 𑌹𑍋𑌵𑌾𑌚 ।
𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌿𑌤𑌵𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌹 𑌸𑍍𑌮
𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍋 𑌵𑌦𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌪𑌰𑌾 𑌚𑍈𑌵𑌾𑌪𑌰𑌾 𑌚 ॥ 4॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Angiras replied: the knowers of Brahman declare that two kinds of knowledge are to be understood - the higher and the lower.

𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌪𑌰𑌾 𑌋𑌗𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌦𑍋 𑌯𑌜𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌃 𑌸𑌾𑌮𑌵𑍇𑌦𑍋𑌽𑌥𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌃
𑌶𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾 𑌕𑌲𑍍𑌪𑍋 𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌕𑌰𑌣𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌛𑌂𑌦𑍋 𑌜𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌤𑌿𑌷𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 ।
𑌅𑌥 𑌪𑌰𑌾 𑌯𑌯𑌾 𑌤𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰𑌮𑌧𑌿𑌗𑌮𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇 ॥ 5॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Lower knowledge includes the four Vedas and the disciplines of phonetics, ritual method, grammar, etymology, metre, and astronomy. Higher knowledge is that by which the imperishable reality is directly known.

𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌦𑌦𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌗𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌣-
𑌮𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌃𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌤𑌦𑌪𑌾𑌣𑌿𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌨𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌭𑍁𑌂 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌗𑌤𑌂 𑌸𑍁𑌸𑍂𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌮𑌂
𑌤𑌦𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌯𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌯𑍋𑌨𑌿𑌂 𑌪𑌰𑌿𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌧𑍀𑌰𑌾𑌃 ॥ 6॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The wise behold that imperishable reality which is unseen, ungraspable, unclassifiable, beyond sensory limitation, eternal, all-pervading, supremely subtle, undecaying, and the source of all beings.

𑌯𑌥𑍋𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌨𑌾𑌭𑌿𑌃 𑌸𑍃𑌜𑌤𑍇 𑌗𑍃𑌹𑍍𑌣𑌤𑍇 𑌚
𑌯𑌥𑌾 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍋𑌷𑌧𑌯𑌃 𑌸𑌂𑌭𑌵𑌂𑌤𑌿 ।
𑌯𑌥𑌾 𑌸𑌤𑌃 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌕𑍇𑌶𑌲𑍋𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌿
𑌤𑌥𑌾𑌽𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑌂𑌭𑌵𑌤𑍀𑌹 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌮𑍍 ॥ 𑍭॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
As a spider projects and withdraws its web, as plants arise from the earth, and as hair grows from a living person, so does this universe arise from the imperishable.

𑌤𑌪𑌸𑌾 𑌚𑍀𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑌤𑍋𑌽𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌮𑌭𑌿𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍇 ।
𑌅𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍋 𑌮𑌨𑌃 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾𑌃 𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌸𑍁 𑌚𑌾𑌮𑍃𑌤𑌮𑍍 ॥ 𑍮॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
From Brahman's creative potency arises the principle of matter; from that emerge life-force and mind, then worlds, and the enduring law of action through which experiential continuity persists.

𑌯𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨𑌮𑌯𑌂 𑌤𑌪𑌃 ।
𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌨𑌾𑌮 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌂 𑌚 𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍇 ॥ 𑍯॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
From that omniscient source, whose creative potency is knowledge itself, arise this manifested order: name, form, and material expression.

॥ 𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑌿 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Thus ends the first section of the first Mundaka of the Mundaka Upanishad.

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