Mundaka Upanishad - Mundaka 3, Section 1 - Grantha

The first section of the third Mundaka is one of the most direct realization-oriented passages in the Upanishads. The earlier chapters established knowledge hierarchy, 𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌮's limits, cosmic dependence, and contemplative method; this section now speaks from the threshold of realization itself. Its language is therefore simultaneously symbolic, diagnostic, and liberating.

This section is famous for the two-birds imagery, the declaration 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍇𑌵 𑌜𑌯𑌤𑍇, and explicit statements about the conditions of Self-realization. It moves from bondage-description to seeing, from seeing to purification, from purification to sameness with Brahman, and from contemplative maturity to existential freedom.

॥ 𑌤𑍃𑌤𑍀𑌯 𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This is the first section of the third Mundaka, where the Upanishad turns explicitly toward direct realization and its marks.

𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌸𑍁𑌪𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌾 𑌸𑌯𑍁𑌜𑌾 𑌸𑌖𑌾𑌯𑌾 𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌵𑍃𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌂 𑌪𑌰𑌿𑌷𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌜𑌾𑌤𑍇 ।
𑌤𑌯𑍋𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌿𑌪𑍍𑌪𑌲𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌨𑌶𑍍𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌅𑌭𑌿𑌚𑌾𑌕𑌶𑍀𑌤𑌿 ॥ 1॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Two companion birds sit on the same tree: one eats the sweet fruit, while the other does not eat and simply watches.

𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍇 𑌵𑍃𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍇 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑍋 𑌨𑌿𑌮𑌗𑍍𑌨𑍋𑌽𑌨𑌿𑌶𑌯𑌾 𑌶𑍋𑌚𑌤𑌿 𑌮𑍁𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌃 ।
𑌜𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌾 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍀𑌶𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌯
𑌮𑌹𑌿𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 𑌵𑍀𑌤𑌶𑍋𑌕𑌃 ॥ 2॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
On that same tree, the embodied person, sunk in confusion, grieves in helplessness. But when he sees the other - the Lord and His glory - he becomes free from sorrow.

𑌯𑌦𑌾 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌰𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌮𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌂
𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌰𑌮𑍀𑌶𑌂 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌯𑍋𑌨𑌿𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌤𑌦𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌪𑌾𑌪𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌧𑍂𑌯
𑌨𑌿𑌰𑌂𑌜𑌨𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑌮𑌂 𑌸𑌾𑌮𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍁𑌪𑍈𑌤𑌿 ॥ 3॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
When the seeker truly beholds the radiant Lord, the source-ground, then becoming wise, he casts off bondage to virtue and vice, becomes stainless, and attains supreme sameness.

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌣𑍋 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷 𑌯𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌭𑍂𑌤𑍈𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌭𑌾𑌤𑌿
𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌾𑌨𑌨𑍍 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌭𑌵𑌤𑍇 𑌨𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌵𑌾𑌦𑍀 ।
𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌕𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌡 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌃 𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌾𑌵𑌾-
𑌨𑍇𑌷 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌵𑌿𑌦𑌾𑌂 𑌵𑌰𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌃 ॥ 4॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
That one life-principle shines through all beings. Knowing this, the wise does not indulge in empty over-speech; delighting in the Self and established in right action, he becomes foremost among knowers of Brahman.

𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌨 𑌲𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌪𑌸𑌾 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾
𑌸𑌮𑍍𑌯𑌗𑍍𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨𑍇𑌨 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌚𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌣 𑌨𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌅𑌂𑌤𑌃𑌶𑌰𑍀𑌰𑍇 𑌜𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌯𑍋 𑌹𑌿 𑌶𑍁𑌭𑍍𑌰𑍋
𑌯𑌂 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑌤𑌯𑌃 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍀𑌣𑌦𑍋𑌷𑌾𑌃 ॥ 5॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This Self is realized through truth, austerity, right knowledge, and sustained sacred discipline; the pure luminous reality within is seen by disciplined seekers whose defects are worn down.

𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍇𑌵 𑌜𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌨𑌾𑌨𑍃𑌤𑌂
𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌨 𑌪𑌂𑌥𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌤𑌤𑍋 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌃 ।
𑌯𑍇𑌨𑌾𑌽𑌽𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌂𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍃𑌷𑌯𑍋 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌾
𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌤𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑌰𑌮𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌧𑌾𑌨𑌮𑍍 ॥ 6॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Truth alone prevails, not falsehood. By truth the path of the gods is spread out; fulfilled sages traverse it to the supreme treasure of Truth.

𑌬𑍃𑌹𑌚𑍍𑌚 𑌤𑌦𑍍 𑌦𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌚𑌿𑌂𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂
𑌸𑍂𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌚𑍍𑌚 𑌤𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑍂𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌮𑌤𑌰𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌭𑌾𑌤𑌿 ।
𑌦𑍂𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑍁𑌦𑍂𑌰𑍇 𑌤𑌦𑌿𑌹𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿𑌕𑍇 𑌚
𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌹𑍈𑌵 𑌨𑌿𑌹𑌿𑌤𑌂 𑌗𑍁𑌹𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍍 ॥ 𑍭॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
That reality is vast, luminous, and beyond conceptual form; subtler than the subtle, farther than the farthest yet here very near - established in the heart-cave itself.

𑌨 𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌷𑌾 𑌗𑍃𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌨𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌵𑌾𑌚𑌾
𑌨𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌯𑍈𑌰𑍍𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍈𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌪𑌸𑌾 𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌣 𑌵𑌾 ।
𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌸𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵-
𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌤𑌂 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌨𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌕𑌲𑌂
𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌃 ॥ 𑍮॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
It is not grasped by eye, speech, senses, austerity, or ritual alone; but through knowledge-born clarity and purified mind, the meditating seeker beholds that partless reality.

𑌏𑌷𑍋𑌽𑌣𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌚𑍇𑌤𑌸𑌾 𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌿𑌤𑌵𑍍𑌯𑍋
𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌃 𑌪𑌂𑌚𑌧𑌾 𑌸𑌂𑌵𑌿𑌵𑍇𑌶 ।
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍈𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌮𑍋𑌤𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌂
𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍍 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌧𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌭𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 ॥ 𑍯॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This subtle Self is to be known by refined awareness; in that field the fivefold vital force operates, and the minds of beings are woven with vital energies. When this inner instrument is purified, the Self shines forth.

𑌯𑌂 𑌯𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌂 𑌮𑌨𑌸𑌾 𑌸𑌂𑌵𑌿𑌭𑌾𑌤𑌿
𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌃 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌯𑌾𑌂𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 ।
𑌤𑌂 𑌤𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌂 𑌜𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌤𑌾𑌂𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌂-
𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌂 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌰𑍍𑌚𑌯𑍇𑌤𑍍 𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌿𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌃 ॥ 10॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Whatever realm and aims a purified-minded seeker truly envisions, those are attained; therefore one who seeks genuine well-being should honor the knower of the Self.

॥ 𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑌿 𑌤𑍃𑌤𑍀𑌯𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

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

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