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मुंडक उपनिषद् - प्रथम मुंडक, प्रथम कांडः ॐ भ@द्रं कर्णे#भिः शृणु@याम# देवाः । भ@द्रं प#श्येमा@क्षभि@-र्यज#त्राः । स्थि@रैरंगै$स्तुष्टु@वागं स#स्त@नूभि#ः । व्यशे#म दे@वहि#त@ं यदायु#ः । स्व@स्ति न@ इंद्रो# वृ@द्धश्र#वाः । स्व@स्ति न#ः पू@षा वि@श्ववे#दाः । स्व@स्ति न@स्तार्क्ष्यो@ अरि#ष्टनेमिः । स्व@स्ति नो@ बृह@स्पति#-र्दधातु ॥ ॥ ॐ ब्रह्मणे नमः ॥ Lesson1 : Brahmavidya (Supreme Knowledge) is passed on from teacher to disciple ॥ प्रथममुंडके प्रथमः खंडः ॥ ॐ ब्रह्मा देवानां प्रथमः संबभूव विश्वस्य कर्ता Lord Brahma, came first among Gods. He taught Atharvan, his son the knowledge of the ‘Brahman’ the (cosmic consciousness), the foundation of all knowledge. अथर्वणे यां प्रवदेत ब्रह्माऽथर्वा तं This knowledge passed on from Atharvan to Bhradwaja, from Bharadwaja to Satyavaha and from Satyavahah to Angiras (vedic rishis of the yore). शौनको ह वै महाशालोऽंगिरसं विधिवदुपसन्नः पप्रच्छ । Now, Shounaka, a householder (a man fulfilling his marital and societal duties) asks the Angiras (Vedic Rishis) which is that knowledge by knowing which every other knowledge becomes evident. This concept has been clarified with famous Vedantic similes. For example, the knowledge of a a clod of earth can give knowledge on all things made from it. Similarly, the knowledge of gold can give knowledge of all things made from it… Lower knowledge is based on actions both good and bad hence perpetrating the karmic cycle of birth and death for realizing the fruits of such actions. तस्मै स होवाच । The Rishis replied that there are two kinds of knowledge the Higher and the Lower. तत्रापरा ऋग्वेदो यजुर्वेदः सामवेदोऽथर्ववेदः Lower knowledge consists of the 4 vedas, the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Atharvaveda and the Samaveda and their code of rituals, also the phonetics (the six angas of Vedas- the Vedangas), the grammar, the medicine, the astronomy, the prosody, metre etc. Further, knowledge that can help reach Cosmic consciousness is called as the Higher Knowledge. यत्तदद्रेश्यमग्राह्यमगोत्रमवर्ण- (Through the Higher knowledge) the wise see everywhere (the Brahman which is) invisible- beyond senses (Adrshyam) beyond grasp (Agrahyam), beyond gunas of Sattva, Rajas, Tamas (Agotram), beyond eyes, ears, hands and feet. This is the Eternal, Subtle, All -pervasive and the source of all Creation. यथोर्णनाभिः सृजते गृह्णते च Just as the spider spins a web and then effortlessly recoils and absorbs it, just as the herbs grow spontaneously on earth and the humans grow hair on their head without any effort similarly the phenomenal world springs forth effortlessly from the Brahman. तपसा चीयते ब्रह्म ततोऽन्नमभिजायते । By austerity (Tapas as in meditation here) the nature expands from the Brahman into creation. First comes Anna (meaning food, it being allegorical of Prakriti matter/Maya, things that humans enjoy). Next Prana (Hiranayagarba or Cosmic Energy) then Manah (Cosmic Mind) and from that evolved Mahabhutas (the 5 elements of Earth, water, fire, air and ether) and then the Lokah (as in the 7 worlds, earth etc) and then the immortality of karmic cycle (karmasu amrutam)(immortal as it takes ages for the results of karmas to fructify) यः सर्वज्ञः सर्वविद्यस्य ज्ञानमयं तपः । This Brahmand (Hiranyagarb), name, form, matter all have come from the one who is Omniscient and whose only austerity (penance/tapas) is Pure knowledge (not self-mortification or rituals) ॥ इति मुंडकोपनिषदि प्रथममुंडके प्रथमः खंडः ॥
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