Mundaka Upanishad – 3

Khanda 2 

The second khanda/section opens with the praise of rituals in Karma Kanda of Veda or, in other words, the glory of Apara Vidya. The first Mantra says it is verily true that rituals mentioned in the Veda will confer on one prosperity and better life here and hereafter, as promised.  Then it goes on to show the inherent drawback, by taking one example, Agnihotra ritual, for analysis.  This ritual has to be done properly, scrupulously observing all conditions including the performance of satellite rituals when it is done Sakama i.e. for material benefits, here and hereafter.  The satellite rituals and other conditions governing the ritual are:

 1) Chathurmasyam to be performed once in four months,

2) Pournamasa  to be performed on full moon days,

3) Darsam to be performed on new moon days,

4) Agarayanam   to be performed at harvest time with freshly harvested grains. 

5) Further daily an athithi, a guest other than a family member, is to be fed. 

6) Also animals and birds have to be fed daily in a ritual called Vaisvadevam. 

7) And during performance of Agnihotra, there should be 18 members, ie 16 priests, 4 representing each Vedas, Yajaman, the Kartha and his wife. 

8) Further the Aahuti, the offering, has to be put correctly in between flames. 

If this ritual is done flawlessly, strictly observing all the above conditions to the letter of the word the Yajaman will go to the Swarga Loka, after his death, through the Sun’s rays duly escorted by the appropriate Devata and given a warm welcome there.  The drawback is if any ritual is missed or if the performance if flawed, then the Yajaman’s family will be doomed for seven generations.  Further even when he goes to Swarga Loka performing the rituals flawlessly observing all the conditions, his stay there is not permanent, as he has to return to Samsara in earth, once his stock of punya is exhausted.  This aspect is pointed out by Sri Krishna in Gita in 9-21 as; “Te tam bhuktwaa swargalokam vishaalam; Ksheene punye martyalokam vishanti; (They, having enjoyed the vast heaven, enter the world of mortals when their merits are exhausted;)”

So these rituals are dubbed as undependable boats in Mantra 7, as they cannot help one to cross samsara once and for all.  Even if one does upasana, living as a mendicant in the forest, controlling the mind totally, and subsisting only on bhiksha, one can only hope for going to Brahma Loka after death and obtaining Krama Mukthi at the time of Maha Pralaya after getting Brahma Jnaanam in Brahma Loka.  But if all these rituals and upasanas are done Nishkama, i.e. without any material desires for personal or family welfare,  they can give one Chiththa Suddhi, purity of mind and Chiththa Ekagratha, single-pointedness of the mind and  make one worthy  for attaining BrahmaVidya.  Mantra 12 talks of such a person who has gained Chiththa Sudhdhi and Chiththa Ekagratha, through Nishkama karma and upasana,  and who turns to Jnaana Kanda, desiring the higher goal of inner liberation, freedom from samsara, here and now.

pareekshya lokaan karma-chitaan braahmanah,

nirvedam aayaan na asti akritah kritena I

 tad vijnaanaartham sah gurum eva abhigacchhet,

samitpaanih shrotriyam brahma-nishtham.II  

After thoroughly examining the worlds gained by Karma, let a Brahmana (a seeker) free himself from all desires by reflecting that things Eternal cannot be had by (temporal) actions.  In order to obtain the knowledge of the Eternal, let him approach that spiritual preceptor, who is well-versed in the scriptures, and who is firmly established in the Truth, in the prescribed manner with fuel in hand. (1-2-12)

This Mantra emphasizes that he should go to a guru to have the higher knowledge given in Jnaana Kanda, which is the source of knowledge for BrahmaVidya.  In this Mantra both the guru lakshanam and sishya lakshanam are given.  Having rejected the material goals and the Vishayananda it gives in favour of the higher goal of Moksha and Athmananda this person has demonstrated his viveka, vairaagya, and mumukshuthvam.  He has practiced the karma and upasana as outlined in Karma Kanda and thereby has got the inner discipline that comes from Samadhi shatka sampathi.  So he is a fit student for BrahmaVidya.  It is advised that he goes to the guru with dry fuel, as offering.  Dry fuel, samit is not only a much needed material for Yajna, but also an indication of the person’s preparedness to absorb the teaching just as samit is ready to catch fire.  This also is a mark of his shraddha and humility.  The guru lakshanam is given as shrotriya and brahma-nishtha i.e. he should be a person well versed in sastras and also he should have a personal realization of Brahman, the cosmic eternal principle, as Athma, the true eternal principle in himself.  Only this personal realization will give a ring of conviction to his teaching of Jeeeva Brahma Ikyam, the central point of BrahmaVidya.  The student has to realize this Ikyam himself, through the study of sastras under guru’s guidance.  As guru has to guide him in his inner journey properly, he should be not only proficient in Sastras but he should also have the personal realization of the Ikyam.  And for the student to be able to realize it himself, he should have the right attitude and the mental refinement.  Sri Krishna echoes this point only in Gita when he says:

Tadviddhi pranipaatena pariprashnena sevayaa I

Upadekshyanti te jnaanam jnaaninas tattwadarshinah.II 

Know that by long prostration, by question and by service, the wise who have realised the Truth will instruct you in (that) knowledge. (4-34)

The emphatic assertion that the learned guru, who has realized the truth, will teach without any reservation, when a duly qualified student approaches him in a proper manner, with humility and shraddha, is conveyed in Mantra 13, the last Mantra of the first Mundaka.

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