THE MUNDAKA UPANISHAD
CONTRIBUTION BY
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INTRODUCTION
The Mundaka Upanishad itself declares that
it was imparted by Brahma to his
son and disciple, Atharvan. It thus became
part of the Atharva Veda. The word Mundaka
means one with a shaven head, referring
literally, to this feature of one who
has taken to monkhood, and metaphorically,
to one who has been shorn of his ignorance.
This Upanishad is comprised of 64 verses
spread over three Chapters, each of which
is called a Mundaka. It presents its teaching
in a logical sequence. It teaches that
just as the spider creates a web
from itsown excretions and also finally
consumes it, so too does the
manifested Universe come from and return
to Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. And
so too does the individual Soul emerge
from and merge back into the Universal
Soul. It is with such elegant analogies that
the Mundaka Upanishad weaves its answers
to the highest of philosophical questions
and resolves the philosophical dichotomy of
an Efficient cause and a Material cause in
respect of all experience, by postulating
that both originate from the same Reality.
The Mundaka Upanishad recognises that the correct observances of
prescribed rituals has its place in
preparing the individual to lead a disciplined
and selfless life of rectitude.
But this is only a preparatory stage
for the real purpose of life, namely,
reaching oneness with the highest objective,
Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. At that
stage of achievement, our inner self
is freed from the objective world of
plurality, with its referential framework
Space and Time, or of Nama (name) and Rupa
(form) and merges into that Reality,
just as the rivers do when their
waters merge into the ocean.
PROCEED TO CHAPTER -1 : CANTO -2
PROCEED TO CHAPTER -2 : CANTO -1
PROCEED TO CHAPTER -2 : CANTO -2
PROCEED TO CHAPTER -3 : CANTO -1
PROCEED TO CHAPTER -3 : CANTO -2
RETURN TO INDEX OF THE UPANISHADS