Mundaka Upanishad - Mundaka 1, Section 1 - Grantha

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#𑌃 ॥

॥ 𑌓𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌣𑍇 𑌨𑌮𑌃 ॥

Lesson1 : Brahmavidya (Supreme Knowledge) is passed on from teacher to disciple

॥ 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

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

Lord Brahma, came first among Gods. He taught Atharvan, his son the knowledge of the ‘Brahman’ the (cosmic consciousness), the foundation of all knowledge.

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

This knowledge passed on from Atharvan to Bhradwaja, from Bharadwaja to Satyavaha and from Satyavahah to Angiras (vedic rishis of the yore).

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

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.

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

The Rishis replied that there are two kinds of knowledge the Higher and the Lower.

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

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.

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

(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.

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

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.

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

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)

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

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)

॥ 𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑌿 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

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