Mundaka Upanishad - Mundaka 2, Section 1 - Grantha

The first section of the second Mundaka is a profound pivot in the Upanishad's teaching method. The previous section established the limitations of action-centered spirituality and directed the seeker toward 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮-𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾 through qualified guidance. This section now unfolds a vast cosmological vision in which everything - elements, life-forces, scriptures, rituals, worlds, ethics, and inner consciousness - is shown as issuing from one imperishable reality.

This chapter is not merely speculative cosmology. It is contemplative pedagogy: by tracing multiplicity back to one source, the mind is trained to move from fragmentation to vision of totality. The text repeatedly uses creation-language not to imprison us in sequence-thinking, but to reveal ontological dependence - all forms arise in, are sustained by, and return to the same 𑌅𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰.

॥ 𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌤𑍀𑌯 𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This is the first section of the second Mundaka.

𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌤𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂
𑌯𑌥𑌾 𑌸𑍁𑌦𑍀𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌪𑌾𑌵𑌕𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌫𑍁𑌲𑌿𑌂𑌗𑌾𑌃
𑌸𑌹𑌸𑍍𑌰𑌶𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑌵𑌂𑌤𑍇 𑌸𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌾𑌃 ।
𑌤𑌥𑌾𑌽𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌵𑌿𑌧𑌾𑌃 𑌸𑍋𑌮𑍍𑌯 𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌃
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇 𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌚𑍈𑌵𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌯𑌂𑌤𑌿 ॥ 1॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This is the truth: just as countless sparks of similar nature emerge from a blazing fire, so, dear one, manifold beings arise from the imperishable and return to it.

𑌦𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌃 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌃 𑌸 𑌬𑌾𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑌰𑍋 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌜𑌃 ।
𑌅𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍋 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌨𑌾𑌃 𑌶𑍁𑌭𑍍𑌰𑍋 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌪𑌰𑌤𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑌃 ॥ 2॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
That supreme conscious reality is luminous and formless, present within and without, unborn, beyond dependence on vital force and mind, pure, and supremely beyond even the causal imperishable.

𑌏𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌜𑍍𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍋 𑌮𑌨𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌾𑌣𑌿 𑌚 ।
𑌖𑌂 𑌵𑌾𑌯𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌜𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌤𑌿𑌰𑌾𑌪𑌃 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍀 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌧𑌾𑌰𑌿𑌣𑍀 ॥ 3॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
From That arise vital force, mind, all senses, and the elemental order - space, air, fire, water, and earth, the support of the universe.

𑌅𑌗𑍍𑌨𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌧𑌾 𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌷𑍀 𑌚𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍌
𑌦𑌿𑌶𑌃 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇 𑌵𑌾𑌗𑍍 𑌵𑌿𑌵𑍃𑌤𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌾𑌃 ।
𑌵𑌾𑌯𑍁𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍋 𑌹𑍃𑌦𑌯𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂
𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍀 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 ॥ 4॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
In this cosmic Person, fire is the head, moon and sun are the eyes, directions are the ears, the Vedas are speech, air is life-breath, the universe is the heart, earth is the feet; this indeed is the inner Self of all beings.

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑌗𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌃 𑌸𑌮𑌿𑌧𑍋 𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌸𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌃
𑌸𑍋𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌪𑌰𑍍𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌯 𑌓𑌷𑌧𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌪𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌰𑍇𑌤𑌃 𑌸𑌿𑌂𑌚𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑍋𑌷𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌂
𑌬𑌹𑍍𑌵𑍀𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑌂𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍂𑌤𑌾𑌃 ॥ 5॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
From That arises the cosmic cycle: sun-fed fire, rain, vegetation on earth, and the reproductive process by which countless beings are born.

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍃𑌚𑌃 𑌸𑌾𑌮 𑌯𑌜𑍂𑌂𑌷𑌿 𑌦𑍀𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾
𑌯𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇 𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌵𑍋 𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌣𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌚 ।
𑌸𑌂𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌯𑌜𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾𑌃
𑌸𑍋𑌮𑍋 𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌪𑌵𑌤𑍇 𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌸𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌃 ॥ 6॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
From That arise the Vedic mantras, initiations, sacrifices, rites, offerings, sacred time-cycles, performers, and their worlds - along with the lunar and solar order.

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌚𑍍𑌚 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾 𑌬𑌹𑍁𑌧𑌾 𑌸𑌂𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍂𑌤𑌾𑌃
𑌸𑌾𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌮𑌨𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑌶𑌵𑍋 𑌵𑌯𑌾𑌂𑌸𑌿 ।
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌪𑌾𑌨𑍌 𑌵𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌹𑌿𑌯𑌵𑍌 𑌤𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌚
𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌾 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌚𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌧𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌚 ॥ 𑍭॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
From That arise gods, subtle orders, humans, animals, birds, vital functions, food-grains, and ethical-spiritual disciplines such as austerity, faith, truthfulness, disciplined sacred living, and right observance.

𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑌵𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍
𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌷𑌃 𑌸𑌮𑌿𑌧𑌃 𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤 𑌹𑍋𑌮𑌾𑌃 ।
𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤 𑌇𑌮𑍇 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾 𑌯𑍇𑌷𑍁 𑌚𑌰𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌾
𑌗𑍁𑌹𑌾𑌶𑌯𑌾 𑌨𑌿𑌹𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌃 𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤 𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤 ॥ 𑍮॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
From That arise the seven vital faculties, seven flames, seven fuels, seven offerings, and seven experiential worlds in which these life-forces function, all established in the heart-cave in sevenfold groupings.

𑌅𑌤𑌃 𑌸𑌮𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌾 𑌗𑌿𑌰𑌯𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍
𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌦𑌂𑌤𑍇 𑌸𑌿𑌂𑌧𑌵𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌾𑌃 ।
𑌅𑌤𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌓𑌷𑌧𑌯𑍋 𑌰𑌸𑌶𑍍𑌚
𑌯𑍇𑌨𑍈𑌷 𑌭𑍂𑌤𑍈𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌤𑍇 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 ॥ 𑍯॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
From That arise oceans, mountains, and rivers of every form; from That come all herbs and nourishing essences by which the indwelling self is sustained amidst the elements.

𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷 𑌏𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑌪𑍋 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌮𑍃𑌤𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌏𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌵𑍇𑌦 𑌨𑌿𑌹𑌿𑌤𑌂 𑌗𑍁𑌹𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌂
𑌸𑍋𑌽𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌂𑌥𑌿𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌕𑌿𑌰𑌤𑍀𑌹 𑌸𑍋𑌮𑍍𑌯 ॥ 10॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This whole universe is truly the supreme conscious reality; all action, austerity, sacred knowledge, and supreme immortality are rooted in That. Whoever realizes this established in the heart-cave here itself cuts the knot of ignorance.

॥ 𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑌿 𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌤𑍀𑌯𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌕𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

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

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