- Mundaka 3.01
tad etat satyam।
That and this - is the truth.
yathā sudīptāt pāvakāt viṣphuliṅgāḥ sahasraśaḥ prabhavante sarūpāḥ। tathākṣarād vividhāḥ somya bhāvāḥ prajāyante tatra caivāpiyanti ॥1॥
As from a blazing fire, sparks of a similar form arise in thousands, so, dear one, from the imperishable, various beings are born, and there indeed they merge.
divyo hyamūrtaḥ puruṣaḥ sa bāhyābhyantaro hyajaḥ। aprāṇo hyamanāḥ śubhro hyakṣarātparataḥ paraḥ ॥2॥
The divine being is formless and transcends both the external and internal realms. He is unborn, without breath or mind, pure, and exists beyond the imperishable, as the supreme entity.
Bhā.: Three types of 'akṣara', i.e. imperishable are recognized in the scriptures - (i) the inferior imperishable is that 'Prakrti', i.e. insentient, in inert form; (ii) the supreme imperishable is 'Shri', i.e Goddess Lakshmi; and (iii) Beyond these is the Lord, supreme imperishable Vasudeva, the embodiment of supreme bliss.
- Mundaka 3.03
etasmājjāyate prāṇo manaḥ sarvendriyāṇi ca। khaṃ vāyurjyotirāpaḥ pṛthivī viśvasya dhāriṇī ॥3॥
From this arise life-breath, mind, all senses, space, air, light, water, and earth, who wears the universe.
- Mundaka 3.04
agnirmūrdhā cakṣuṣī candrasūryau diśaḥ śrotre vāg vivṛtāśca vedāḥ। vāyuḥ prāṇo hṛdayaṃ viśvamasya padbhyāṃ pṛthivī hyeṣa sarvabhūtāntarātmā ॥4॥
Fire is the head; the eyes are the moon and the sun; the directions are the ears; speech manifests as the Vedas. Air is the life-force; the heart is the universe; the earth is by the feet; indeed, this is the inner Ātman of all beings.
Bhā.: Lord Vishnu, the inner Ātman, is stationed everywhere in various forms because of his infinite power and playful nature.
- Mundaka 3.05
tasmād agniḥ samidho yaś ca sūryaḥ somāt parjanyauṣadhayaḥ pṛthivyām। pumān retaḥ siñcati yoṣitāyāṃ bahvīḥ prajāḥ puruṣāt samprasūtāḥ ॥5॥
From that wood arise fire, similarly from the sun and the moon comes rain and herbs on earth. A man deposits seed in a woman, and many offspring are born from the being.
Bhā.: Lord Vasudeva is the Purusha, and though complete, he places the womb in goddess Rama, and all beings were born from it.
- Mundaka 3.06
tasmādruccho sāma yajūṃṣi dīkṣā yajñāśca sarve kratavo dakṣiṇāśca। saṃvatsaraśca yajamānaśca lokāḥ somo yatra pavate yatra sūryaḥ ॥6॥
From that, all the Vedic hymns, chants, sacrificial formulas, initiations, sacrifices, rituals, and gifts originate. It encompasses the year, the sacrificer, the worlds, and the realms where Soma flows and the Sun shines.
- Mundaka 3.07
tasmācca devā bahudhā samprasūtāḥ sādhyā manuṣyāḥ paśavo vayāṃsi। prāṇāpānau vrīhiyavau tapaśca śraddhā satyaṃ brahmacaryaṃ vidhiśca ॥7॥
From that, various entities such as gods, accomplished beings, humans, animals, birds, the processes of inhalation and exhalation, grains like rice and barley, as well as concepts like austerity, faith, truth, celibacy, and rituals were born.
- Mundaka 3.08
sapta prāṇāḥ prabhavanti tasmāt saptārciṣaḥ samidhaḥ sapta homāḥ। ime lokā yeṣu caranti prāṇā guhāśayāṃ nihitāḥ sapta sapta ॥8॥
From that arise the seven vital energies (life-breaths), the seven flames (mental modifications), the seven fuel sticks (thoughts, desires, and emotions—that are "offered" into the inner fire), and the seven oblations (relationships between senses and sense objects). These are the multiple spheres where the vital energies move, driven by the intellect inspired by the one in the cave (heart), seven by seven.
Bhā.: The 'saptārciṣaḥ' i.e. seven flames represent modifications or fluctuations in the mind. The 'homāḥ' i.e. oblations, represent the relationships (between senses and sense objects). The 'lokāḥ' i.e. worlds, represent multiple spheres. The term 'guhāśayāṃ' implies the intellect inspired by the one in the cave, i.e. heart.
- Mundaka 3.09
ataḥ samudrāḥ girayaśca sarve asmāt syandante sindhavaḥ sarvarūpāḥ। ataśca sarvā oṣadhayo rasāśca yenaiva bhūtaistiṣṭhate hyantarātmā ॥9॥
From THIS, all oceans and mountains emerge, and rivers of every form flow. Similarly, all herbs and juices originate, by whom indeed the inner Ātmān dwells within beings.
- Mundaka 3.10
puruṣa evedaṃ viśvaṃ karma tapo brahma parāmṛtam। etadyo veda nihitaṃ guhāyāṃ so'vidyāgranthiṃ vikiratīha somya ॥10॥
This Puruṣaḥa, the universal person, is truly the universe, action, austerity, Brahman, and the supreme without death. Whoever knows THIS hidden in the heart's cave breaks the knot of ignorance here, dear one.
Bhā.: Indeed, the 'puruṣaḥa', the person, named the supreme deathless Brahman is that Lord alone. Knowledge, dharma, strength, and action are His innate nature.
- Mundaka 4.01
Bhā.:
