Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2

3.2.1

sa vedaitat paramaṃ brahma dhāma yatra viśvaṃ nihitaṃ bhāti śubhram.
upāsate puruṣaṃ ye hy akāmās te śukram etad ativartanti dhīrāḥ.

1. He knows that Supreme Brahma-abode,
Founded on which the whole world shines radiantly.
They who, being without desire, worship the Person (Purusha)
And are wise, pass beyond the seed (_śukra_) [of rebirth] here.
2. He who in fancy forms desires,
Because of his desires is born [again] here and there.
But of him whose desire is satisfied, who is a perfected soul (_kṛtātman_),
All desires even here on earth vanish away.

3.2.2

kāmān yaḥ kāmayate manyamānaḥ sa kāmabhir jāyate tatra tatra.
paryāptakāmasya kṛtātmanas tv ihaiva sarve pravilīyanti kāmāḥ.

3.2.3

nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena.
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām.

3. This Soul (Ātman) is not to be obtained by instruction,
Nor by intellect, nor by much learning.
He is to be obtained only by the one whom He chooses;
To such a one that Soul (Ātman) reveals His own person
(*tanūm svām*).

3.2.4

nāyam ātmā balahīnena labhyo na ca pramādāt tapaso vāpy aliṅgāt.
etair upāyair yatate yas tu vidvāṃs tasyaiṣa ātmā viśate brahma dhāma.

4. This Soul (Ātman) is not to be obtained by one destitute of
fortitude,
Nor through heedlessness, nor through a false notion of
austerity (*tapas*).
But he who strives by these means, provided he knows—
Into his Brahma-abode this Soul (Ātman) enters.

3.2.5

samprāpyainam ṛṣayo jñānatṛptāḥ kṛtātmāno vītarāgāḥ praśāntāḥ.
te sarvagaṃ sarvataḥ prāpya dhīrā yuktātmānaḥ sarvam evāviśanti.

5. Attaining Him, the seers (*ṛṣi*) who are satisfied with knowledge,
Who are perfected souls (*kṛtātman*), from passion free (*vīta-
rāga*), tranquil—
Attaining Him who is the universally omnipresent, those wise,
Devout souls (*yuktātman*) into the All itself do enter.

3.2.6

vedāntavijñānasuniścitārthāḥ sannyāsayogād yatayaḥ śuddhasattvāḥ.
te brahmalokeṣu parāntakāle parāmṛtāḥ parimucyanti sarve.

6. They who have ascertained the meaning of the Vedānta-
knowledge,
Ascetics (*yati*) with natures purified through the application of
renunciation (*saṃnyāsa-yoga*)—
They in the Brahma-worlds at the end of time
Are all liberated beyond death.

3.2.7

gatāḥ kalāḥ pañcadaśa pratiṣṭhā devāś ca sarve pratidevatāsu.
karmāṇi vijñānamayaś ca ātmā pare 'vyaye sarva ekībhavanti.

7. Gone are the fifteen parts according to their station,
Even all the sense-organs (*deva*) in their corresponding
divinities!
One’s deeds (*karman*) and the self that consists of understand-
ing (*vijñāna-maya ātman*)—
All become unified in the supreme Imperishable.

3.2.8

yathā nadyaḥ syandamānāḥ samudre 'staṃ gacchanti nāmarūpe vihāya.
tathā vidvān nāmarūpād vimuktaḥ parāt paraṃ puruṣam upaiti divyam.

8. As the flowing rivers in the ocean
Disappear, quitting name and form,
So the knower, being liberated from name and form,
Goes unto the heavenly Person, higher than the high.

3.2.9

sa yo ha vai tat paramaṃ brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati.
nāsyābrahmavit
kule bhavati.
tarati śokaṃ tarati pāpmānaṃ guhāgranthibhyo vimukto 'mṛto
bhavati.

9. He, verily, who knows that supreme Brahma, becomes very Brahma. In his family no one ignorant of Brahma arises. He crosses over sorrow. He crosses over sin (_pāpman_). Liberated from the knots of the heart, he becomes immortal.

3.2.10

tad etad ṛcābhyuktam.

10. This very [doctrine] has been declared in the verse:— They who do the rites, who are learned in the Vedas, who are intent on Brahma, They who, possessing faith (_śraddhayan_), make oblation of themselves, even of the one seer— To them indeed one may declare this knowledge of Brahma, When, however, the Muṇḍaka-vow has been performed by them according to rule.’

3.2.11

kriyāvantaḥ śrotriyā brahmaniṣṭhāḥ svayaṃ juhvata ekarṣiṃ śraddhayantaḥ.
teṣām evaitāṃ brahmavidyāṃ vadeta śirovrataṃ vidhivad yais tu cīrṇam.

3.2.12

tad etat satyam ṛṣir aṅgirāḥ purovāca naitad acīrṇavrato 'dhīte.
namaḥ paramarṣibhyo namaḥ paramarṣibhyaḥ.

11. This is the truth. The seer (_ṛṣi_) Aṅgiras declared it in ancient time. One who has not performed the vow does not read this. Adoration to the highest seers! Adoration to the highest seers!