The path of the sages (Mundaka Upaniṣad #08)
Opposite to the karmi, mad after sense gratification, is the renounced sage, who has firm faith and fully dedicates himself to the practice of devotional service, purified of all material desires.
Opposite to the karmi, who is mad after sense gratification, is the renounced sage, who has firm faith and fully dedicates himself to the practice of devotional service, purified of all material desires. Such a pure devotee escapes the cycle of birth and death and attains the Lord.
After many lives as a karmi, going through the process of performing fruitive activities and being elevated to the celestial planets, just to be tossed back, one starts inquiring about spiritual knowledge. He then approaches a bonafide spiritual master in all humility.
Without receiving true spiritual knowledge from a self-realized soul, one will have access to just the superficial meaning of the verses of the scriptures, and will thus never be able to reach the ultimate conclusion. Conversely, by receiving brahma-vidyā, perfect spiritual knowledge, and practicing these instructions, the sincere student can finally attain ultimate perfection.
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The path of the sages
Text 1.2.11
tapaḥ śraddhe ye hy upavasanty araṇye
śāntā vidvāmso bhaikṣya-caryām carantaḥ
sūrya-dvāreṇa te virajāḥ prayānti
yatrāmṛtaḥ sa puruṣo hy avyayātmā
But those who practice austerities in a retired place, contemplating the Supreme, who are wise and in control of their senses, who live without false-prestige begging alms, faithfully worship the Lord. Having destroyed their sins, they reach the Lord through the path of the sun.
Opposite to the karmi, who is mad after sense gratification and attached to the temporary results of fruitive activities is the renounced sage, who lives peacefully in a retired place (upavasanty araṇye), controlling his senses and remembering the Lord's names, form, qualities, and activities (tapaḥ śraddhāḥ). Completely purified of their past sins and free from material desires, such pure devotees attain the Supreme Lord (puruṣo hy avyayātmā) through the path of the sun (sūrya-dvāreṇa).
Ordinarily, the word "tapaḥ" in the first line means austerity, but Ranga Ramanuja explains that in the context of the verse, tapaḥ means Brahman, the Supreme Lord. Tapaḥ śraddhe means thus that they worship the Lord with faith and devotion, and not that they have faith in austerity. In this way, the verse indicates the life of a renounced devotee worshiping the Lord in a solitary place.
Text 1.2.12
parīkṣya lokān karma-citān brāhmaṇo
nirvedam āyān nasty akṛtaḥ kṛtena
tad vijñānārtham sa gurum evābhigacchet
samit pāṇiḥ śrotriyam brahma-niṣṭham
After examining the results of fruitive activities, the seeker of the truth understands their ephemeral nature. To learn transcendental subject matters, one must approach the spiritual master. In doing so, he should carry fuel to burn in sacrifice. The symptom of such a spiritual master is that he is an expert in understanding the Vedic conclusion, and therefore he constantly engages in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Commentary: After many lives as a karmi, performing fruitive activities and achieving elevation to the celestial planets, just to be tossed back when the pious results end, one may come to understand the faults in this process and start enquiring about the eternal. When one comes to this path, he approaches a self-realized person in all humility and enquires about spiritual knowledge. This is the process for anyone who wants to become free from the cycle of birth and death.
Srila Prabhupada quoted extensively the last two lines of this verse: tad vijñānārtham sa gurum evābhigacchet samit pāṇiḥ śrotriyam brahma-niṣṭham. The translation is from him, taken from his purport on SB 4.28.65.
We can see that all the verses of this chapter contain very deep knowledge. However, this knowledge is accessible only to one who studies the texts under proper guidance. A self-taught student will just skim the surface, being restricted to the superficial meaning of the verses. The key to understanding is to study under the guidance of a qualified spiritual master, and that's the point emphasized by the sage Angirasa in this verse. Just as Saunaka approached him in all humility, carrying firewood for the performance of sacrifices in his hands, we should similarly approach a self-realized soul and understand the Vedas under the conclusions received from him.
Prabhupada explains this point deeply in Teachings of Lord Kapila, chapter 4:
"One must approach the proper person, the guru, and submissively listen to him expound transcendental knowledge. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa advises in Bhagavad-gītā (4.34): tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him."
Transcendental knowledge is not very difficult, but the process must be known. Sometimes a dictating machine or a typewriter may not work, but if we go to a technician who knows the machine, he can immediately repair it. The process must be known. If one goes to a ditchdigger to repair a dictating machine, he cannot help. He may know how to dig ditches, but not repair a machine. Therefore the śāstras enjoin that if one wants transcendental knowledge, one must approach the proper person. The word tad-vijñāna refers to transcendental knowledge, not material knowledge. A medical practitioner may have material knowledge of the body, but he has no knowledge of the spirit soul within. He simply studies the mechanical arrangement of the body, which is a machine (yantra) made by nature. The body is actually stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18.61) to be a machine:
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine made of the material energy."
For those who are attached to this bodily machine, the yoga system is recommended. One who is overly attached to the bodily conception is taught to concentrate the mind by some physical gymnastics. Thus in haṭha-yoga one undergoes various physical disciplines, but the real purpose is to understand Viṣṇu, the Supreme. The various yoga systems are given for the machine of the body, but the process of bhakti is transcendental to mechanical arrangements. It is therefore called tad-vijñāna, transcendental to material understanding. If one actually wants to understand spiritual life and spiritual knowledge, one has to approach a guru. The word guru means "heavy," heavy with knowledge. And what is that knowledge? Tad-vijñāna. That heaviness is brahma-niṣṭhā - attachment to Brahman and to Para-brahman, Bhagavān. That is the guru's qualification. Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. According to Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.2.12), tad-vijñānārtham sa gurum evābhigacchet: "In order to understand that transcendental science, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master." Similarly, as stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21): tasmād gurum prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
"Any person who seriously desires to achieve real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation."
The Upaniṣads inform us that the guru is one who has received knowledge by hearing the Vedas. Śrotriyam brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). The Vedas are called śruti, and the bona fide guru is in the line of hearing from the disciplic succession. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.2), evam paramparā-prāptam. A bona fide guru does not impart some self-styled, concocted knowledge; his knowledge is standard and received from the paramparā system. He is also firmly fixed in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (brahma-niṣṭham). These are his two qualifications: he must have heard the Vedic knowledge through the disciplic succession, and he must be established in service to the Supreme Lord. He does not have to be a very learned scholar, but he must have heard from the proper authority. God gives us the ears to hear, and simply by hearing we may become great preachers. We don't need Ph.D.'s or academic examinations. One may even remain in his position; no changes are necessary."
Later in the same chapter, he concludes:
"One can please the spiritual master simply by surrendering to him and rendering service, saying, "Sir, I am your most obedient servant. Please accept me and give me instructions." Although Arjuna was a very intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa's, before receiving Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā he surrendered himself, saying, śiṣyas te 'ham śādhi mām tvām prapannam: "Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me." (Bg 2.7)
This is the proper way to ask for knowledge. One does not approach the spiritual master with a challenging spirit. One should also be inquisitive to understand the spiritual science. It is not that one considers himself superior to the guru. One must first find a guru to whom one can surrender, and if this is not possible, one shouldn't waste his time. By surrendering to the proper person, one can very quickly come to understand transcendental knowledge."
Text 1.2.13
tasmai sa vidvān upasannāya samyak
praśānta-cittāya śamānvitāya
yenākṣaram puruṣam veda satyam
provāca tām tattvato brahma-vidyām
The qualified guru will impart brahma-vidyā to the student who has approached him with humility and surrender, a calm mind, and controlled senses. By that knowledge, he will know the eternal indestructible Lord.
Commentary: The perfect example of a student approaching a qualified spiritual master is Narada Muni in his past life. Although he was just a child and the son of a maidservant, he approached the Bhaktivedantas with a humble spirit and served them while listening attentively to their spiritual discussions. By this simple process, he gradually became purified. As he describes in the Srimad Bhagavatam:
"O Muni, in the last millennium I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged in the service of brāhmaṇas who were following the principles of Vedānta. When they were living together during the four months of the rainy season, I was engaged in their personal service. Although they were impartial by nature, those followers of the Vedānta blessed me with their causeless mercy. As far as I was concerned, I was self-controlled and had no attachment for sports, even though I was a boy. In addition, I was not naughty, and I did not speak more than required. Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me.
O Vyāsadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great Vedāntists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the Personality of Godhead increased at every step. O great sage, as soon as I got a taste of the Personality of Godhead, my attention to hear of the Lord was unflinching. And as my taste developed, I could realize that it was only in my ignorance that I had accepted gross and subtle coverings, for both the Lord and I are transcendental.
Thus during two seasons — the rainy season and autumn — I had the opportunity to hear these great-souled sages constantly chant the unadulterated glories of the Lord Hari. As the flow of my devotional service began, the coverings of the modes of passion and ignorance vanished. I was very much attached to those sages. I was gentle in behavior, and all my sins were eradicated in their service. In my heart I had strong faith in them. I had subjugated the senses, and I was strictly following them with body and mind. As they were leaving, those bhakti-vedāntas, who are very kind to poor-hearted souls, instructed me in that most confidential subject which is instructed by the Personality of Godhead Himself. By that confidential knowledge, I could understand clearly the influence of the energy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything. By knowing that, one can return to Him and personally meet Him." (SB 1.5.23-32)
This act of approaching self-realized persons and receiving transcendental knowledge from them is the beginning of all transcendental realization. This is the very purpose of human life, as indicated in the Vedanta-sutra: athāto brahma-jijñāsā, "Now, having come to this human form of life, it is time to enquire about the absolute truth."
Text 2.1.1
tad etat satyam
yathā sudīptāt pāvakād visphulingāḥ
sahasraśaḥ prabhavante sarūpāḥ
tathākṣarād vividhāḥ saumya bhāvāḥ
prajāyante tatra caivāpiyanti
Brahman is the Supreme Truth! Just as countless sparks emerge from a blazing fire, all similar in nature, so, O gentle one, from the imperishable Lord (akṣara), various beings come forth and eventually return.
Commentary: The previous chapter described the truth about sacrifices, and this chapter describes the truth about the souls, who have the same spiritual nature (sarūpāḥ) as the Supreme Brahman.
In the Bhagavad-gita (2.20) Krsna mentions: "For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." This clearly indicates that different from the material body, the soul has no beginning and no end. Eternal means without beginning, without end, and without change. If something is created at a certain point, it will also be destroyed at a certain point. If something changes, these changes will eventually lead to destruction. Apart from that, He says, nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ: For the unreal or illusory, there is no permanence. For the eternal, there is no change. If the souls were created at a certain point and later destroyed, they would not be different from temporary material objects.
Keeping this in mind, how can we understand these words from the Mundaka Upanisad, that describe souls coming from the Supreme Brahman, like sparks coming from fire, and later merging back into Him?
In his Govinda Bhasya, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana explains the rules for interpreting verses from the scriptures. As he explains, these rules should be applied when trying to understand obscure or apparently contradictory passages. Only when these rules are appropriately applied can we hope to find the correct meaning:
upakramopasamharav, abhyaso 'purvata-phalam
artha-vadopapatti ca, liìgam tatparya-nirnaye
"The upakrama (beginning), upasamhara (ending), abhyasa (what is repeated again and again), apurvata (what is unique and novel), phalam (the general purpose of the book), artha-vada (the author's statement of purpose), and upapatti (appropriateness) are the factors to consider in interpretation of obscure passages."
As an example, he offers a passage from the Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.6-7):
dva suparna sayuja sakhaya, samanam vrksam parisasvajate
tayor anyah pippalam svadv atty, anasnann anyo 'bhicakasiti
samane vrkse puruso nimagno, 'nisaya socati muhyamanah
justam yada pasyati anyam isam, asya mahimanam iti vita-sokah
"The individual spirit-soul and the Supersoul, Personality of Godhead, are like two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird is not trying to eat these fruits but is simply watching His friend. Although the two birds are on the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other, he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His glories, at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties."
When we apply these criteria to this passage, we find the following:
- Upakrama (beginning): The two birds sitting in the tree (The individual spirit-soul and the Supersoul, Personality of Godhead, are like two friendly birds sitting on the same tree).
- Upasamhara (ending): The other person (the second bird), who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can liberate the first from all anxieties.
- Abhyasa (what is repeated again and again): The word "anya" (the other person) is repeated several times in this passage, as in the phrases tayor anyo 'snan (the other person does not eat) and anyam isam (He sees the other person, who is the Supreme Lord).
- Apurvata (what is unique in the passage): The difference between the Supreme Lord and the individual soul, who are described as two separate birds, performing different activities and having different powers. This idea could never have been understood without the revelation of the Vedic scriptures.
- Phalam (general purpose of the passage): What is the purpose of this passage? To describe how the individual spirit soul becomes free from suffering by approaching the Lord.
- Artha-vada (the author's statement of purpose): The statement is "mahimanam eti" (found at the end of the passage): One who understands the Supreme Lord becomes glorious.
- Upapatti (appropriateness): This is found in the passage "anyo 'nasan" (the other person, the Supreme Lord, does not eat the fruits of material happiness and distress).
When we take everything together, the purpose of the verse becomes very clear. The soul and the Lord are intrinsically different. The soul is engaged in material activities, attached to the fruits of action and desperately trying to enjoy this material world, while the Lord is transcendental and never becomes involved in material activities (His activities are purely transcendental). By inquiring about the Supreme Lord from self-realized souls and obtaining information about His names, forms, and pastimes, one can become situated in the transcendental platform, just like the Lord, becoming glorious, and free from all suffering and anxieties.
We often tend to read verses and then interpret them based on whatever impression comes to our mind, which leads to all kinds of misunderstandings. However, when we study the verses carefully following this logical process, the true meaning becomes clear, and apparent contradictions are harmonized.
Apart from these specific rules for interpreting individual passages, all verses must be interpreted according to the general teachings of the book, as well as the general conclusions of Vedic literature, as received from the previous acaryas. To understand verses according to the conclusions of previous acaryas is actually the main factor in finding the truth.
In verse 1.1.8, the process of creation of the material universes was already explained, and we are all well familiar with the conclusion that the souls are eternal, and only the material universes are repeatedly created and destroyed. When we take this into consideration, it becomes clear that the current verse does not speak about a hypothetical process of creation of the souls, but about the creation of the universes by Lord Maha-Vishnu.
The analogy of the fire explains the basic truth that the souls are one with the Lord in quality, although different in quantity. The Lord is like a big fire, and the souls are like the sparks that are part of this fire and sometimes come out of it. In a famous passage from the Chandogya Upanisad (6.10), Uddālaka describes several characteristics of the Supreme Self to his son, Śvetaketu, and concludes each explanation with the words "tat tvam asi", which indicates similarity. For example, if I say "you are like him", pointing to another person, it indicates that although different individuals, you two share similar qualities or characteristics. The soul is the same as the Lord in terms of quality but is different in terms of quantity. The soul is also a separate individual. It's thus incorrect to interpret tat tvam asi as "you are that". The correct translation is "you are like that", indicating that we are like the Lord, although eternally separated as different individuals.
The analogy of the fire also reinforces the idea that the Lord is the master of the souls and their maintainer. Although both the Lord and the souls are eternal, the souls are eternally subordinate and dependent on Him, and thus their eternal position is loving service to the Lord.
The souls who choose to forget this original position are put under the care of Lord Maha-Vishnu, who sends them to take part in the material creation and accept material forms and names.
Before the creation of the universe, Lord Maha-Vishnu lay on the causal ocean with all the souls merged into his body. When He desires to create, he sends all the souls in the direction of the material energy, together with His time energy, initiating the process of material creation. The souls have thus a long time to perform their material activities, develop their Krsna Consciousness, and go back to Godhead. When time is up, Maha-Vishnu withdraws the cosmic manifestation, annihilating all material names and forms, and again putting all the souls to sleep inside His transcendental body.