Consciousness Arises from Brahman

Here we are with the Mundaka Upanishad of Atharva Veda. The name is interesting: Mundaka Upanishad. It is surmised that ‘muṇdaka’ comes from ‘muṇda’, and ‘muṇda’ points towards the shaven head of the Brahmins who would practice austerity, the disciples of old carrying bald heads. We have seen those images. So, that is called a muṇda. From there comes the name Mundaka.

This Upanishad throws light on the path of knowledge. We call the Upanishads as belonging to the path of knowledge, Jñānamārga, and then we say the Bhaktimārga is the mārga of love, the path of devotion is synonymous with love. One should refuse to buy that distinction. The Upanishads are overflowing with love. If love is real, it can’t be sans discrimination or knowledge. And if you really have knowledge, you would be a very loving person. It’s just that your love would not be of the type you see all around.

After reading Mundaka Upanishad one can say poets are at work here. In fact, the Upanishads several times call the Rishis as kavis, poets. Not without reason: they are bringing to words that which is very abstract, and that is what a poet does; they are giving a face to that which is very conceptual, that is what a painter does. And then, when you give it a face, obviously you also give it a name, and that becomes the name of a god. So, those gods don’t really exist. They are names of something virtuous within.

In this course we will explore following topics in-depth:

All that shines is but the shadow of his shining- All the objects that you have in this universe are no more there. Where? In the purest state of the mind, because the purest state of mind is a point of pure subjectivity. What is pure subjectivity? The subject and the object merge into one. The fundamental separation that is at the root of our misery is dissolved. So, neither are there objects, nor is there the light that acts as the bridge between subjects and objects. When objects are not there, when light is not there, how can any separation be there? How can the universe be there?

All this is Brahman alone- All these directions that are being talked of are directions that we can perceive. These are experiential directions. The entire dimension of space has been covered in the description: this way, that way, up and below—all this is space. And if the entire ambit of space is being talked of, then the entire universe is being talked of. You get the entire universe. And what does the entire universe consist of? Your entire set of experiences; all that you know of is there.

The popular analogy of two birds- The most popular verses from the Upanishadic treasure trove. Two birds, both beautifully winged, sit next to each other and they both are related to each other. Out of these two birds, one sits and eats the fruit of the tree while the other just watches without eating. These two birds have been the subject of great deliberation. Who are these two birds? They are closely related and carry the same name. What is the name that they carry? I.