Thirty Minor Upanishads: 1. Mukṭikopanishaḍ of Śukla-Yajurveḍa

MUKṬIKOPANISHAḌ

of

ŚUKLA-YAJURVEḌA

Aḍhyāya I

Addressing with devotion and obedience Śrī-Rāma—the Lord Hari, at the end of His Samāḍhi, who being Himself changeless is the witness of the thousands of changes of Buḍḍhi, and who ever rests in Swarapa-Ḍhyāna (the meditation on Reality) while seated under the bejewelled dome of the palace in the lovely city of Ayoḍhyā, in the midst of Sīṭā, Bharaṭa and Soumiṭri (Lakshmaṇa) Śaṭrughna and others, eulogised day and night by Sanaka and other hosts of Munis, as well as by Vasishtha, Śuka, and other devotees of Vishṇu—Hanūmān, after praising them, asked: "O Rāma, Thou art Paramāṭmā of the nature of Sachchiḍānanḍa. O foremost of the family of Raghu, I make prostrations to Thee again and again. O Rāma, I wish to know for the sake of emancipation, Thy nature as it really is. O Rāma, be Thou gracious enough to tell me that by which I shall be easily released from the bondage of mundane existence and by which I shall attain salvation."

(Śrī-Rāma replied:) "O mighty-armed one, well asked: hearken then to the truth uttered by Me. I am well established in Veḍānṭa (or the end of Veḍas or knowledge). Have thou recourse to Veḍānṭa well."

(Hanūmān again asked:) "O foremost of Raghus, what are Veḍānṭas? where do they abide? Pray enlighten me." (Śrī-Rama replied:) "O Hanūmān, listen to Me. I shall truly describe

to you the nature of Veḍānṭa. Through the expiratory breath of Myself—Vishṇu, the Veḍas were generated as many. Like the oil in the sesamum seeds, Veḍānṭa is well established (or latent) in the Veḍas."

(Hanūmān asked again:) "O Rāma, how many are the Veḍas and their branches? O Rāghava, what are the Upanishaḍs? Please, through Thy grace, tell me truly."

(Śrī-Rāma said:) "Through the divisions of Ṛgveḍa and others, the Veḍas are said to be four in number. Their branches are many. So also the Upanishaḍs. In Ṛgveḍa, there are branches, 21 in number. O son of Vāyu, there are 109 branches in Yajurveḍa. O conqueror of enemies, there are 1,000 branches in Sāmaveḍa. O best of Monkeys, there are 50 branches in Aṭharvaṇaveḍa. In each branch, there is one Upanishaḍ. Whoever with devotion to Me studies even one of the Ṛks (hymns) in these, attains the state of absorption, rare for the Munis to attain."

(Hanūmān asked:) "O Rāma, some excellent Munis have said there is one kind of salvation only, while others [stated that salvation is attained] through the uttering of Thy name or the initiation into Ṭāraka (Om) at Kāśī (Benares); others through Sāṅkhya-Yoga, others through the Yoga of Devotion; other Mahāṛshis through the meditation upon the meaning of Mahāvākyas (the sacred sentences of the Veḍas). Salvation is stated to be of four kinds through the divisions of Sālokya and others."

(Śrī-Rāma replied:) "There is only one true emancipation. O Kapi (Monkey), even a person addicted to evil practices attains the salvation of Sālokya (My world) through the uttering of My name, but not of other worlds. Should one die in Brahma-nā.la (the lotus-stalk—also street) in Kāśī, 1 he attains My Ṭāraka (Manṭra). Such a person attains salvation without any rebirth; wherever he may die in Kāśī, Maheśwara initiates him by whispering My Ṭāraka (Manṭra) into his right ear. Such person, freed from all sins, attains My Swarūpa (Form). It is this that is termed Sālokya-Sārūpya salvation. The twice-born who is of virtuous conduct and who, without diverting his

intelligence on any other, meditates upon Me, the All-Āṭmā, attains Sāmīpya (nearness) to Me.

"It is this that is termed Sālokya-Sārūpya-Sāmīpya salvation. The twice-born who according to the path opened by the teacher, meditates upon My immutable Reality attains Sāyujya (absorption) into Me, like the caterpillar into the wasp. This is the Sāyujya salvation which is productive of Brāhmic bliss and auspicious. Thus these kinds of salvation arise through the Upāsanā (worship) of Me.

"The only means by which the final emancipation is attained is through Māṇdūkya-Upanishaḍ alone, which is enough for the salvation of all aspirants. If Jñāna is not attained thereby, study the 10 Upanishaḍs; thou shalt soon attain Jñāna , and then My Seat. O son of Añjanā, if thy Jñāna is not made firm, practise (study) well the 32 Upanishaḍs. Thou shalt get release. If thou longest after Viḍehamukṭi (or disembodied salvation), study the 108 Upanishaḍs. I will truly state in order the (names of the) Upanishaḍs with their Śānṭi (purificatory Manṭras). Hearken to them. (They are:) Īśa, Kena, Katha, Praśna, Muṇda, Māṇdūkya, Ṭiṭṭiri, Aiṭareya, Chhānḍogya, Bṛhaḍāraṇyaka, Brahma, Kaivalya, Jābāla, Śweṭāśwaṭara, Hamsa, Āruṇi, Garbha, Nārāyaṇa, (Parama)-Hamsa, (Amṛṭa)-Binḍu, (Amṛṭa)-Nāḍa, (Aṭharva)-Śira, (Aṭharva)-Śikhā, Maiṭrāyaṇī, Kaushīṭaki, (Bṛhaṭ)-Jābāla, (Narasihma)-Ṭāpanī, Kālāgniruḍra, Maiṭreyī, Subāla, Kshurikā, Manṭrikā, Sarvasāra, Nirālamba, (Śuka)-Rahasya, Vajrasūchikā, Ṭejo-(Binḍu), Nāḍa-(Binḍu), Ḍhyāna-(Binḍu), (Brahma)-Viḍyā, Yoga-Ṭaṭṭwa, Āṭmaboḍhaka, Parivrāt (Nāraḍa-Parivrājaka), (Ṭri)-Śikhī, Sīṭā, (Yoga)-Chūdā-(Maṇi) Nirvāṇa, Maṇdala-(Brāhmaṇa), Ḍakshiṇā-(Mūrṭi), Śarabha, Skanḍa, (Tripāḍvibhūṭi)-Mahā-Nārāyaṇa, Aḍwaya-(Ṭāraka), (Rāma)-Rahasya, (Rāma)-Ṭāpanī, Vāsuḍeva, Muḍgala, Śāṇdilya, Paiṅgala, Bhikshu, Mahaṭ-Śāriraka, (Yoga)-Śikhā, Ṭurīyāṭīṭa, Sannyāsa, (Paramahamsa)-Parivrājaka, Akshamālikā, Avyakṭa, Ekākshara, (Anna)-Pūrṇā, Sūrya, Akshi, Aḍhyāṭma, Kuṇdikā, Sāviṭrī, Āṭmā, Pāśupaṭa, Parabrahma, Avaḍhūṭa, Ṭripuraṭāpanī, Ḍevī, Ṭripurā, Kara, Bhāvanā, (Ruḍra)-Hṛḍaya, (Yoga)-Kuṇdalinī, Bhasma-(Jābāla) Ruḍrāksha, Gaṇapaṭi, Ḍarśana, Tārasāra,

Then Hanūmān asked Śrī-Rāmachanḍra to relate the Śānṭi of each Upanishaḍ according to the divisions of Ṛgveḍa and others to which they belong. To which Śrī-Rāma replied: "Aiṭareya, Kaushīṭaki, Nāḍa-(Binḍu), Āṭmā-Boḍha, Nirvāṇa, Muḍgala, Akshamālikā, Ṭripurā, Soubhāgya and Bahvricha—these 10 Upanishaḍs are of Ṛgveḍa and have the Śānṭi beginning with 'Vāṅme-Manasi, etc'. Īśa, Bṛhaḍāraṇyaka, Jābāla, Hamsa, (Parama)-Hamsa, Subāla, Manṭrikā, Nirālamba, Ṭriśikhī-Brāhmaṇa, Maṇdala-Brāhmaṇa, Aḍwaya-Ṭāraka, Paiṅgala, Bhikshu, Ṭurīyāṭīṭa, Aḍhyāṭma, Tārasāra, Yājñavalkya, Śātyāyanī, and Mukṭika—these 19 Upanishaḍs are of Śukla Yajurveḍa and have the Śānṭi beginning with 'Pūrṇamaḍa, etc'.

"Katha, Ṭiṭṭiri, Brahma, Kaivalya, Śwetāśwaṭara, Garbha, Nārāyaṇa, (Amṛṭa)-Binḍu, (Amṛṭa)-Nāḍa, Kālāgniruḍra, Kshurikā, Sarvasāra, Śukarahasya, Ṭejo-(Binḍu), Ḍhyāna-(Binḍu), (Brahma)-Viḍyā, Yoga-Ṭaṭṭwa, Ḍakshiṇā-(Mūrṭi), Skanḍa, Śāriraka, (Yoga)-Śikhā, Ekākshara, Akshi, Avaḍhūṭa, Kara, (Ruḍra)-Hṛḍaya, (Yoga)-Kuṇdalinī, Pañchabrahma, (Prāṇa)-Agnihoṭra, Varāha, Kali-(Sanṭāraṇa), and Saraswaṭīrahasya,—these 32 Upanishaḍs are of Kṛshṇa Yajurveḍa and have the Śānṭi beginning with 'Sahanāvavaṭu, etc'.

"Kena, Chhānḍogya, Āruṇi, Maiṭrāyaṇī, Maiṭreyī, Vajrasūchikā, (Yoga)-Chūdā-(Mani), Vasuḍeva, Mahaṭ-Sannyāsa, Avyakṭa, Kuṇdikā, Sāviṭrī, Ruḍrāksha, Jābāla, Ḍarśana, and Jābāli,—these 16 Upanishaḍs are of Sāmaveḍa and have the Śānti beginning with 'Āpyāyanṭu, etc'.

"Praśna, Muṇdaka, Māṇdūkya, (Aṭharva)-Śira, (Aṭharva)-Śikhā, (Bṛhaṭ)-Jābāla, (Nṛsihma)-Ṭāpanī, (Nāraḍa-Parivrājaka), Sīṭā, Śarabha, Mahā-Nārāyaṇa, (Rāma)-Rahasya, (Rāma)-Ṭāpanī, Śāndilya, (Paramahamsa)-Parivrājaka, (Anna)-Pūrṇā, Sūrya, Āṭmā, Pāśupaṭa, Parabrahma, Ṭripuraṭāpanī, Ḍevī, Bhāvanā, Bhasma-(Jābāla), Gaṇapaṭi, Mahāvākya, Gopāla-Ṭāpanī, Kṛshṇa, Hayagrīva, Ḍaṭṭāṭreya, and Gāruda,—these 31 Upanishaḍs of Aṭharvaṇa-Veḍa have the Śānṭi commencing with 'Bhaḍram-Karṇebhiḥ, etc'.

"Persons desirous of emancipation and having developed the four means of salvation should, with presents in their hands,

approach a Guru full of faith, of good family, proficient in Veḍas, scripture-loving, of good qualities, straightforward, intent upon the welfare of all beings, and an ocean of compassion; and after studying under him, according to the rules, the 108 Upanishaḍs, he should ever be going through the process of studying, thinking and reflecting upon them. With the cessation of the three bodies through the destruction of Prārabḍha, they attain the state of Plenum without any Upāḍhis like the ether in the pot (after the pot is broken). This is the embodied salvation, this is the final emancipation. Therefore even those in Brahmaloka through the studying of Veḍānṭa from the mouth of Brahmā attain with Him the final emancipation. Hence to all these is stated the final emancipation through the Jñāna path, and not through Karma, Sāṅkhya-Yoga, and other Upāsanās. Thus is the Upanishaḍ."

Aḍhyāya II

Again Māruṭi (Hanūmān) addressed Śrī-Rāmachanḍra thus: "What is Jīvanmukṭi? what is Viḍehamukṭi? what is the authority therein? what about its perfection? what is the object of such a perfection?"

(Śrī-Rāma replied:) "The Ḍharma of a man's Chiṭṭa that has the characteristics of agency and enjoyment is fraught with pains and hence tends towards bondage. The control of it (the Chiṭṭa) is Jīvanmukṭi. Viḍehamukṭi follows when through the extinction of Prārabḍha, the removal of the vehicles [of the bodies] takes place like the ether in the pot [after the pot is broken]. The authority on the points of Jīvanmukṭi and Viḍehamukṭi is the 108 Upanishaḍs. Its object [of perfection] is the attaining of eternal bliss through the removal of the pains of agency, etc. This has to be achieved through human efforts. Like progeny obtained through the Puṭrakāmeshti sacrifice, wealth in trade, or heaven through the Jyoṭishtoma sacrifice, so Jīvanmukṭi is gained through Samāḍhi arising through Veḍānṭic study, and accomplished through human efforts. It has to be won through the extinction of all Vāsanās. Regarding it, there are verses

thus: 'The efforts of man are stated to be of two kinds, those that transcend scriptures and those that are according to scriptures. Those that transcend scriptures tend to harm while those that are according to scriptures tend to Reality.' To men, true Jñāna does not arise through the Vāsanās of the world, scripture and body. Vāsanā is divided into two, the pure and the impure. If thou art led by the pure Vāsanās, thou shalt thereby soon reach by degrees My Seat. But should the old impure Vāsanās land thee in danger, they should be overcome through efforts. This river of Vāsanās towards objects, which flows in the pure and impure paths, should be diverted to the pure path through human efforts. The impure ones have to be transmuted into the pure. That which is diverted from the impure turns towards the pure. So also the reverse. This child, Chiṭṭa has to be fondled through human efforts. O killer of enemies, it is only when through means of practice both Vāsanās quite abandon thee, that thou wilt be able to realise the effects of [such] practice. Even in the case of doubt, the pure Vāsanās alone should be practised.

"O son of Vāyu, there is nothing wrong in the increase of the pure Vāsanās. The extinction of Vāsanās, Vijñāna and the destruction of Manas [as these three] when practised together for a long time are regarded, O great and intelligent one, as fruitful. So long as these are not equally practised again and again, so long the [Supreme] Seat is not attained, even after the lapse of hundreds of years. Even should one of these [three] be practised for a long time, it will not yield its fruit like a Manṭra imperfectly done. Through the practice of these for a long time, the firm knots of the heart are cut, without doubt, like the breaking of the threads in a lotus-stalk rent in twain. The illusory Samsāric Vāsanā that has arisen through the practice of [many] hundreds of lives never perishes except through the practice of Yoga for a long time. Therefore, O Somya [disciple], after having put away to a distance the desire of enjoyment through discriminative human effort, resort to these three alone. The wise know that a mind associated with Vāsanā tends to bondage, while a mind well freed from

Vāsanās, is no other than Myself of the nature of Sachchiḍānanḍa. Whether Samāḍhi and Karma are performed or not, one who has a supreme Chiṭṭa with a heart devoid of all desires is an emancipated person. He whose mind is freed from Vāsanās is not subject to the fruits arising from the performance or non-performance of actions, or Samāḍhi or Jñāna. Except through the entire giving up of Vāsanās and through Mouna [the observance of silence towards objects], the Supreme Seat is not attained. Though devoid of Vāsanās, the eye and other organs are involuntarily prompted to their (respective) external objects through habit. Just as the eye without any desire sees without any effort the objects that fall on it, so also the undaunted man of intelligence enters into the affairs [of the world] without any desire. O Māruṭi, the Munis know that as Vāsanā which is manifested through the consciousness of objects, which is of the nature of the object itself, and which is the cause of the origination and absorption of Chiṭṭa. This excessively fluctuating Chiṭṭa is the cause of birth, dotage and death, due to the identification of itself with objects practised firmly [for a long time]. Like the analogy of the seed and the tree, the vibration of Prāṇa arises through Vāsanā and (vice versa) the Vāsanā through the former—these forming the seed of Chiṭṭa. To the tree of Chiṭṭa, there are two seeds: the vibration of Prāṇa and Vāsanā. Should either of them perish, both perish soon. Through the actions of the world being done without attachment, through the abandoning of the [thought of the] reality of the universe and the conviction of the destructibility of the body, Vāsanā does not arise. Through the complete giving up of Vāsanā, Chiṭṭa becomes not-Chiṭṭa. When the mind does not think at all, being completely devoid of Vāsanā, then dawns the state of mindlessness which confers the