Mundaka Upanishad

One of the ancient Sanskrit scriptures of Hinduism

The Mundaka Upanishad (, Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad) is an ancient Sanskrit Vedic text, embedded inside Atharva Veda. The Mundaka Upanishad contains three Mundakams (parts), each with two khandas (sections). suggest that passages in the Mundaka Upanishad present the pantheism theory. In some historic Indian literature and commentaries, the Mundaka Upanishad is included in the canon of several verse structured Upanishads that are collectively referred to as "Mantra Upanishad" or "Mantropanishad".

Mundaka (Sanskrit: मुण्डक) literally means "shaved (as in shaved head), shorn, lopped trunk of a tree". Eduard Roer suggests that this root is unclear, and the word as title of the Upanishad possibly refers to "knowledge that shaves, or liberates, one of errors and ignorance". The chapters of the Mundaka Upanishad are also sequentially referred to as "Mundakam" in ancient and medieval texts, for unclear etymological reasons. All opinions rest on scanty evidence, an analysis of archaism, style and repetitions across texts, driven by assumptions about likely evolution of ideas, and on presumptions about which philosophy might have influenced which other Indian philosophies. Patrick Olivelle writes: "Both the Mundaka and the Mahanarayana are rather late Upanisads and are, in all probability, post Buddhist." Most of the teachings in the Upanishads of Hinduism, including Manduka Upanishad, however, relate to the existence of Self and Brahman, and the paths to know, realize one's Self and Brahman, making the fundamental premise of Mundaka Upanishad distinctly different from Buddhism's denial of "Self or Brahman". Some of the ideas and allegories in Mundaka Upanishad have chronological roots in more ancient Vedic literature such as, Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, and Katha Upanishads. For example, the allegory of "blind leading the blind" in section 1.2 of Mundaka Upanishad is also found in section 1.2 of Katha Upanishad. Similarly, the allegory of two birds in section 3.1 of the Mundaka Upanishad is found in hymns of Rig Veda, I.164.

The Mundaka Upanishad has three Mundakams (parts, or shavings), each part has two khanda (खण्ड, section or volume). Several versions of the Mundaka Upanishad manuscript have been discovered so far. They show minor differences, particularly in the form of additional text insertions and interpolations. The insertions are apparent because they do not fit structurally into the metered verses, and also because the same text is missing in manuscripts discovered in other locations. The text then lists a succession of teachers who shared the knowledge of Brahman with the next generation. It describes a lineage of knowledge transmission that begins with Brahma, the creator god, who imparted the knowledge of Brahman to Atharva. Atharva then passed this knowledge to Angira, and in turn, it was taught to Satyavaha Bharadvaja. Satyavaha then conveyed it to Angiras. Charles Johnston suggests that this announces the Vedic tradition of teacher student responsibility to transfer knowledge across the generations, in unbroken succession. Johnston further states that the names recited are metaphors, such as the One who Illuminates, Keeper of Truth, Planetary Spirit, mythological messenger between Gods and Men among others, suggesting the divine nature and the responsibility of man to continue the tradition of knowledge sharing across human generations. The higher knowledge is the means by which one can comprehend the imperishable (Aksara, Brahman). It is the knowledge of Brahman the one which cannot be seen, seized, has no origin, varna, eyes, ears, hands, or feet; it is the eternal, all pervading, infinitesimal, imperishable, indestructible.

The first seven mantras of second khanda of first Mundakam explain how man has been called upon, promised benefits for, scared unto and misled into performing sacrifices, oblations and pious works. The Upanishad, in verse 2.2.8 asserts that the man with the knowledge of the Self and who has become one with Brahman, is liberated, is not affected by karman, is free of sorrow and self doubts, is one who lives in bliss.

The Mundaka Upanishad has been widely translated, Mundaka has been one of the most popular Upanishads, in past and present. Badarayana devotes three out of twenty eight adhikaranas to Mundaka Upanishad, while Shankara cites it 129 times in his commentary on the Brahmasutra. Deussen states that this popularity is because of the literary accomplishment, purity in expression and the beauty of the verses in expressing the profound thoughts that are otherwise shared by other Upanishads of Hinduism. Gough calls Mundaka Upanishad as "one of the most important documents in ancient Indian philosophy". It encapsulates the Vedic teachings, states Gough, that "he that meditates upon any deity as a being other than himself has no knowledge, and is mere victim to the gods", and "there is no truth in the many, all truth is in the one; and this one that alone is the Self, the inmost essence of all things, that vivifies all sentiencies and permeates all things. This is the pure bliss, and it dwells within the heart of every creature". Johnston states that the ancient message in Mundaka Upanishad is relevant to the modern age where "search for and application of Truth" alone often predominates the fields of science. Mundaka Upanishad reminds the central importance of Truth in its third Mundakam, yet it also emphasizes the need for "beauty and goodness", because "truth, beauty and goodness" together, states Johnston, create arts, music, poetry, painting, meaning and spiritual answers. Jacobs has called Mundaka Upanishad as profound, and counts it as one of the essential philosophical foundations of Hinduism.

The Mundaka Upanishad is the source of the phrase Satyameva Jayate, which is the national motto of India. It appears in its national emblem with four lions.