The Mundaka Upanisad with Sankarabhasyam

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Smt.Sarojini 'Varadarajan has been a keen student of 'Vedanta for several years. As a disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, she attended a Vedanta course conducted at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, coimbatore. She has been listening to my classes also directly or through audio recordings. She has the habit of taking notes and sharing them with other seekers. When she submitted the manuscript on my Mukadak opanishad – bhashyam, classes, I could see the amonnt of effort that had gone into it. Due to various commitments, I could. not take the responsibility of editing and publishing this useful work.

I am Very happy to know that this manuscript is getting published. now, edited by Swami Sakahatkritananda Saraswathi of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.

I congratulate Smt. Sarojini Varadarajan for her great effort. May this book reach the hands of many deserving students of Vedanta.

I am very pleased to know that the lectures of Sri Swami Paramarthananda Saraswati on Mundaka Upanisad will come out in the form of a book retaining the format of class. Though I would have loved to edit the whole book due to constraints of time I could go through only the Sanskrit Section. I am sure this book will be treasured by the students committed to the study of Mundaka Bhashyam as Swamiji, in his own inimitable style, brings out all the nuances of the bhashyam.

I appreciate the hard work done by Divyajnan Sarojini Varadarajan in transcribing and meticulously editing the transcripts without constraints of age and health. She has gone into every minute aspect of the book in its final form. I wish her all success in her pursuit of knowledge and pray that the book reach the hands of all the jijnasus so that the hard efforts put forth by her will get fulfilled.

The Vedas have manifested long ago along with the creation in sound form, and were received by great rsis of those bygone ages through their powers, and were later compiled and organised into four Vedas by Sri Vedavyasa. The Vedas give us specially through their jnanakanda, also known as the upanisads, I will not say a particular religion or philosophy, but a great culture, a great way of life, which when followed faithfully will lead us to the realisation of the ultimate truth, the giver of everlasting happiness called liberation or moksa. The upanisads form the later part of the Vedas, and therefore the subject matter therein is known as vedanta , veda-anta (end of veda) .

However, as the upanisads belong to a completely different age, they some times use vedic language, and expressions, which are not easy for us to understand. Sankaracarya keeping this in mind, has written commentaries on ten important upanisads, among which Mundakopanisad is one. Sankaracarya commentaries are very unique, because besides being very profound and explanatory, he foresees in them, the doubts one might get, and clarifies them.

However, one must have a good understanding of sanskrit language and grammar to be able to understand Sankaracarya's 'commentaries, specially as he very often uses long complicated sentences full of sandhis and samasas, so that sometimes one word would run a whole line, and a sentence a whole paragraph.

Therefore, it is essential to have a guru who is a brahmanista, and is well-versed in sanskrit language and grammar to make us understand it. Swami Paramarthananada's lectures, with his simple explanation of the Sankarabhasyam, fulfil this need, and makes it very easy for us to understand the essence of the upanisads.

His, simple at the same time in-depth teaching I have been fortunate to enjoy , but wanting to share it with people who did not have the opportunity to listen to him, and to make it easy for beginners, as well as for those who want to refer to swamiji's lectures, I ,who have been a student of his as well as of Swami Dayananda Saraswati for almost two decades, have taken the courage to compile it, to my best understanding, and ability with utmost sraddha.

This book would not have been possible, but for the atmajnanam, which converted all obstacles in my life into unseen blessings, and but for the encouragement of Swami Paramarthananda, and Swami Saksatkrtananda Saraswati and finally for the co-operation of my life partner, friend and guide of fifty years Sri Varadarajan. Last but not least I have to put in a word of thanks to my children who persuaded and encouraged me to use a computer, and to my grand children who taught me not only to use it ,but a laptop also ,and specially to my youngest grandson, Arman varadaraj who helped me in various aspects of computer usage.

I dedicate this book to Swami Paramarthananda, and to my husband Sri Varadarajan, and to all seekers of the ultimate and unending happiness, moksa.