[Advaita-l] MuktikA Upanishad / MuktikOpanishat cited by srI VidyAraNya svAmI in PanchdaSI

[Sujal Upadhyay]

Namaste Ajit ji and Sunil ji,

I understand what you say.

As I am not versed in sanskrit, I reply on translations. Translation hosted
by astrojyoti <http://www.astrojyoti.com/MuktikaUpanishad.htm> says that
Mandukya is enough. Please can you check and give correct translation.

इयं कैवल्यमुक्तिस्तु केनोपायेन सिद्ध्यति .
माण्डूक्यमेकमेवालं मुमुक्षूणां विमुक्तये .. २६..

तथाप्यसिद्धं चेज्ज्ञानं दशोपनिषदं पठ .
ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा चिरादेव मामकं धाम यास्यसि .. २७..

तथापि दृढता न चेद्विद्ज्ञानस्याञ्जनासुत .
द्वात्रिंशाख्योपनिषदं समभ्यस्य निवर्तय .. २८..

विदेहमुक्ताविच्छा चेदष्टोत्तरशतं पठ .
तासां क्रम सशान्तिं च श्रुणु वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वतः .. २९..

​I-i-26-29. But by what means is the Kaivalya kind of Moksha got ? The
Mandukya is enough; if knowledge is not got from it, then study the Ten
Upanishads. Getting knowledge very soon, you will reach my abode. If
certainty is not got even then, study the 32 Upanishads and stop. If
desiring Moksha without the body, read the 108 Upanishads. Hear their order.

---

Kanchi Paramacharya in his book Hindu Dharma also says that for Kaivalya
mukti, it is believed that Mandukya is enough

My personal opinion on this is:

OM covers everything all trinity (trio), satva, rajas, tamas, 2 states
(waking, etc) and the 4th part or sthiti or OM is turiya, beyond mAyA.
Hence if you know OM, you can transcend duality.

But the thing is not all can just hold on to OM. We do not even know what
is moksha. It takes time to understand certain things, change our
perspective of life, the way we live. For that shastras play important role
in giving clarity and direction. Of course Guru is necessary.

Importance of OM is evident from the fact that whole upanishad is dedicated
to explaining just OM. OM is also found in many other upanishads.

But as I have said, for clearing doubts, getting clarity, brining ourselves
back on track, words of Guru and Shastras are necessary. But I believe in
restrictive approach. If by reading just gita, the path is cleared, then no
need to read upanishad (just for e.g.). We cannot practice all vidyA-s. One
is enough. Repetition helps in a way that it brushes us what we need to do.
Generally, we are stuck up somewhere and try to find solution. While
reading shastras I try to find solution to my doubt (unknowingly). When I
get, it, mind clams down and I get clarity. It's time to meditate.

Meditation is key. You know that your mind reacts or that you are
emotionally attached to someone or involved in any issue, when that thing
pops up in mind during meditation. For some rare pure soul, even OM is not
needed. Neti-neti is enough, but for us, OM is better. Mind falls back from
spiritual, calm and blissful state, as it has lots of other desires
(desires other than moksha).

Cutting short, if mind is able to hold on to OM , because of very pure mind
and no interest in society and worldly affairs, then no need t read more.
 These type of people are often rare and upon maturity turn into mystics or
Guru, but not acharya. An acharya is the one who teaches and practices step
by step, in a traditional way, necessary for laymen like me. For just Self
realization, not everything is needed to learn, but if you are destined to
teach then you may be taught in a traditional way, as many would get
convinced if answers are given from shastras, then from direct experience
only.

Hari OM

​Sujal


On Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 1:10 AM, Sunil Bhattacharjya <
sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Namaste Sujalji,
>
> Muktika does not say that Mandukya is enough. What it says that if anyone
> wants to read (or have the time  and obviously also  the inclination) for
> reading only one upanishad, then one should go for the Mandukya upanishad.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Sunil KB
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thursday, February 27, 2014 11:08 AM, Ajit Krishnan <
> ajit.krishnan at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> namaste,
>
>
> > Even Muktika says that Mandukya is enough. If one is not able to realize
> > truth, then read 10.
>
>
> A few upanishads are important because they are referred to in the brahma
> sutras. This was probably one factor that encouraged Swami Vidyaranya and
> Swami Shankarananda to comment on some upanishads outside the "big 10". An
> understanding of the brahma sutra bhashya requires an understanding of more
> than just the mandukya upanishad.
>
>
> sasneham,
>
>     ajit
>
>