The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Muṇḍakopaniṣadbhāṣyam

Bhashya

Bhashya

अस्य परमात्मज्ञानस्य फलमिदमभिधीयते— हृदय-ग्रन्थि अविद्यावासनामयो बुद्ध्याश्रय काम , ‘कामायेऽस्य हृदि श्रिता ’ इति श्रुत्यन्तरात् ।हृदयाश्रयोऽसौ, ना-त्माश्रय ।भिद्यते भेद विनाशमुपयाति ।छिद्यन्ते सर्वे ज्ञेय-विषया सशया लौकिकानाम् आ मरणात् गङ्गास्रोतोवत्प्रवृ-त्ता विच्छेदमायान्ति ।अस्य विच्छिन्नसंशयस्य निवृत्तावि-द्यस्य यानि विज्ञानोत्पत्ते प्राक्कृतानि जन्मान्तरे चाप्रवृत्तफ-लानि ज्ञानोत्पत्तिसहभावीनि च क्षीयन्ते कर्माणि, न त्वेतज्जन्मारम्भकाणि, प्रवृत्तफलत्वात् ।तस्मिन् सर्वज्ञेऽससारिणिपरावरे पर च कारणात्मना अवर च कार्यात्मना तस्मिन्प-रावरे साक्षादहमस्मीति दृष्टे, ससारकारणोच्छेदान्मुच्यतइत्यर्थ ॥

In plain words

The fruit of this knowledge of the Supreme Self is now explained. The knot of the heart—which is desire, made of the latent impressions of ignorance and lodged in the intellect (as another scriptural passage confirms: 'the desires that dwell in his heart')—resides in the mind, never in the pure Atman itself. This knot is severed and utterly destroyed. All worldly doubts regarding the objects of knowledge, which stream endlessly like the current of the Ganges throughout life until death, come to a complete end. For the person whose doubts are cut away and whose ignorance is dispelled, all past actions—whether done in previous lives before the dawn of knowledge, or accompanying its rise—are destroyed. The only exception is the karma that initiated this present birth, which must run its course because it has already begun to bear fruit. When that omniscient, transcendental Lord—who is both the higher cause and the lower effect—is directly realized with the certainty 'I am He', the root cause of worldly existence is severed, and one is instantly liberated.

Close to the Sanskrit

The result of this knowledge of the Supreme Self is explained: The heart-knot, consisting of the impressions of ignorance and resting in the intellect, which is desire — as another scriptural passage says 'the desires which are lodged in his heart' — residing in the heart, not in the Self, is broken, attains destruction. All doubts concerning knowable objects of worldly people, flowing continuously like the current of the Ganges up to death, reach cessation. Of this person whose doubts are severed and whose ignorance has ceased, actions which were done prior to the rise of realization or in another birth and whose fruits have not yet begun, and those accompanying the rise of knowledge, are destroyed, but not those initiating this present birth, because they have already begun to bear fruit. When that omniscient, non-transmigrating, higher and lower — the higher as the cause, and the lower as the effect — when that higher and lower is directly seen as 'I am He', because of the cutting off of the cause of samsara, one is liberated, this is the meaning.