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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
The Upanişads
63
crosses grief and all sins and becoming free from the knots of the dark cells, attains immortality.”! The Ke'nopanişad says "By ātman is obtained valour and by knowledge immortality."'? The Is'a Upanişad says — "Where one sees everywhere one, where is there scope for infatuation and grief ?" 3 Yājñavalkya says in the Brh. Upanisad —.“ It should be perceived by mind that there is nothing different or many (nanéva) here; one who sees here many passes from death to death."
These and many such passages that occur in the various Upanişads speak that the Upanişadic people sought freedom from birth and death, pain and misery, imperfection and finitude which is characteristic of the earthly life; and they also believed that such liberation could be attained by the proper knowledge of the Self. There is only one and royal way to liberation, and that is the knowledge of this innermost Self of the individual or the Brahman. Therefore, attainment of this knowledge seems to be the only prescribed way to freedom. According to this Mundaka Upanişad, the only way that leads to the realization of the Self, is one of knowledge and not one of sacrificial performance or any other rituals. The Mundaka Upanişad says --".. Nor is the Self to be gained by one who is destitute of strength, or without earnestness, or without right meditation. But if a right man strives after it
1 Mundaka Up. 3.29. 2 Kèna. Up. 2.12. 3 is'a Up. 1.7.
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