Madhuvidya

Author(s): S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 49

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MEHENDALE: "Satyam Eva Jayate Nānstam"
balavatsādhanatvam. This will show that have already obtained their desires Sankara also found it difficult, although (āptakāmāh) and their desireless condition on different grounds, to take satyam by is also emphasized in the Mundaka 3.2.2 itself as subject. But since he accepts : paryāptakāmasya kṛtātmanas tu ihaiva satyam = satyavādi puruṣaḥ as subject sarve praviliyanti kāmāḥ. They live in and renders jayate 'is victorious'his is the forests and finally reach the immortal usual interpretation of the passage Puruşa : tapaḥśraddhe ye hy upavasanty assuring worldly victory to the truthful aranye śäntä vidvāṁso bhaikşacaryam man. In the opinion of Sankara this has carantaḥ / suryadvāreņa te virajāḥ been said in order to praise truthful prayānti yatrāmstaḥ sa puruso hy behaviour as the most efficacious means. avayayātmā, Munda. 1.2.11. If we keep in But it seems unnecessary to single out mind the background of the Mundaka Up. satyam, as 'true speech,' for special praise and the final attainment aimed at by the having included it with austerity, etc., in ascetics, it would be proper for us to the preceding verse among the means to interpret satyam eve jayate as "A sage obtain atman. The Mundaka is specially wins only the Real." intended for ascetics" who wish to attain It is possible to anticipate a few the Imperishable (tad aksaram objections to the above interpretation. In adhigamyate 1.1.5). It is not intended for the first instance it may be argued that we ordinary people of the world who may be may expect an object for the verb Vji if it seeking unreal ends and who need such is used in active voice. If used medially, inducement to be persuaded to follow the i.e., reflexively, no object is necessary. For truth. While the Imperishable is obtained example we find in the Ait. Br. 12.16, by the higher knowledge (parā vidyā) jayati used with an object, but jayate worldly victories and such other things without it: tathaivaitad yajamāno ... would belong to the field of lower jayati svargam lokam, vy asmil loke knowledge (apară vidyā). The ascetics jayate. "Similarly the sacrificer wins the
heavenly world , he is victorious in this "It appears that the doctrine propounded in the world."Since in our passage jayate is used Mundaka was specially intended for those who in the middle voice it would be proper not shaved their heads and who with controlled minds to anticipate an object and translate 'truth approached the teacher for instruction. Mundaka
alone is victorious.' 3.2.10: teşan evaitāṁ brahmavidyām vadeta
The objection can be answered in two širovrataṁ vidhivad yais tu cirnam; also Mund. 1.2.13: tasmai sa vidvān upasannaya samyak
ways. First we have to pointout that the uses praśāntacittāya samānvitāya / yenākşaram
in the middle voice are notalways reflexive. puruşam veda satyam provāca tāṁ tattvato In the Mundaka itself we find paśyate used brahmavidyām//Cf. Hertel, Mundaka-Upanişad twice in the active sense : yadā paśyah (Leipzig, 1924), p. 19.
paśyate rukmavarnaṁ kartāram i sam
Madhu Vidyā/24