कुण्डिकोपनिषत्ख्यातपरिव्राजकसंततिः । यत्र विश्रान्तिमगमत्तद्रामपदमाश्रये ॥ ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च ॥सर्वाणि सर्वं ब्रह्मोपनिषदं माहं ब्रह्म निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म निराकरोदनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणं मेस्तु तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु ॥ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ हरिः ॐ ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमे क्षीणे गुरुशुश्रूषणे रतः । वेदानधीत्यानुज्ञात उच्यते गुरुणाश्रमी ॥१॥ दारमाहृत्य सदृशमग्निमाधाय शक्तितः । ब्राह्मीमिष्टिं यजेत्तासामहोरात्रेण निर्वपेत् ॥२॥ संविभज्य सुतानर्थे ग्राम्यकामान्विसृज्य च । संचरन्वनमार्गेण शुचौ देशे परिभ्रमन् ॥३॥ वायुभक्षोऽम्बुभक्षो वा विहितैः कन्दमूलकैः । स्वशरीरे समाप्याथ पृथिव्यां नाश्रु पातयेत् ॥४॥ सह तेनैव पुरुषः कथं संन्यस्त उच्यते । सनामधेयो यस्मिंस्तु कथं संन्यस्त उच्यते ॥५॥ तस्मात्फलविशुद्धाङ्गी संन्यासं संहितात्मनाम् । अग्निवर्णं विनिष्क्रम्य वानप्रस्थं प्रपद्यते ॥६॥ लोकवद्भार्ययासक्तो वनं गच्छति संयतः । संत्यक्त्वा संसृतिसुखमनुतिष्ठति किं मुधा ॥७॥ किंवा दुःखमनुस्मृत्य भोगांस्त्यजति चोच्छ्रितान् । गर्भवासभयाद्भीतः शीतोष्णाभ्यां तथैव च ॥८॥ गुह्यं प्रवेष्टुमिच्छामि परं पदमनामयमिति । संन्यस्याग्निमपुनरावर्तनं यन्मृत्युर्जायमावहमिति ॥ अथाध्यात्ममन्त्राञ्जपेत् । दीक्षामुपेयात्काषायवासाः । कक्षोपस्थलोमानि वर्जयेत् । ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्विमुक्तमार्गो भवति । अनिकेतश्चरेभिक्षाशी । निदिध्यासनं दध्यात् । पवित्रं धारयेज्जन्तुसंरक्षणार्थम् । तदपि श्लोका भवन्ति । कुण्डिकां चमकं शिक्यं त्रिविष्टपमुपानहौ । शीतोपघातिनीं कन्यां कौपीनाच्छादनं तथा ॥९॥ पवित्रं स्नानशाटीं च उत्तरासङ्गमेव च । अतोऽतिरिक्तं यत्किंचित्सर्वं तद्वर्जयेद्यतिः ॥१०॥ नदीपुलिनशायी स्याद्देवागारेषु बाह्यतः । नात्यर्थं सुखदुःखाभ्यां शरीरमुपतापयेत् ॥११॥ स्नानं पानं तथा शौचमद्भिः पूताभिराचिरेत् । स्तूयमानो न तुष्येत निन्दितो न शपेत्परान् ॥१२॥ भिक्षादिवैदलं पात्रं स्नानद्रव्यमवारितम् । एवं वृत्तिमुपासीनो यतेन्द्रियो जपेत्सदा ॥१३॥ विश्वाय मनुसंयोगं मनसा भावयेत्सुधीः । आकाशाद्वायुर्वायोर्ज्योतिर्ज्योतिष आपोऽद्भ्यः पृथिवी । एषां भूतानां ब्रह्म प्रपद्ये । अजरममरमक्षरमव्ययं प्रपद्ये । मय्यखण्डसुखांभोधौ बहुधा विश्ववीचयः । उत्पद्यन्ते विलीयन्ते मायामारुतविभ्रमात् ॥१४॥ न मे देहेन संबन्धो मेघेनेव विहायसः । अतः कुतो मे तद्धर्मा जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिषु ॥१५॥ आकाशवत्कल्पविदूरगोह- मादित्यवद्भास्यविलक्षणोऽहम् । अहार्यवन्नित्यविनिश्चलोऽह- मम्बोधिवत्पारविवर्जितोऽहम् ॥१६॥ नारायणोऽहं नरकान्तकोऽहं पुरान्तकोऽहं पुरुषोऽहमीशः । अखण्डबोधोऽहमशेषसाक्षी निरीश्वरोऽहं निरहं च निर्ममः ॥१७॥ तदभ्यासेन प्राणापानौ संयम्य तत्र श्लोका भवन्ति ॥ वृषणापानयोर्मध्ये पाणी आस्थाय संश्रयेत् । संदश्य शनकैर्जिह्वां यवमात्रे विनिर्गताम् ॥१८॥ माषमात्रां तथा दृष्टिं श्रोत्रे स्थाप्य तथा भुवि । श्रवणे नासिके गन्धा यतः स्वं न च संश्रयेत् ॥१९॥ अथ शैवपदं यत्र तद्ब्रह्म ब्रह्म तत्परम् । तदभ्यासेन लभ्येत पूर्वजन्मार्जितात्मनाम् ॥२०॥ संभूतैर्वायुसंश्रावैर्हृदयं तप उच्यते । ऊर्ध्वं प्रपद्यते देहाद्भित्त्वा मूर्धानमव्ययम् ॥२१॥ स्वदेहस्य तु मूर्धानं ये प्राप्य परमां गतिम् । भूयस्ते न निवर्तन्ते परावरविदो जनाः ॥२२॥ न साक्षिणं साक्ष्यधर्माः संस्पृशन्ति विलक्षणम् । अविकारमुदासीनं गृहधर्माः प्रदीपवत् ॥२३॥ जले वापि स्थले वापि लुठत्वेष जडात्मकः । नाहं विलिप्ये तद्धर्मैर्घटधर्मैर्नभो यथा ॥२४॥ निष्क्रियोऽस्म्यविकारोऽस्मि निष्कलोऽस्मि निराकृतिः । निर्विकल्पोऽस्मि नित्योऽस्मि निरालम्बोऽस्मि निर्द्वयः ॥२५॥ सर्वात्मकोऽहं सर्वोऽहं सर्वातीतोऽहमद्वयः । केवलाखण्डबोधोऽहं स्वानन्दोऽहं निरन्तरः ॥२६॥ स्वमेव सर्वतः पश्यन्मन्यमानः स्वमद्वयम् । स्वानन्दमनुभुञ्जानो निर्विकल्पो भवाम्यहम् ॥२७॥ गच्छंस्तिष्ठन्नुपविशञ्छयानो वान्यथापि वा । यथेच्छया वसेद्विद्वानात्मारामः सदा मुनिः ॥२८॥इत्युपनिषत् ॥ ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च ॥सर्वाणि सर्वं ब्रह्मोपनिषदं माहं ब्रह्म निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म निराकरोदनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणं मेस्तु तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु ॥ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ हरिः ॐ तत्सत् ॥ इति कुण्डिकोपनिषत्समाप्ता ॥
Om ! Let my limbs and speech, Prana, eyes, ears, vitality And all the senses grow in strength. All existence is the Brahman of the Upanishads. May I never deny Brahman, nor Brahman deny me. Let there be no denial at all: Let there be no denial at least from me. May the virtues that are proclaimed in the Upanishads be in me, Who am devoted to the Atman; may they reside in me. Om ! Let there be Peace in me ! Let there be Peace in my environment ! Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me ! 1-2. After studying the scriptures during the blemishless period of studentship in which he devotes himself to the service of the teacher, the Brahmacharin with the permission of the teacher, shall marry a suitable wife. Then (at the end of the householder’s life) he shall kindle the sacred fire (for renunciation) bravely and perform a sacrifice lasting a day and night in which Brahma, etc., are the deities. 3. Then after dividing his property among his sons in the proper way and giving up all sensory pleasures, he shall journey along sacred places as a Vanaprastha. 4. Subsisting on air only or on (air and) water only or with the addition (in dire need) of approved bulbous roots (and fruits) he shall find all worldly life in his person alone. He shall not (remembering his past comforts) allow his tears fall on the ground. 5-7(a). How can a man, in the company of his wife, be said to have renounced (worldly life) ? How can one who is (merely) known with an appellation (of an ascetic) be said to have renounced ? Hence he should purify himself (first) by renouncing the result of his deeds through self-control (Vanaprastha); thereafter he may take to renunciation. One reaches the stage of forest-life (Vanaprastha) after having maintained the sacred fire (as a householder). He goes to lead the forest-life with self-control accompanied by his wife as though he were a person attached to her. 7(b)-8. ‘Why does he undergo (the life of a mendicant monk) in vain, having given up the happiness of worldly life ? What is that (impending) misery the thought of which should make him abandon great pleasures ?’ (Such is the query of the wife). ‘I am afraid of the (miserable) life in the womb (of another mother) and also the miseries of heat, cold, etc. (So) I wish to enter the cave(-shelter) of renunciation, the means for the painless transcendent state (of Brahman)’. Thus (he replies). 9. Having renounced the sacred fire he shall not return to it (even in mentally reciting the mantras pertaining to it). 10. ‘For, I, (i.e. the mantra) (pertaining to this sacred fire) becoming extinct (being incompatible with renunciation) shall be merged into the oncoming (knowledge of Brahman).’ 11. He may repeat the mantras pertaining to Self (realization). 12. He shall have consecration. (He shall be) wearing (ochre) coloured garment. (He shall remove) the hairs excluding those in the arm pits and the private parts. With (right) hand raised (he shall set forth as a mendicant monk), abandoning the path of worldly life. He shall move on without (a fixed) abode. Living on alms, he shall deeply ponder over (Vedantic texts) and meditate (on his identity with the transcendent Brahman). He shall possess pure knowledge (pavitram) for the protection of all beings. 13-14. (These) verses are there (or the same theme): (The mendicant monk shall have) a water pot, an (alms-) bowl, a sling (to carry his effects), sandals to traverse a long distance (literally, over the three worlds), a patched garment to withstand cold, a loin cloth to cover (his privities), a purifying ring (pavitram of holy grass), a bath towel and an upper garment; other than these the ascetic shall give up all else. 15. He shall sleep on the sandy bed of a river or outside a temple. He shall not bother his body too much either with pleasures or pain. 16. Pure water should be used for bathing, drinking and cleansing. He shall not become pleased with praise nor shall he curse others when censured. 17. His alms-bowl shall be (a cup) made of leaves and the material for washing shall be the prescribed (fresh earth). 18. Thus provided with the means of living, he shall, with the senses subdued, always mutter the (philosophical) mantras. The wise (ascetic) shall realize in his mind (the identity of the individual self with the universal Self) which is the meaning of Om. 19. (From Brahman arose ether); from ether air; from air fire; from fire water; from water the earth. To (the prime cause of all) these primary elements. Brahman, I resort (in reverence); I resort to the ageless, immortal and indestructible Brahman. 20. In me, the ocean of unalloyed bliss, many a time arise and fall waves of the universe due to the winds of the fanciful sport of illusion (Maya). 21. I am not attached to my body just as the sky is not attached to the clouds. Hence how can I have its (i.e. the body’s) characteristics during (the stages of) waking, dreaming and deep sleep ? 22. I am always far beyond imagination like ether; I am different from it (the body) as the sun is from the objects of illumination; I am ever changeless just like the unchangeable (i.e. the Meru mountain) and, like the ocean am I limitless. 23. I am Narayana, I am the destroyer of the (demon) Naraka, I am (Siva), the destroyer of the three (aerial) cities, I am the Purusha, I am the supreme Lord; I am the indivisible consciousness, the witness of all; I am without a superior, I am devoid of ‘I-ness’ (egotism) and ‘mine-ness’ (possessiveness). 24-25. (The ascetic) shall, by the practice (of Yoga) bring together the Prana and Apana vital airs in the body. He shall place the (palms of the) two hands at the perineum, gently biting the (tip of the) tongue thrust out to the extent of a grain of barley. Similarly directing the eyes open to the extent of a blackgram seed, towards the (ether of the) ear (and the feet firmly resting) on the ground, he shall not allow the ear (to function) and the nose to smell (i.e. the five senses shall be controlled). (Thus he accomplishes the union of the Prana and Apana vital airs). 26. (Therefore the vital air passing through the Kundalini and the Susumna gets dissolved in the Sahasrarachakra at the top of the head. Then the vision, the mind, vital air and the ‘fire’ of the body reach) the seat of Siva (and get dissolved); that is Brahman; that is the transcendent Brahman. That (Brahman) will be realized by the practice (of Yoga), which is facilitated by the acquisition of practice in previous births. 27. With the (help of the) external and internal organs (the knowledge of the qualified Brahman) called effulgence, reaching the heart and supported by the vital air’s capability (to proceed upwards, goes through the Susumna Nadi) and piercing the skull at the top of the body, one realizes the indestructible (qualified Brahman). 28. Those (sages) who attain the transcendent state (through the passage) in the skull at the top of their body, do never return (to the worldly life) for they realize the lower as well as the higher (Brahman). 29. The attributes of objects seen do not affect the onlooker who is different from them. The attributes of a householder do not affect him who remains non-aligned without any mental modification, just as a lamp (which suffers no change by the objects revealed by it). 30. Let (me) the non-aligned (sage) roll in water or on the ground; I am untouched by their characteristics just as the ether (in the pot) is not affected by the attributes of the pot. 31-32. I am free (from the effect) of activities, and changes, devoid of parts and form, I am without fancies, I am eternal , I am without a support and I am devoid of duality. I am the form of all (beings), I am the all, I am beyond everything and without a second; I am the one indivisible knowledge and I am the compact bliss of the Self. 33. Seeing everywhere the Self, considering the Self as without a second, enjoying the bliss of the Self, I remain without reflections. 34. Walking, standing, sitting, lying or otherwise, the wise sage delighting in the Atman shall live as he wishes (fulfilling his duties; and on leaving the world, will attain final liberation). Thus (ends) the Upanishad. Om ! Let my limbs and speech, Prana, eyes, ears, vitality And all the senses grow in strength. All existence is the Brahman of the Upanishads. May I never deny Brahman, nor Brahman deny me. Let there be no denial at all: Let there be no denial at least from me. May the virtues that are proclaimed in the Upanishads be in me, Who am devoted to the Atman; may they reside in me. Om ! Let there be Peace in me ! Let there be Peace in my environment ! Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me ! Here ends the Kundikopanishad, included in the Sama-Veda.
kuṇḍikopaniṣatkhyātaparivrājakasaṃtatiḥ । yatra viśrāntimagamattadrāmapadamāśraye ॥ oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca ॥sarvāṇi sarvaṃ brahmopaniṣadaṃ māhaṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma nirākarodanirākaraṇamastvanirākaraṇaṃ mestu tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste mayi santu te mayi santu ॥oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥ hariḥ oṃ brahmacaryāśrame kṣīṇe guruśuśrūṣaṇe rataḥ । vedānadhītyānujñāta ucyate guruṇāśramī ॥1॥ dāramāhṛtya sadṛśamagnimādhāya śaktitaḥ । brāhmīmiṣṭiṃ yajettāsāmahorātreṇa nirvapet ॥2॥ saṃvibhajya sutānarthe grāmyakāmānvisṛjya ca । saṃcaranvanamārgeṇa śucau deśe paribhraman ॥3॥ vāyubhakṣo'mbubhakṣo vā vihitaiḥ kandamūlakaiḥ । svaśarīre samāpyātha pṛthivyāṃ nāśru pātayet ॥4॥ saha tenaiva puruṣaḥ kathaṃ saṃnyasta ucyate । sanāmadheyo yasmiṃstu kathaṃ saṃnyasta ucyate ॥5॥ tasmātphalaviśuddhāṅgī saṃnyāsaṃ saṃhitātmanām । agnivarṇaṃ viniṣkramya vānaprasthaṃ prapadyate ॥6॥ lokavadbhāryayāsakto vanaṃ gacchati saṃyataḥ । saṃtyaktvā saṃsṛtisukhamanutiṣṭhati kiṃ mudhā ॥7॥ kiṃvā duḥkhamanusmṛtya bhogāṃstyajati cocchritān । garbhavāsabhayādbhītaḥ śītoṣṇābhyāṃ tathaiva ca ॥8॥ guhyaṃ praveṣṭumicchāmi paraṃ padamanāmayamiti । saṃnyasyāgnimapunarāvartanaṃ yanmṛtyurjāyamāvahamiti ॥ athādhyātmamantrāñjapet । dīkṣāmupeyātkāṣāyavāsāḥ । kakṣopasthalomāni varjayet । ūrdhvabāhurvimuktamārgo bhavati । aniketaścarebhikṣāśī । nididhyāsanaṃ dadhyāt । pavitraṃ dhārayejjantusaṃrakṣaṇārtham । tadapi ślokā bhavanti । kuṇḍikāṃ camakaṃ śikyaṃ triviṣṭapamupānahau । śītopaghātinīṃ kanyāṃ kaupīnācchādanaṃ tathā ॥9॥ pavitraṃ snānaśāṭīṃ ca uttarāsaṅgameva ca । ato'tiriktaṃ yatkiṃcitsarvaṃ tadvarjayedyatiḥ ॥10॥ nadīpulinaśāyī syāddevāgāreṣu bāhyataḥ । nātyarthaṃ sukhaduḥkhābhyāṃ śarīramupatāpayet ॥11॥ snānaṃ pānaṃ tathā śaucamadbhiḥ pūtābhirāciret । stūyamāno na tuṣyeta nindito na śapetparān ॥12॥ bhikṣādivaidalaṃ pātraṃ snānadravyamavāritam । evaṃ vṛttimupāsīno yatendriyo japetsadā ॥13॥ viśvāya manusaṃyogaṃ manasā bhāvayetsudhīḥ । ākāśādvāyurvāyorjyotirjyotiṣa āpo'dbhyaḥ pṛthivī । eṣāṃ bhūtānāṃ brahma prapadye । ajaramamaramakṣaramavyayaṃ prapadye । mayyakhaṇḍasukhāṃbhodhau bahudhā viśvavīcayaḥ । utpadyante vilīyante māyāmārutavibhramāt ॥14॥ na me dehena saṃbandho megheneva vihāyasaḥ । ataḥ kuto me taddharmā jāgratsvapnasuṣuptiṣu ॥15॥ ākāśavatkalpavidūragoha- mādityavadbhāsyavilakṣaṇo'ham । ahāryavannityaviniścalo'ha- mambodhivatpāravivarjito'ham ॥16॥ nārāyaṇo'haṃ narakāntako'haṃ purāntako'haṃ puruṣo'hamīśaḥ । akhaṇḍabodho'hamaśeṣasākṣī nirīśvaro'haṃ nirahaṃ ca nirmamaḥ ॥17॥ tadabhyāsena prāṇāpānau saṃyamya tatra ślokā bhavanti ॥ vṛṣaṇāpānayormadhye pāṇī āsthāya saṃśrayet । saṃdaśya śanakairjihvāṃ yavamātre vinirgatām ॥18॥ māṣamātrāṃ tathā dṛṣṭiṃ śrotre sthāpya tathā bhuvi । śravaṇe nāsike gandhā yataḥ svaṃ na ca saṃśrayet ॥19॥ atha śaivapadaṃ yatra tadbrahma brahma tatparam । tadabhyāsena labhyeta pūrvajanmārjitātmanām ॥20॥ saṃbhūtairvāyusaṃśrāvairhṛdayaṃ tapa ucyate । ūrdhvaṃ prapadyate dehādbhittvā mūrdhānamavyayam ॥21॥ svadehasya tu mūrdhānaṃ ye prāpya paramāṃ gatim । bhūyaste na nivartante parāvaravido janāḥ ॥22॥ na sākṣiṇaṃ sākṣyadharmāḥ saṃspṛśanti vilakṣaṇam । avikāramudāsīnaṃ gṛhadharmāḥ pradīpavat ॥23॥ jale vāpi sthale vāpi luṭhatveṣa jaḍātmakaḥ । nāhaṃ vilipye taddharmairghaṭadharmairnabho yathā ॥24॥ niṣkriyo'smyavikāro'smi niṣkalo'smi nirākṛtiḥ । nirvikalpo'smi nityo'smi nirālambo'smi nirdvayaḥ ॥25॥ sarvātmako'haṃ sarvo'haṃ sarvātīto'hamadvayaḥ । kevalākhaṇḍabodho'haṃ svānando'haṃ nirantaraḥ ॥26॥ svameva sarvataḥ paśyanmanyamānaḥ svamadvayam । svānandamanubhuñjāno nirvikalpo bhavāmyaham ॥27॥ gacchaṃstiṣṭhannupaviśañchayāno vānyathāpi vā । yathecchayā vasedvidvānātmārāmaḥ sadā muniḥ ॥28॥ityupaniṣat ॥ oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca ॥sarvāṇi sarvaṃ brahmopaniṣadaṃ māhaṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma nirākarodanirākaraṇamastvanirākaraṇaṃ mestu tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste mayi santu te mayi santu ॥oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥ hariḥ oṃ tatsat ॥ iti kuṇḍikopaniṣatsamāptā ॥