Muṇḍaka literally means a razor, or one with shaven head, i.e., a Sannyāsin. The Upanishad is so called probably for two reasons; first, because it cleanses the soul by destroying all its super-imposed ignorance, even as a razor shaves the head; secondly, because it strongly advocates the Sannyāsa life in preference to the house-holder’s. It belongs to the group of Upanishads attached to the Atharva