Isaavaasya Upanishad

Introduction:

This Upanishad starts with the phrase: ‘Isavaasyam itham sarvam’. Hence it obtains the name
Isavaasya Upanishad. It is also popularly called as the ‘Isa Upanishad’. This forms the fortieth
chapter in the vajaneya samhita of Sukla-Yajur Veda. Because of this reason, it is also called as
the ‘Sukla Yajur vediya samhita Upanishad’ and as the ‘vajasaneyi samhita Upanishad’.

The rishi or the sage of this Upanishad is ‘Datyang aadarvanar’. His son, who is leading a normal
worldly life (and not a monastic one) approaches the sage for advices on knowledge of the self.
The sage, observing that his son has complete control over all the desires and that he is following
all the duties and dharmas cast on him by the religious doctrines and also that he is a true
aspirant of liberation and dedicated to the cause by complete surrender, teaches his son about the
knowledge of the Self.

The Upanishad:

Om ! That (world) is a complete whole. This (world) too is a complete whole. From the complete
whole only, the (other) complete whole rose. Even after removing the complete whole from the
(other) complete whole, still the complete whole remains unaltered and undisturbed.

Om Shanti ! Shanti ! Shanti !

Om ! In this material world full of things that appear and disappear (now and then), one should
perceive and understand that even such worldly transitory things are filled in with the presence
of Lord. (iisavaasyam itham sarvam – God pervades everything in this world). By so perceiving
and feeling that, one can protect him from the (otherwise never-relieving) bond of karma. One
should also convince him that he has been provided by the Lord with all the things necessary for
his existence. With that sort of contentment, one should try to avoid being greedy or jealous
about others or others’ riches.

The one, who adores the worldly life, let him continue with all the duties he has to perform and
anticipate living for a hundred years. That is his only way to liberation. There is no other path for
him except this one in which he should accomplish his duties without any sort of attachment.

Those who commit suicide go to the other worlds (after their death), which are covered by utter
blinding darkness and are the living places of demons.

The Atma (or the Soul) is without any activity, any movement, is only a united whole, and is
faster than the manas (or the mind). The Devas who reside in the indriyaas (or the parts of the
body) were not able to reach it since it is already beyond them. The Atma remains still and yet
crosses those, which are moving and running. In that the Vayu (the Wind God) remains and
handles all other activities of the body.

That (the Atma) is moving; and yet it is unmoving; that is far behind; and yet it is very close; that
is present within all; and yet it is outside of all.

That one, who is able to visualize the presence of Atma in all other moving things and even
creatures and is able to visualize the presence of all such things within the Atma, never gets
angry and he never hates anything in life.

When he has identified the unison between all the moving things (incl. creatures) and the Atma,
where is the question of him getting in to delusion or sorrow (or a sleep or dizziness driven by
any of these)?

That Atma is present everywhere, He is all pervading, is bright and luminous as the sun, is
without a body (incorporeal), is not affected by anything, is without nerves, is pure, and is
sinless. He is the knower of all, is the ruler of the mind, is self-made and has transcended
everything else. He is the one who has organized all the material objects to be available for a
specific time frame.

Those who tread the path of worldly life (karma or avidyaa) get in to the blinding darkness of
this materialistic life (samsaara). Those who desire only the vidyaa (and not the actual
performance) of worshipping Gods or Goddesses in different forms, known as upaasana, will be
entering in to increased darkness than the former.

What we get from vidyaa is different; and what we get from treading the path of avidyaa is
different; - so have we heard from the wise men who have explained the truth elaborately. (The
hidden meaning is that by following avidyaa – one attains pithru lokaa after death, whilst the one
following vidyaa attains devalokaa).

The one who learns and adopts not only vidyaa but also avidyaa and practices the same, he
overcomes death by avidyaa (by the performance of the karma laid down for him) and attains
immortality by vidyaa (by the performance of upaasana – the worship of Gods). (To be
understood that this one succeeds by following the principle of non-attachment to either of these
paths and he simply performs the duties therein and leave the results to the Supreme Being.)

Those who advocate (and follow) the philosophy of not becoming one (with the Atma), they
enter in to darkness; those who desire (and follow) the philosophy of becoming one (with the
Atma) enter in to increased blinding darkness than the former.

What we get from becoming one is different; and what we get from not becoming one is
different; - so have we heard from the wise men who have explained the truth elaborately.

That one who desires and practices not only the principle of not becoming one but also that of
becoming one, he overcomes death by becoming one and attains immortality by following the
principle of not becoming one.

O Sun God! (representing the God in general) The luminous and attractive face of truth is hidden
by a golden disc. Unveil it for my vision (the one who is in search of truth).
O Sun God! The son of Brahma (the creator of the Universe)! The one who enlivens the World
and protects it! The one who has transcended all and moving in your own path! The controller of
all! I pray to thou to shrink your rays into yourself and to digest the light pouring out of it so that
I can see your pure, lovely, true form. Whoever is the one residing here (the Surya-Mandala, or
the place of Sun God), I am Him. (The last sentence is about identifying oneself with the God).

Let this life breath of mine attain the realm of immortal breath. And let this body be burnt into
ashes. O God, who is in the form of (among others) Agni (the Fire-God) and who is in the
Omkaara swarupa, kindly think of me and of those that were done by me. O God, who is in the
form of Agni (among others), kindly think of me and of those that were done by me. (Basically
praying to the God to remember about oneself and of the good deeds performed by one during
his life)

O Agni, we pray to thou to please lead us in the right path for us to enjoy the wealth that has
been accumulated on account of the good deeds we performed. O Deva, thou knows all our
thoughts. We pray to thou to destroy our hidden desires of committing deceitful sins. We pray to
you for the above by offering enough prayers.

Om ! That (world) is a complete whole. This (world) too is a complete whole. From the complete
whole only, the (other) complete whole rose. Even after removing the complete whole from the
(other) complete whole, still the complete whole remains unaltered and undisturbed.

Om Shanti ! Shanti ! Shanti