Introduction by Acharya Madhva

Īśā.Bhāshya 00

Salutations to the eternal one who sustains the permanent and the impermanent universe, to the embodiment of knowledge, to the one with complete bliss, to lord Hari who is the enjoyer of all sacrifices.

Savayambhu Manu worshipped the divine lord Vishnu by Īshavasya Upanishad mantras, as stated in Brahmānda and Bhāgavata Purāna.

॥हरिः ॐ॥

॥hariḥ oṁ॥

[॥hariḥ = lord Hari is only; oṁ = Ōm;]

Lord Hari is only Ōm!

नित्यानित्यजगद्धात्रे नित्याय ज्ञानमूर्तये। पूर्णानन्दाय हरये सर्वयज्ञभुजे नमः ॥१॥

nityānityajagaddhātre nityāya jñānamūrtaye। pūrṇānandāya haraye sarvayajñabhuje namaḥ ॥1॥

[nityānityajagaddhātre = the one who sustains (wares) the permanent and the non permanent universe; nityāya = to the eternal one; jñānamūrtaye = to the embodiment of knowledge; । pūrṇānandāya = to the one with complete bliss; haraye = to lord Hari; sarvayajñabhuje = to the enjoyer of all sacrifice; namaḥ = salutations;]

Solutions to the eternal one who sustains the permanent and the non-permanent universe, to the embodiment of knowledge, to the one with complete bliss, to lord Hari who is the enjoyer of all sacrifices.

यस्माद् ब्रह्मेन्द्ररुद्रादिदेवतानां श्रियोऽपि च। ज्ञानस्फूर्तिः सदा तस्मै हरये गुरवे नमः ॥२॥

yasmād brahmendrarudrādidevatānāṁ śriyo'pi ca। jñānasphūrtiḥ sadā tasmai haraye gurave namaḥ ॥2॥

[yasmād = who is; brahmendrarudrādidevatānāṁ = of Brahma, Indra, Rudra, and other deities; śriyo'pi = and also goddess Shri; ca = and;। jñānasphūrtiḥ = inspiration of knowledge; sadā = always; tasmai = to him; haraye = to Hari; gurave = to the teacher; namaḥ = salutations;]

I solute to that lord Hari, who is the inspiration of knowledge to Brahma, Indra, Rudra, and others, and even goddess Shri and also to my Guru.

स्वायम्भुवो मनुः एतैःमन्त्रैः भगवन्तम् आकूतिसूनुं यज्ञनामानं विष्णुं तुष्टाव।

svāyambhuvo manuḥ etaiḥmantraiḥ bhagavantam ākūtisūnuṁ yajñanāmānaṁ viṣṇuṁ tuṣṭāva।

[svāyambhuvo manuḥ = Svayambhuva Manu; etaiḥmantraiḥ = by these mantras; bhagavantam = the divine; ākūtisūnuṁ = son of Ākuti; yajñanāmānaṁ = who is called Yajna; viṣṇuṁ = that lord Vishnu; tuṣṭāva = worshipped।]

Savayambhu Manu worshipped the divine lord Vishnu, son of his daughter Ākuti, who also bears the name Yajna by these Upanishad mantras.

स्वायम्भुवः स्वदौहित्रं विष्णुं यज्ञाभिधं मनुः। ईशावास्यादिभिर् मन्त्रैः तुष्टावावहितात्मना। रक्षोभिरुग्रैः सम्प्राप्तः खादितुं मोचितस्तदा। स्तोत्रं श्रुत्वैव यज्ञेन तान् हत्वाऽवध्यतां गतान्। प्रादाद्धि भगवान् तेषाम् अवध्यत्वं हरः प्रभुः। तैर्वध्यत्वं तथाऽन्येषाम् अतः कोऽन्यो हरेः प्रभुः॥

svāyambhuvaḥ svadauhitraṁ viṣṇuṁ yajñābhidhaṁ manuḥ। īśāvāsyādibhir mantraiḥ tuṣṭāvāvahitātmanā। rakṣobhirugraiḥ samprāptaḥ khādituṁ mocitastadā। stotraṁ śrutvaiva yajñena tān hatvā'vadhyatāṁ gatān। prādāddhi bhagavān teṣām avadhyatvaṁ haraḥ prabhuḥ। tairvadhyatvaṁ tathā'nyeṣām ataḥ ko'nyo hareḥ prabhuḥ॥

[स्वायम्भुवः (svāyambhuvaḥ) - self-existent or self-born; स्वदौहित्रम् (svadauhitram) - his own daughter विष्णुं (viṣṇum) - lord Vishnu; यज्ञाभिधं (yajñābhidhaṁ) - known as Yajna; मनुः (manuḥ) - Manu (a progenitor of humanity); ईशावास्यादिभिः (īśāvāsyādibhiḥ) - with mantras like the Isha Upanishad; मन्त्रैः (mantraiḥ) - by mantras; तुष्टाव (tuṣṭāva) - worshipped or praised; आवहितात्मना (āvahitātmanā) - with a concentrated mind; रक्षोभिः (rakṣobhiḥ) - by demons or evil spirits; उग्रैः (ugraiḥ) - fierce or terrible; सम्प्राप्तः (samprāptaḥ) - arrived or approached; खादितुं (khāditum) - to devour; मोचितः (mochitaḥ) - released or freed; तदा (tadā) - then; स्तोत्रं (stotraṁ) - hymn or praise; श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - having heard; एव (eva) - indeed; यज्ञेन (yajñena) - by the sacrifice; तान् (tān) - them; हत्वा (hatvā) - having killed; अवध्यतां (avadhyatāṁ) - immortality; गतान् (gatān) - attained; प्रादात् (prādāt) - granted or gave; हि (hi) - indeed; भगवान् (bhagavān) - the divine Lord; तेषाम् (teṣām) - to them; अवध्यत्वं (avadhyatvaṁ) - immortality; हरः (haraḥ) - Lord Shiva; प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - the master; तैः (taiḥ) - by them; वध्यत्वं (vadhyatvaṁ) - mortality; तथा (tathā) - similarly; अन्येषाम् (anyeṣām) - of others; अतः (ataḥ) - therefore; कः (kaḥ) - who; अन्यः (anyaḥ) - other; हरेः (hareḥ) - of Lord Hai; प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - the master; ]

"Manu, the self-existent, worshipped with a concentrated mind, his own daughter son lord Vishnu, known as Yajna, with mantras like the Isha Upanishad. Then, he was approached by fierce demons to devour. Having heard the hymn, the divine Lord granted Manu immortality after killing the demons by the sacrifice. Indeed, it is Lord Shiva, who gave those daemons immortality. Who else other than lord Hari, the master of Lord Shiva can grant mortality to them?"

इति ब्रह्माण्डे।

iti brahmāṇḍe।

[iti brahmāṇḍe = stated thus in Brahmanda Purana]

- stated thus in Brahmānda Purāna.

भागवते च अयमेव अर्थ उक्तः॥

bhāgavate ca ayameva artha uktaḥ॥

[भागवते (bhāgavate) - in the Bhagavata Purana; च (cha) - and/ as well; अयम् (ayam) - this; एव (eva) - indeed; अर्थः (arthaḥ) - meaning or interpretation; उक्तः (uktaḥ) - stated or mentioned;]

This very meaning is stated in the Bhagavata Purana as well.