Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 12, 13 and 14
अन्धन्तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽसम्भूतिमुपासते। ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ सम्भूत्यां रताः ॥१२॥
andhantamaḥ praviśanti ye'sambhūtimupāsate। tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u sambhūtyāṁ ratāḥ ॥12॥
[अन्ध तमः प्रविशन्ति ये असम्भूतिम् उपासते। ततः भूयः इव ते तमः यः उ सम्भूत्याम् रताः॥
अन्ध (andha) - blind; तमः (tamaḥ) - darkness; प्रविशन्ति (praviśanti) - enter; ये (ye) - those who; असम्भूतिम् (asambhūtim) - negation or denial of becoming; उपासते (upāsate) - worship; ततः (tataḥ) - than that; भूयः (bhūyaḥ) - greater; इव (iva) - as if; ते (te) - they; तमः (tamaḥ) - darkness; यः (yaḥ) - who; उ (u) - indeed; सम्भूत्याम् (sambhūtyām) - in the becoming; रताः (ratāḥ) - delight or are devoted;]
Those who worship the denial of becoming enter blinding darkness. To a greater darkness, it seems, go those who delight in the becoming.
अन्यदेवाहुः सम्भवादन्यदाहुरसम्भवात्। इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद् विचचक्षिरे ॥१३॥
anyadevāhuḥ sambhavādanyadāhurasambhavāt। iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ ye nastad vicacakṣire ॥13॥
[अन्यत् देवाः आहुः सम्भवात् अन्यत् आहुः असम्भवात्। इति शुश्रुम धीराणाम् ये नः तत् विचचक्षिरे॥
अन्यत् (anyat) - different; देवाः (devāḥ) - the wise or gods; आहुः (āhuḥ) - say; सम्भवात् (sambhavāt) - from the becoming; अन्यत् (anyat) - different; आहुः (āhuḥ) - say; असम्भवात् (asambhavāt) - from the un-becoming (non-existence); इति (iti) - thus; शुश्रुम (śuśruma) - we have heard; धीराणाम् (dhīrāṇām) - from the wise; ये (ye) - who; नः (naḥ) - to us; तत् (tat) - that; विचचक्षिरे (vicacakṣire) - have explained;
]
The wise say that one thing results from the becoming, and another from the un-becoming. Thus, we have heard from the sages who explained this to us.
सम्भूतिं च विनाशं यस्तद्वेदोभयं सह। विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा सम्भूत्याऽमृतमश्नुते ॥१४॥
sambhūtiṁ ca vināśaṁ yastadvedobhayaṁ saha। vināśena mr̥tyuṁ tīrtvā sambhūtyā'mr̥tamaśnute ॥14॥
[
सम्भूतिम् च विनाशम् यः तत् वेद उभयम्-सह। विनाशेन मृत्युम् तीर्त्वा सम्भूत्या अमृतम् अश्नुते॥
सम्भूतिम् (sambhūtim) - the manifest (creation or existence); च (ca) - and; विनाशम् (vināśam) - the unmanifest (destruction or dissolution); यः (yaḥ) - who; तत् (tat) - that; वेद (veda) - knows; उभयम् (ubhayam) - both; सह (saha) - together; विनाशेन (vināśena) - through dissolution or destruction; मृत्युम् (mṛtyum) - death; तीर्त्वा (tīrtvā) - crossing over; सम्भूत्या (sambhūtyā) - through creation or existence; अमृतम् (amṛtam) - immortality; अश्नुते (aśnute) - attains;
]
One who knows simultaneously the process of both the becoming and the un-becoming, transcends death through un-becoming, and attains immortality through the becoming.
Īśā.Bhāshya 14
A testimonial from Kurma Purana is quoted to drive the point. One who knows the instrumentality of Lord Vishnu in the process of becoming, and un-becoming, who understands the hierarchy of principles and their governing deities, and who knows Lord Vishnu as the supreme principle embodied with all auspicious qualities, is released from bondage.
एवं सृष्टिकर्तृत्वं नाङ्गीकुर्वन्ति ये हरेः। तेऽपि यान्ति तमो घोरं तथा संहारकर्तृताम्॥ नाङ्गीकुर्वन्ति तेऽप्येवं तस्मात् सर्वगुणात्मकम्। सर्वकर्तारमीशेशं सर्वसंहारकारकम्॥
evaṁ sr̥ṣṭikartr̥tvaṁ nāṅgīkurvanti ye hareḥ। te'pi yānti tamo ghoraṁ tathā saṁhārakartr̥tām॥ nāṅgīkurvanti te'pyevaṁ tasmāt sarvaguṇātmakam। sarvakartāramīśeśaṁ sarvasaṁhārakārakam॥
[एवं (evaṁ) - thus; सृष्टि (sṛṣṭi) - creation; कर्तृत्वं (kartṛtvaṁ) - authorship, role of the creator; न (na) - not; अङ्गीकुर्वन्ति (aṅgīkurvanti) - accept; ये (ye) - those who; हरेः (hareḥ) - of Hari (Lord Vishnu); ते (te) - they; अपि (api) - also; यान्ति (yānti) - go to; तमः (tamaḥ) - darkness; घोरं (ghoram) - terrible; तथा (tathā) - similarly; संहार (saṁhāra) - destruction; कर्तृताम् (kartṛtām) - the role of the destroyer; न (na) - not; अङ्गीकुर्वन्ति (aṅgīkurvanti) - accept; ते (te) - they; अपि (api) - also; एवं (evaṁ) - thus; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; सर्व (sarva) - all; गुणात्मकम् (guṇātmakam) - the one who embodies all qualities; सर्व (sarva) - all; कर्तारम् (kartāram) - the doer, creator; ईश (īśa) - lord; ईशं (īśaṁ) - the Supreme Lord; सर्व (sarva) - all; संहार (saṁhāra) - destruction; कारकम् (kārakam) - the cause or agent;]
"Thus, those who do not accept Hari's role as the creator also enter terrible darkness, as do those who reject His role as the destroyer, those who do not accept Him as the one who embodies all qualities, the creator of all, the Supreme Lord of lords, and the cause of all destruction.
यो वेद संहृतिज्ञानाद् देहबन्धाद् विमुच्यते। सुखज्ञानादिकर्तृत्वज्ञानाद् तद्व्यक्तिमाव्रजेत्॥
yo veda saṁhr̥tijñānād dehabandhād vimucyate। sukhajñānādikartr̥tvajñānād tadvyaktimāvrajet॥
[यः (yaḥ) - who; वेद (veda) - knows; संहृति (saṁhṛti) - dissolution or destruction; ज्ञानात् (jñānāt) - through knowledge; देह (deha) - body; बन्धात् (bandhāt) - from bondage; विमुच्यते (vimucyate) - is liberated; सुख (sukha) - happiness; ज्ञान (jñāna) - knowledge; आदि (ādi) - and so on; कर्तृत्व (kartṛtva) - doership, instrumentality; ज्ञानात् (jñānāt) - through the understanding of; तत् (tat) - that (Supreme); व्यक्तिम् (vyaktim) - manifestation or form; आव्रजेत् (āvrajet) – attains;]
One who knows the process of dissolution (saṁhṛti), through such knowledge, is freed from the bondage of the body, and attains knowledge and happiness through the knowledge of that supreme personality's instrumentality."
सर्वदोषविनिर्मुक्तं गुणरूपं जनार्दनम्। जानीयान्न गुणानां च भागहानिं प्रकल्पयेत्॥
sarvadoṣavinirmuktaṁ guṇarūpaṁ janārdanam। jānīyānna guṇānāṁ ca bhāgahāniṁ prakalpayet॥
[सर्व (sarva) - all; दोष (doṣa) - faults; विनिर्मुक्तम् (vinirmuktam) - free from; गुण (guṇa) - qualities; रूपम् (rūpam) - form; जनार्दनम् (janārdanam) - Janardana (a name of Lord Vishnu); जानीयात् (jānīyāt) - one should know; न (na) - not; गुणानाम् (guṇānām) - of the qualities; च (ca) - and; भाग (bhāga) - portion; हानिं (hānim) - diminution, loss; प्रकल्पयेत् (prakalpayet) - should conceive or consider;]
One should know Lord Janardana (the protector of beings), who is free from all faults and whose form consists of supreme qualities. Moreover, one should not conceive of any diminution or loss in His qualities.
न मुक्तानामपि हरेः साम्यं विष्णोरभिन्नताम्। न वै प्रचिन्तयेत् तस्माद् ब्रह्मादेः साम्यमेव वा॥
na muktānāmapi hareḥ sāmyaṁ viṣṇorabhinnatām। na vai pracintayet tasmād brahmādeḥ sāmyameva vā॥
[न (na) - not; मुक्तानाम् (muktānām) - of the liberated souls; अपि (api) - even; हरेः (hareḥ) - of Hari (Lord Vishnu); साम्यम् (sāmyaṁ) - equality; विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ) - of Vishnu; अभिन्नताम् (abhinnatām) - non-difference, identity; न (na) - not; वै (vai) - indeed; प्रचिन्तयेत् (pracintayet) - one should conceive or think of; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahma (the creator); आदेः (ādeḥ) - and others (like Shiva, etc.); साम्यम् (sāmyaṁ) - equality; एव (eva) - indeed; वा (vā) – or;]
One should not think that the liberated souls are equal to Hari or identical to Vishnu. Therefore, one should not conceive equality with Brahma or others deities either.
मानुषादिविरिञ्चान्तं तारतम्यं विमुक्तिगम्। ततो विष्णोः परोत्कर्षं सम्यग् ज्ञात्वा विमुच्यते॥
mānuṣādiviriñcāntaṁ tāratamyaṁ vimuktigam। tato viṣṇoḥ parotkarṣaṁ samyag jñātvā vimucyate॥
[मानुष (mānuṣa) - human; आदि (ādi) - and so on; beginning with; विरिञ्च (viriñca) - Brahma (the creator); आन्तं (āntaṁ) - ending with; तारतम्यम् (tāratamyam) - gradation, hierarchy; विमुक्ति (vimukti) - liberation; गम् (gam) - leading to; ततः (tataḥ) - thereafter; विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ) - of Vishnu; पर (para) - supreme; उत्कर्षम् (utkarṣam) - excellence, supremacy; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; ज्ञात्वा (jñātvā) - having known; विमुच्यते (vimucyate) - becomes liberated;]
Understanding the gradation of hierarchy starting from humans and ending with lord Brahma is the path to liberation. Thereafter, realizing the supreme excellence of Vishnu properly, one attains liberation."
इति कौर्मे ॥१२-१४॥
iti kaurme ॥12-14॥
[इति (iti) - thus; कौर्मे (kaurme) - in the Kurma Purana;]
- stated thus in the Kurma Purana.
The word 'sambhava' i.e. becoming or coming in to existence, and 'asambhūta' i.e. un-becoming, to dissolve, to go out of existence are profound metaphysical concepts. After tackling the dual aspect of epistemology, the focus here is on the metaphysical aspect of becoming and un-becoming. The process of becoming and un-becoming are identified as two distinct aspects of reality and understanding both the aspect is necessary.
