- Introduction by Acharya Madhva
Bhā.:
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.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 01
īśāvāsyamidaṁ sarvaṁ yatkiñca jagatyāṁ jagat। tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ mā gr̥dhaḥ kasyasvid dhanam॥1॥
Everything that exists in this ever-changing universe belongs to the Lord. Enjoy that which is given by Him, and do not covet the wealth of others.
Bhā.:
This universe is incapable of engaging in action on its own, hence, it belongs to the Lord. Therefore, one should enjoy only what is given.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 02
kurvanneveha karmāṇi jijīviṣet śataṁ samāḥ। evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto'sti na karma lipyate nare ॥2॥
Certainly, one should aspire to live here for a hundred years, performing prescribed deeds. By doing so, the defects of actions do not touch the person, and there is no other way.
Bhā.:
There is no governing principle that states sin will not come to one who disengages from action. Even non performance of activities, at times, are defective. Hence, it is always better to perform rightful actions.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 03
asuryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasā'vr̥tāḥ। tān te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātmahano janāḥ ॥3॥
Those worlds named 'Asura', i.e. demoniacal, are enveloped in the darkness of ignorance. Those killers of the self (i.e. those who do not take authentic honest actions), attain them after death.
Bhā.:
'Asurya' - having the nature to delight in that which is contrary to good. Also, it is opposite of 'sura', i.e. gods. Thus it means those who turn away from lord Hari.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 04
anejadekaṁ manaso javīyo nainaddevā āpnuvan pūrvamarṣat। taddhāvato'nyānatyeti tiṣṭhattasminnapo mātariśvā dadhāti ॥4॥
Though Unmoved, That-One moves swifter than the mind. Even gods have not attained Him having limited knowledge. Standing still, He runs and surpasses others. In Him, Wind god gives water offering.
Bhā.:
In the Brahmananda Purana, there is a reference that elaborates on this verse, glorifying Lord Hari as 'tadekam', i.e. That One . The root 'r̥ṣa' in the word 'arṣat' indicates knowledge.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 05
tadejati tannejati taddūre tadvantike। tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasya bāhyataḥ ॥5॥
That moves yet moves not, that is faraway yet nearby, and that is inside of everything yet also outside of everything.
Bhā.:
The principle 'that' refers to lord Hari is clarified by the 'tattvasaṁhitāyām' testimonial. The word 'tadejati' is used to mean that alone moves, which also implies others on their own are incapable of movement.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 06
yastu sarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmanyevānu paśyati। sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṁ tato na vijugupsate ॥6॥
Whoever, indeed, perceives all beings in the supreme self, and the supreme self in every being, such a person does not try to protect himself, and does not despise.
Bhā.:
The word 'ātma' here refers to supreme essence. The word 'vijugupsate' indicates without fear. Vedic testimonial from 'saukarāyaṇa' is quoted to substantiate the traditional understanding.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 07
yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ। tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śokaḥ ekatvamanu paśyataḥ ॥7॥
He who understands the supreme lord, in whom all beings existed, in whom alone they take shelter, for such a person who perceives that one lord (principle) in all beings, where is delusion, where is grief?
Bhā.:
He is the supreme lord, in whom all beings exist. The verse conveys the omnipresent attribute of the lord. A reference is given to Pippalāda vedic testimonial, where the concept is reiterated, providing the hermeneutical context.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 08
sa paryagāt śukramakāyamavraṇam asnāviraṁ śuddhamapāpaviddham। kavirmanīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūḥ yāthātathyato'rthān vyadadhāt śāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ ॥8॥
He is the all pervading, without misery, undecaying, without gross body, pure, untouched by sin, omniscient, wise, omnipresent, self-existent. He manifests the eternally existing reality as it is, impartially.
Bhā.:
A reference is provided from Varaha Purāna which explains the current verse providing hermeneutic context to the words used.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 09, 10, and 11
andhantamaḥ praviśanti ye'vidyāmupāsate। tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ ॥9॥
Those who practice negative-knowledge (negations) enter deep darkness, but those who are engrossed only in positive-knowledge (affirmations) also go to further darkness.
anyadevā'hurvidyayā anyadāhuravidyayā। iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ ye nastadvicacakṣire ॥10॥
'Positive-knowledge (affirmations) is different from that of negative-knowledge (negations)' - thus we have heard from the wise who do not have distorted insight.
vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yastadvedobhayaṁ saha। avidyayā mr̥tyuṁ tīrtvā vidyayā'mr̥tamaśnute ॥11॥
He who knows both the positive-knowledge (affirmations) and negative-knowledge (negations) together, by knowing wrong understanding, crosses over death, and by having right-understanding, attains immortality.
Bhā.:
The wise with right insight have both positive-knowledge (affirmations) and also negative-knowledge (negations). Having only one type of knowledge will not lead to the goal. One must overcome fear by negative-knowledge and attain happiness through positive-knowledge.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 12, 13 and 14
andhantamaḥ praviśanti ye'sambhūtimupāsate। tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u sambhūtyāṁ ratāḥ ॥12॥
Those who worship the denial of becoming enter blinding darkness. To a greater darkness, it seems, go those who delight in the becoming.
anyadevāhuḥ sambhavādanyadāhurasambhavāt। iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ ye nastad vicacakṣire ॥13॥
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.
sambhūtiṁ ca vināśaṁ yastadvedobhayaṁ saha। vināśena mr̥tyuṁ tīrtvā sambhūtyā'mr̥tamaśnute ॥14॥
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.
Bhā.:
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.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19
hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham। tat tvaṁ pūṣannapāvr̥ṇu satyadharmāya dr̥ṣṭaye ॥15॥
The face of truth, i.e. reality, is covered by a golden vessel; O Pūṣan, uncover it for the seer who follows the path of truth and dharma to see.
pūṣannekarṣe yama sūrya prājāpatya vyūha raśmīn। samūha tejo yattte rūpaṁ kalyāṇatamaṁ tattte paśyāmi ॥16॥
O Pūṣan, the object to be known, the governer of universe, the goal of the seers, the one who is specially known by the father of beings - withdraw your rays, gather your brilliance, so that I may behold that most auspicious form of yours.
yo'sāvasau puruṣaḥ so'hamasmi ॥17॥ vāyuranilamamr̥tamathedaṁ bhasmāntaṁ śarīram ॥18॥ oṁ krato smara kr̥taṁ smara। oṁ krato smara kr̥taṁ smara ॥19॥
That Supreme Person is 'asau', one who is established and supports the life force, 'aham', the inseperable, and 'asmi', the one who is always stationed and dwells in all living beings. As you are ever stationed, this life force 'Anila' is immortal, while this body ends in ashes. Oh ever concious Supreme Brahman, remembering my deeds be gracious! Oh ever concious Supreme Brahman, remembering my deeds be gracious!
Bhā.:
Testimonials from Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, Rāma Saṁhita, and Brahma-tarka are quoted to provide the meaning of some of the complex words to be understood in the context, as their meanings have changed with passage of time.
'hiraṇmayena pātra' - solar orb that covers the ultimate truth; 'Pūṣan' - Lord who is complete in all aspects; 'ekaṛṣiḥ' - the primary object to be known; 'Yama' - governor of the universe and has the power to take away sins; 'Sūrya' - the ultimate goal of seers; 'prājāpatyaḥ' - is specially known by the 'prajāpate', i.e. the father of all beings, i.e. Lord Brahma; 'asau' - is established in the life force, i.e. prāṇa; 'ahaṁ' - the inseparable one; 'asmi' - is always stationed and dwells in all living beings; 'satyadharmā' - the one who wares the truth in His heart; 'Anila' - that immortal life force, in whom Brahman alone rests.
The remembrance of lord Viṣṇu by devotees is of the very nature of eternal awareness. His readiness to bestow grace is not considered to arise from anything else, anywhere.
- Īśāvāsyopaniṣat 20
agne naya supathā rāye asmān viśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān। yuyodhyasmajjuhurāṇameno bhūyiṣṭhāṁ te nama uktiṁ vidhema ॥20॥
O Agni, lead us by the good path to prosperity; O divine one, you know all the ways of righteousness. Remove from us the crooked sin. To you we offer our fullest reverent words of praise.
Bhā.:
'vayunam' - knowledge or understanding; 'juhurāṇam' - harmful forces diminishes us; 'yuyodhi' - disconnect, disjoin or liberate; 'vidhema' - the abundant offering made with devotion and knowledge;
