Eesavasyopanishad (Ishopanishad)

īśāvāsyōpaniṣad, also known as Isha Upanishad, is a brief but extraordinarily dense Upanishad belonging to the Shukla Yajurveda, traditionally placed as the fortieth chapter of the Vajasaneyi Samhita. It begins with the famous vision that all this moving universe is pervaded by the Lord, and it teaches a life of renunciation, duty, knowledge, and inner wholeness.

The Upanishad's opening peace mantra, pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidam, gives the philosophical key: the Whole does not become less by manifesting the whole universe. From that vision, the text addresses how to live: enjoy through renunciation, act without bondage, see the Self in all beings, and avoid one-sided attachment to ignorance, knowledge, manifestation, or non-manifestation.

ō-mpūrṇa̠mada̠ḥ pūrṇa̠mida̠-mpūrṇā̠tpūrṇa̠muda̠chyatē ।
pūrṇa̠sya pūrṇa̠mādā̠ya pūrṇa̠mēvāvaśi̠ṣyatē ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The peace mantra declares fullness as the source, the manifestation, and what remains after manifestation; nothing can diminish the Whole.

ōṃ śānti̠-śśānti̠-śśānti̍ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The second peace recitation repeats the prayer for wholeness and removal of obstacles before and after the Upanishadic teaching.

ōṃ ī̠śā vā̠sya̍mi̠dagṃ sarva̠ṃ yatkiñcha̠ jaga̍tvā̠-ñjaga̍t ।
tēna̍ tya̠ktēna̍ bhuñjīthā̠ mā gṛ̍dhaḥ̠ kasya̍svi̠ddhanam̎ ॥ 1 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
All this moving universe is pervaded by the Lord; therefore one should live through renunciation and not covet another's wealth.

ku̠rvannē̠vēha karmā̎ṇi jijīvi̠ṣēchcha̠tagṃ samā̎ḥ ।
ē̠va-ntvayi̠ nānyathē̠tō̎-'sti̠ na karma̍ lipyatē̍ narē̎ ॥ 2 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
By performing one's duties here without attachment, one may wish to live a full life, for action does not bind when done in this spirit.

a̠su̠ryā̠ nāma̠ tē lō̠kā a̠ndhēna̠ tama̠sā-''vṛ̍tāḥ ।
tāgṃstē prētyā̠bhiga̍chChanti̠ yē kē chā̎tma̠hanō̠ janā̎ḥ ॥ 3 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Those who destroy the Self through ignorance enter dark worlds covered by blindness after death.

anē̎ja̠dēka̠-mmana̍sō̠ javī̎yō̠ naina̍ddē̠vā ā̎pnuva̠npūrva̠marṣa̍t ।
taddhāva̍tō̠-'nyānatyē̎ti̠ tiṣṭha̠ttasmin̎na̠pō mā̎ta̠riśvā̎ dadhāti ॥ 4 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The Self is unmoving, one, swifter than mind, beyond the gods and senses, yet sustaining the cosmic powers.

tadē̎jati̠ tannēja̍ti̠ taddū̠rē tadva̍nti̠kē ।
tada̠ntara̍sya̠ sarva̍sya̠ tadu̠ sarva̍syāsya bāhya̠taḥ ॥ 5 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
That reality moves and does not move; it is far and near, within everything and outside everything.

yastu sarvā̎ṇi bhū̠tānyā̠tmanyē̠vānu̠paśya̍ti ।
sa̠rva̠bhū̠tēṣu̍ chā̠tmāna̠-ntatō̠ na vihu̍gupsatē ॥ 6 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
One who sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings does not hate or shrink from anyone.

yasmi̠nsarvā̎ṇi bhū̠tānyā̠tmaivābhū̎dvijāna̠taḥ ।
tatra̠ kō mōha̠ḥ ka-śśōka̍ḥ ēka̠tvama̍nu̠paśya̍taḥ ॥ 7 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
For the knower to whom all beings have become the Self, delusion and sorrow disappear because oneness is seen.

sa parya̍gāchchu̠krama̍kā̠yama̍vraṇa̠ma̍snāvi̠ragṃ śu̠ddhamapā̎paviddham ।
ka̠virma̍nī̠ṣī pa̍ri̠bhū-ssva̍ya̠mbhū-ryā̎thātathya̠tō-'rthā̠n
vya̍dadhāchChāśva̠tībhya̠-ssamā̎bhyaḥ ॥ 8 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The Self is all-pervading, radiant, bodiless, woundless, pure, untouched by evil, wise, self-existent, and the ordainer of reality.

a̠ndha-ntama̠ḥ pravi̍śanti̠ yē-'vi̍dyāmu̠pāsa̍tē ।
tatō̠ bhūya̍ iva̠ tē tamō̠ ya u̍ vi̠dyāyā̎gṃ ra̠tāḥ ॥ 9 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Those attached only to ignorance enter darkness; those attached only to knowledge in a one-sided way enter an even subtler darkness.

a̠nyadē̠vāyuri̠dyayā̠-'nyadā̎hu̠ravi̍dyayā ।
iti̍ śuśuma̠ dhīrā̎ṇā̠ṃ yē na̠stadvi̍chachakṣi̠rē ॥ 10 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The wise have taught that knowledge and ignorance lead to different results; both must be understood in their proper place.

vi̠dyā-ñchāvi̍dyā-ñcha̠ yastadvēdō̠bhaya̍gṃ sa̠ha ।
avi̍dyayā mṛ̠tyu-ntī̠rtvā vi̠dyayā-'mṛta̍maśnutē ॥ 11 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Knowing knowledge and ignorance together, one crosses death through the appropriate means and attains immortality through knowledge.

a̠ndha-ntama̠ḥ pravi̍śanti̠ yē-'sam̎bhūtimu̠pāsa̍tē ।
tatō̠ bhūya̍ iva̠ tē tamō̠ ya u̠ sambhū̎tyāgṃ ra̠tāḥ ॥ 12 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Those attached only to the unmanifest enter darkness; those attached only to manifestation enter an even subtler darkness.

a̠nyadē̠vāhu-ssam̎bha̠vāda̠nyadā̎hu̠rasam̎bhavāt ।
iti̍ śuśruma̠ dhīrā̎ṇā̠ṃ yē na̠stadvi̍chachakṣi̠rē ॥ 13 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The wise have taught distinct results from manifestation and non-manifestation, so both must be understood without confusion.

sambhū̎ti-ñcha viṇā̠śa-ñcha̠ yastadvēdō̠bhaya̍gṃ sa̠ha ।
vi̠nā̠śēna̍ mṛ̠tyu-ntī̠rtvā sambhū̎tyā̠-'mṛta̍maśnutē ॥ 14 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Knowing manifestation and dissolution together, one crosses death through dissolution and attains immortality through the manifested support.

hi̠ra̠ṇmayē̎na̠ pātrē̎ṇa sa̠tyasyāpi̍hita̠-mmukham̎ ।
tatva-mpū̎ṣa̠nnapāvṛ̍ṇu sa̠tyadha̎rmāya dṛ̠ṣṭayē̎ ॥ 15 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The seeker prays to the Sun to remove the golden covering that hides the face of truth, so the follower of truth may see it.

pūṣa̍nnēkarṣē yama sūrya̠ prājā̎patya̠ vyū̎ha ra̠śmīn
samū̎ha̠ tējō̠ yattē̎ rū̠pa-ṅkalyā̎ṇatama̠-ntattē̎ paśyāmi ।
yō̠-'sāva̠sau puru̍ṣa̠-ssō̠-'hama̍smi ॥ 16 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The seeker asks the Sun to gather its rays, reveal the most auspicious form, and recognizes the purusha there as the same Self.

vā̠yurani̍lama̠mṛta̠mathēda-mbhasmā̎nta̠g̠ṃ śarī̍ram ।
ōṃ 3 kratō̠ smara̍ kṛ̠tagṃ sma̍ra̠ kratō̠ smara̍ kṛ̠tagṃ sma̍ra ॥ 17 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
As the body returns to ash and the life-breath to the immortal air, the seeker asks the will to remember what has been done.

agnē̠ naya̍ su̠pathā̎ rā̠yē a̠smān viśvā̍ni dēva va̠yanā̍ni vi̠dvān ।
yu̠yō̠dhya̠smajju̍hurā̠ṇamēnō̠ bhūyi̍ṣṭā-ntē̠ nama̍uktiṃ vidhēma ॥ 18 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The final prayer asks Agni to lead by the good path, remove crooked sin, and receive repeated salutations.

ō-mpūrṇa̠mada̠ḥ pūrṇa̠mida̠-mpūrṇā̠tpūrṇa̠muda̠chyatē ।
pūrṇa̠sya pūrṇa̠mādā̠ya pūrṇa̠mēvāvaśi̠ṣyatē ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The peace mantra closes by returning to the same vision of fullness.

ōṃ śānti̠-śśānti̠-śśānti̍ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The final peace invocation seals the recitation with a prayer for peace at all levels.

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