Isha Upanishad
Encyclopedia
The Isha Upanishad is one of the shortest of the Upanishads, consisting of 17 or 18 verses in total; like other core texts of the vedanta
, it is considered revealed scripture (Śruti
) by diverse traditions within Hinduism
. The name of the text derives from the incipit, , "by the Lord (Isha
)".
The Upanishad constitutes the final chapter (adhyāya) of the Shukla Yajurveda, but is historically one of the latest of the principal (mukhya) Upanishads, dating approximately to Mauryan times.
The short text covers a wide spectrum of philosophy
, religion
, ritualism and metaphysics.
The Isha Upanishad is significant amongst the Upanishads for its description of the nature of the supreme being (Ish
). It presents a monist or non-dual perspective of the universe, in that it describes this being as "unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated" (verse 8), one who "moves and does not move', who is 'far away, but very near as well'" and who "although fixed in His abode is swifter than the mind" (verses 4 & 5).
The text then asserts the oneness of the supreme self;
and asks;
The later verses take the form of a series of prayers requesting that the speaker be able to see past the supreme light or effulgence in order to understand the true nature of the Supreme Lord.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi thought so highly of this text that he remarked, "If all the Upanishads and all the other scriptures happened all of a sudden to be reduced to ashes, and if only the first verse in the Ishopanishad were left in the memory of the Hindus, Hinduism would live for ever." The shloka Mahatma Gandhi was referring to is as follows.
"This world and everything in this world is all filled by the all pervading Brahman (...Remembering this,) savor the world with renunciation and do not greed upon anyone's wealth."
s of the Shukla Yajurveda (called VSM and VSK) the order of verses 1–8 is the same, however VSK verses 9–14 correspond to VSM verses 12, 13, 14, 9, 10, 11. VSM 17 is a variation of VSK 15, VSK 16 is lacking in VSM, and VSK 17–18 correspond to VSM 15–16. The verse numbers used elsewhere in this article refer to VSK :
Verse 18 is a Rigvedic verse (RV 1.189.1) invoking Agni
.
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
, it is considered revealed scripture (Śruti
Sruti
' , often spelled shruti or shruthi, is a term that describes the sacred texts comprising the central canon of Hinduism and is one of the three main sources of dharma and therefore is also influential within Hindu Law...
) by diverse traditions within Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. The name of the text derives from the incipit, , "by the Lord (Isha
Ishvara
Ishvara is a philosophical concept in Hinduism, meaning controller or the Supreme controller in a theistic school of thought or the Supreme Being, or as an Ishta-deva of monistic thought.-Etymology:...
)".
The Upanishad constitutes the final chapter (adhyāya) of the Shukla Yajurveda, but is historically one of the latest of the principal (mukhya) Upanishads, dating approximately to Mauryan times.
The short text covers a wide spectrum of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, ritualism and metaphysics.
The Supreme
Ishvara
Ishvara is a philosophical concept in Hinduism, meaning controller or the Supreme controller in a theistic school of thought or the Supreme Being, or as an Ishta-deva of monistic thought.-Etymology:...
). It presents a monist or non-dual perspective of the universe, in that it describes this being as "unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated" (verse 8), one who "moves and does not move', who is 'far away, but very near as well'" and who "although fixed in His abode is swifter than the mind" (verses 4 & 5).
The text then asserts the oneness of the supreme self;
- "For the enlightened one all that exists is nothing but the Self"
and asks;
- "So how could any delusion or suffering continue for those who know this oneness?"
The later verses take the form of a series of prayers requesting that the speaker be able to see past the supreme light or effulgence in order to understand the true nature of the Supreme Lord.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi thought so highly of this text that he remarked, "If all the Upanishads and all the other scriptures happened all of a sudden to be reduced to ashes, and if only the first verse in the Ishopanishad were left in the memory of the Hindus, Hinduism would live for ever." The shloka Mahatma Gandhi was referring to is as follows.
"This world and everything in this world is all filled by the all pervading Brahman (...Remembering this,) savor the world with renunciation and do not greed upon anyone's wealth."
Text
In the two shakhaShakha
A shakha , is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school. An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a ...
s of the Shukla Yajurveda (called VSM and VSK) the order of verses 1–8 is the same, however VSK verses 9–14 correspond to VSM verses 12, 13, 14, 9, 10, 11. VSM 17 is a variation of VSK 15, VSK 16 is lacking in VSM, and VSK 17–18 correspond to VSM 15–16. The verse numbers used elsewhere in this article refer to VSK :
| VSK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| VSM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 11 | (17) | – | 15 | 16 |
Verse 18 is a Rigvedic verse (RV 1.189.1) invoking Agni
Agni
Agni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
.
Literature
- A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, , The Bhaktivedanta Book TrustBhaktivedanta Book Trustthumb|300px|Books of BBTThe Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is the world's largest publisher of books concerning Krishna and the philosophy, religion, and culture of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of India . It was established in 1972 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of the...
, 1969. - Sri AurobindoSri AurobindoSri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
, The Upanishads http://www.sriaurobindoashram.info/Contents.aspx?ParentCategoryName=_StaticContent/SriAurobindoAshram/-09%20E-Library/-01%20Works%20of%20Sri%20Aurobindo/-12_The%20Upanishad_Volume-12. Sri Aurobindo AshramSri Aurobindo AshramThe Sri Aurobindo Ashram was founded by Sri Aurobindo on the 24 November 1926 . At the time there were no more than 24 disciples in the Ashram...
, Pondicherry. 1972. - S. Radhakrishnan. The Principal UpanishadsThe Principal Upanishads (book)The Principal Upanishads is a 1953 book written by philosopher and erstwhile President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , about the main Upanishads, which carry central teachings of the Vedanta. Originally published in 1953 by Harper, the book has been republished several times...
. George Allen and Unwin Ltd. New York. 1969. - Swami Gambhirananda, Eight Upanishads, Vol.1. with the commentary of Shankaracharya. Tr. Advaita AshramaAdvaita AshramaAdvaita Ashrama, Mayavati, is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math, founded on 19 March 1899 at the behest of Swami Vivekananda, by his disciples Captain James Henry Sevier and Mrs Charlotte Sevier. Today it is entrusted with the propagation of original writings of Swami Vivekananda...
, Calcutta, 2nd edn. 1989. - Albrecht WeberAlbrecht WeberAlbrecht Friedrich Weber was a German Indologist and historian.He was born in Breslau, where his father was a Professor of Political Economy. He studied in that town, Bonn, and in Berlin, 1842-1845, busying himself especially with literature and Sanskrit archaeology. He received a doctor's degree...
, The History of Indian Literature (1878). - N.Srinivasagopalan, Isa Upanisad Revisited,Oupanisada Publications, 16, Vayupuri, Secunderabad 500 094. 2004 ISBN 978-81-7525-831-0 The Subtitle is 'The Recipe for an Enlightened and Joyful Life of High Effectiveness and All-round success'
- Sri Aurobindo, Isha Upanisad, Sri Aurobindo Asram, Pondicherry. 1986
- Swami Satyananda Saraswati,Ishavasya Upanishad,Bihar School of Yoga, Monghyr, Bihar, India.1973
- Sri Ganapati Sachchidanada Swamiji, Sri Sachchidananda Avadh00ta Datta Peetham, Mysore. 1992
External links
- Text in Sanskrit/Devanagari on wikisource.org
- Isha Upanishad Text in Sanskrit/Devanagari with commentary by Swami Dayanand Saraswati
- Isha Upanishad Sri Aurobindo on Isha upanishad.
- GRETIL etext
- by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
- translation and commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
- Isha Upanishad translation and commentary by Swami Paramananda
- Isa Upanishad A translation by Swami Nikhilananda
- Isha Upanishad as Shukla Yajurveda Adhyaya 40 (White Yajurveda Chapter 40) A translation by Ralph T.H. Griffith, 1899
- Isa Upanishad Gujarati translation and commentary by Yogeshwarji
- Isa Upanishad translation by Max MüllerMax MüllerFriedrich Max Müller , more regularly known as Max Müller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion...
- Isha Upanishad translation by Sri Aurobindo GoshSri AurobindoSri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
, 1910.
Also see this. Similar to the previous, but with slight grammatical variations. - Isha Upanishad Commentary by Sri Aurobindo GoshSri AurobindoSri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
- Isha Upanishad Commentary by Dr. CS Shah
- Isha Upanishad translation and commentary by P.K. Hari Hara Subramanian.
- Isha Upanishad translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Frederick Manchester.
- Isha Upanishad Invocation Translations Several translations of Purna, the Isha Upanishad Invocation.