Sri Aurobindo's definitive interpretation of the Upanishad including translations of and commentaries on the Isha Upanishad.
On Upanishad
Translations of and commentaries on the Isha Upanishad. The volume is divided into two parts: (1) Sri Aurobindo's final translation and analysis of the Isha Upanishad. This small work contains his definitive interpretation of the Upanishad. It is the only writing in this volume published during his lifetime; (2) ten incomplete commentaries on the Isha. Ranging from a few pages to more than a hundred, these commentaries show the development of his interpretation of this Upanishad from around 1900 to the middle of 1914.
THEME/S
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत् किञ्च जगत्यां जगत् । तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद् धनम् ॥१॥
1) All this is for habitation1 by the Lord, whatsoever is individual universe of movement in the universal motion. By that renounced thou shouldst enjoy; lust not after any man's possession.
कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः । एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥२॥
2) Doing verily2 works in this world one should wish to live a hundred years. Thus it is in thee and not otherwise than this; action cleaves not to a man.3
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असूर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसावृताः । तांस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः ॥३॥
3) Sunless4 are those worlds and enveloped in blind gloom whereto all they in their passing hence resort who are slayers of their souls.
अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद् देवा आप्नुवन् पूर्वमर्षत् । तद् धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत् तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥४॥
4) One unmoving that is swifter than Mind, That the Gods reach not, for It progresses ever in front. That, standing, passes beyond others as they run. In That the Master of Life5 establishes the Waters.6
तदेजति तन्नैजति तद् दूरे तद्वन्तिके । तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ॥५॥
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5) That moves and That moves not; That is far and the same is near; That is within all this and That also is outside all this.
यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मन्येवानुपश्यति । सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते ॥६॥
6) But he who sees everywhere the Self in all existences and all existences in the Self, shrinks not thereafter from aught.
यस्मिन् सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मैवाभूद् विजानतः । तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः ॥७॥
7) He in whom it is the Self-Being that has become all existences that are Becomings,7 for he has the perfect knowledge, how shall he be deluded, whence shall he have grief who sees everywhere oneness?
स पर्यगाच्छुकमकायमव्रणमस्नाविरं शुद्धमपापविद्धम् । कविर्मनीषी परिभूः स्वयम्भूर्याथातथ्यतोऽर्थान् व्यदधाच्छाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्यः ॥८॥
8) It is He that has gone abroad—That which is bright, bodiless, without scar of imperfection, without sinews, pure, unpierced by evil. The Seer, the Thinker,8 the One who becomes everywhere, the Self-existent has ordered objects perfectly according to their nature from years sempiternal.
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अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते । ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायां रताः ॥९॥
9) Into a blind darkness they enter who follow after the Ignorance, they as if into a greater darkness who devote themselves to the Knowledge alone.
अन्यदेवाहुर्विद्यया अन्यदाहुरविद्यया । इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद् विचचक्षिरे ॥१०॥
10) Other, verily,9 it is said, is that which comes by the Knowledge, other that which comes by the Ignorance; this is the lore we have received from the wise who revealed That to our understanding.
विद्याञ्च अविद्याञ्च यस्तद् वेदोभयं सह । अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वा विद्ययामृतमश्नुते ॥११॥
11) He who knows That as both in one, the Knowledge and the Ignorance, by the Ignorance crosses beyond death and by the Knowledge enjoys Immortality.
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽसम्भूतिमुपासते । ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ सम्भूत्यां रताः ॥१२॥
12) Into a blind darkness they enter who follow after the Non-Birth, they as if into a greater darkness who devote themselves to the Birth alone.
अन्यदेवाहुः सम्भवादन्यदाहुरसम्भवात् । इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद् विचचक्षिरे ॥१३॥
13) Other, verily, it is said, is that which comes by the Birth,
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other that which comes by the Non-Birth; this is the lore we have received from the wise who revealed That to our understanding.
सम्भूतिञ्च विनाशञ्च यस्तद् वेदोभयं सह । विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा सम्भूत्यामृतमश्नुते ॥१४॥
14) He who knows That as both in one, the Birth and the dissolution of Birth, by the dissolution crosses beyond death and by the Birth enjoys Immortality.
हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम् । तत् त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥१५॥
15) The face of Truth is covered with a brilliant golden lid; that do thou remove, O Fosterer,10 for the law of the Truth, for sight.
पूषन्नेकर्षे यम सूर्य प्राजापत्य व्यूह रश्मीन् समूह । तेजो यत् ते रुपं कल्याणतमं तत् ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ॥१६॥
16) O Fosterer, O sole Seer, O Ordainer, O illumining Sun, O power of the Father of creatures, marshal thy rays, draw together thy light; the Lustre which is thy most blessed form
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of all, that in Thee I behold. The Purusha there and there, He am I.
वायुरनिलममृतमथेदं भस्मान्तं शरीरम् । ॐ कतो स्मर कृतं स्मर कतो स्मर कृतं स्मर ॥१७॥
17) The Breath of things11 is an immortal Life, but of this body ashes are the end. OM! O Will,12 remember, that which was done remember! O Will, remember, that which was done remember.
अग्ने नय सुपथा राये अस्मान् विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान् । युयोध्यस्मज्जुहुराणमेनो भूयिष्ठां ते नमउक्तिं विधेम ॥१८॥
18) O god Agni, knowing all things that are manifested, lead us by the good path to the felicity; remove from us the devious attraction of sin.13 To thee completest speech of submission we would dispose.14
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