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Isavasya Upanishad Analysis: Philosophical Insights
Number of Upanishads
There are 108 traditional Upanishads. Of these 10 are regarded as principal Upanishads.
- (1) Isavasya
- (2) Kena
- (3) Katha
- (4) Prashana
- (5) Mundaka
- (6) Mandukya
- (7) Taittiriya
- (8) Aitereya
- (9) Chandogya
- (10) Brhadaranyaka.
The Isavasya Upanishad is the only one which occurs in the Samhita portion of the Veda. All the others come as appendices or follow-ups of the Brahmanas or the Aranyakas. Therefore, there is a special intonation required in the recitation of the Isavasya Upanishad, as is the case with the Samhitas of the Vedas.
Upanishads: Ancient Vedic Philosophy & Spiritual Wisdom
We cannot read the verses casually, just like reading a book. There is a special modulation and intonation of voice – swara, as it is called. This swara aspect of recitation is not emphasized as much in the other Upanishads as is the case with the Isavasya Upanishad. It derives its name from Isavasya. It is one of the shortest Upanishads and belongs to the Yajur Veda.
Four types of knowledge are imparted to us by this Upanishad.
- (a) The Creator pervades the whole of creation.
- (b) Everyone is to do one’s duty.
- (c) Knowledge and action have to be combined and not be considered as opposites.
- (d) We should view God and the world as being in a state of harmony, not as opposed to each other. (There is no difference between creation and God.)
Isavasya Upanishad – 1st mantra
The first mantra of the Isavasya Upanishad says :
Isavasyam idam sarvam yat kim ca jagatyam jagat, tena
tyaktena bhunjitha, ma gridhah kasyasvid dhanam
This mantra says: “All this is enveloped by the Supreme Being.” The creator whom we call God, manifests the universe, and creates this universe. In what manner does He create the universe? It is a very big question and a complex one too. We shall not go into that now.
Some conclusions that come out of this are – there is something that cannot be divided into parts, which is infinite, which exists everywhere to such an extent that it may appear that is the only thing existing. That only-existing thing is Ishvara about which Isavasya speaks about.
The great sage of the Upanishad tells us “yat kim ca jagatyam jagat tat sarvam – whatever is moving or not moving – all that is Ishvara.” The Supreme Being is not merely everywhere – He is also everything.
Knowing this, we pass on to the second part of this Mantra-
Isavasya Upanishad – 2nd part of the Mantra
“tena tyaktena bhunjitha, ma gridhah kasyasvid dhanam”
This says to be happy without the sense of possessiveness in regard to any object. It is commonly believed that possession and acquisition lead to happiness. But the Upanishad says that possession is not the way to be happy. There is no such thing as a procession. For obvious reasons, a thing outside totally cannot become yours. That which is capable of leaving you, for any reason whatsoever, cannot belong to you.
A thing that is yours cannot leave you. Anything that can leave you one day or the other is not yours, and there is nothing in this world that will not leave you one day or the other. Therefore, it cannot be considered as yours. Therefore, renounce attachment. It is another way of saying renounce the sense of possession.
Happiness is a state of being and not a consequence of possessing. Therefore, enjoy and be happy.
Summarizing- All this that you perceive, see, or contact through the sense organs is enveloped by God.”
One great thinker said that if all the scriptures in the world were destroyed and if only this mantra is available to us, we need not learn anything else afterwards. Let this one mantra remain and all the scriptures be destroyed. This one verse is sufficient to save us:
“Isavasyam idam sarvam yat kim ca jagatyam jagat, tena
tyaktena bhunjitha, ma gridhah kasyasvid dhanam”
Isavasya Upanishad – 2nd mantra
The second mantra says: “Everyone has to do something.”
While the concept of Absolute is the subject of the first mantra the concept of individuality is the subject of the second mantra.
Very often a man may be tempted to think “I shall keep quiet because God does all things and He is all things”? This is an erroneous notion about yourself. A wrong concept about your individuality has crept in. The Upanishad says “Do not be in a hurry. Go slowly. Do such things that will gradually widen the concept of your personality, or individuality. Act in a way commensurate with the supreme universal personality of God Himself. This is done by the duty which is to be performed.”
That brings us to the question of “what is duty”? You may do some work by way of participation towards the welfare of a larger whole. If you have done this considering it as your duty even while it involves personal sacrifice then that work has some value in it. It can be called duty.
A person who has not understood the meaning of the first mantra will not understand the meaning of the second mantra either. You will not be able to understand what duty is, in the sense of this self-sacrifice for the welfare of the whole, unless you know what the whole is. The ultimate whole is the Absolute being.
Perform your duty as a participation in the work of this evolutionary process of creation and not as an individual initiative on your part. In duty, you cooperate with the existent order of things. You do not start independent initiatives which will not be regarded as commensurate with the requirements of the organization of the universe.
Isavasya Upanishad – 3rd mantra
The third point that is driven into our minds by the Isavasya Upanishad is – knowledge and action have to be combined and not be considered as opposites. In other words – that there is no conflict between meditation and action, or knowledge and work.
Many of us think that knowledge means knowing something – reading books, accumulating information, having a degree, and acquaintance with the sciences and the arts of the world. But, knowledge is not necessarily this. The inner essence is not gained by ordinary academic reading.
True knowledge is the insight into the being of things, the Self of all things. A feeling of conflict between knowledge and action appears to arise because of the feeling that the aim of knowledge is not in harmony with the aim of work. Knowledge and action go together. Understanding must precede action, and action without understanding is a mechanical routine.
One important point that we must remember is – all actions are not liberating. Only those actions that are performed without expecting any benefits for doing them, count for liberation. Both the means and the ends have some connection. You cannot adopt one kind of means and expect another kind of end. Knowledge and action go together because action is nothing but the movement of knowledge itself. Everything that you do from the point of view of this knowledge of the Upanishad is God Himself working through you.
Isavasya Upanishad – 4th mantra
The fourth instruction is – There is no difference between creation and God. God is not outside the world, and the world is not outside God. God is not extra-cosmic, as some thinkers may tell us. The pervasion of God in all creation rules out any kind of extra-cosmic existence of God.
Let us take the case of a potter making a pot. The potter is only an efficient cause; he is not the material cause. That is, he himself does not become the pot; he has an external material like clay. However, in the case of God – there is nothing like an external material. He is infinite and He is everything. The cosmos is His revelation. He is as He was – in the past and in the present and He will be in the same condition in future as well.
The Divine who is the Nourisher and Ruler, Seer, Death and In-dwelling self, and our father and Supreme Light is the Foremost Fire or Will within us. He is undiminished in every one of his descents and is ever full:
Purnamadah purnamidam purnatpurnamudacyate!
Purnasya purnahtadaya purnam eva avasisyate !!
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