The Principal Upanishads · Chapter 1

Isha Upanishad

ईशोपनिषद्

The Lord-enveloped Universe

Translated by Sri Aurobindo (1914, public domain)

VERSE 1

ॐ ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥

om īśā vāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat । tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasvid dhanam ॥

All this — whatsoever moves on the earth — is for habitation by the Lord. By that renounced thou shouldst enjoy; lust not after any man's possession.

VERSE 2

कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतꣳ समाः। एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे॥

kurvann eveha karmāṇi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ । evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti na karma lipyate nare ॥

Doing verily 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.

VERSE 3

असुर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसाऽऽवृताः। ताꣳस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः॥

asuryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ । tāṁste pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātmahano janāḥ ॥

Sunless are those worlds and enveloped in blind gloom whereto all they in their passing hence resort who are slayers of their souls.

VERSE 4

अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत्। तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति॥

anejad ekaṁ manaso javīyo nainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat । tad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti ॥

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 Life establishes the Waters.

VERSE 5

तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके। तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः॥

tad ejati tan naijati tad dūre tad v antike । tad antar asya sarvasya tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ ॥

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.

VERSE 6

यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति। सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते॥

yas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmany evānupaśyati । sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṁ tato na vijugupsate ॥

But he who sees everywhere the Self in all existences and all existences in the Self, shrinks not thereafter from aught.

VERSE 7

यस्मिन्सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मैवाभूद्विजानतः। तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः॥

yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ । tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvam anupaśyataḥ ॥

He in whom it is the Self-Being that has become all existences that are Becomings, for he has the perfect knowledge, how shall he be deluded, whence shall he have grief who sees everywhere oneness?

VERSE 8

स पर्यगाच्छुक्रमकायमव्रणमस्नाविरꣳ शुद्धमपापविद्धम्। कविर्मनीषी परिभूः स्वयम्भूर्याथातथ्यतोऽर्थान् व्यदधाच्छाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्यः॥

sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇam asnāviraṁ śuddham apāpaviddham । kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr yāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ ॥

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, the One who becomes everywhere, the Self-existent has ordered objects perfectly according to their nature from years sempiternal.

VERSE 9

अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते। ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायाꣳ रताः॥

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'vidyām upāsate । tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ ॥

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.

VERSE 10

अन्यदेवाहुर्विद्ययाऽन्यदाहुरविद्यया। इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे॥

anyad evāhur vidyayānyad āhur avidyayā । iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ ye nas tad vicacakṣire ॥

Other, verily, 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.

VERSE 11

विद्यां चाविद्यां च यस्तद्वेदोभयꣳ सह। अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वा विद्ययाऽमृतमश्नुते॥

vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha । avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtam aśnute ॥

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.

VERSE 12

अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽसम्भूतिमुपासते। ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ सम्भूत्याꣳ रताः॥

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'sambhūtim upāsate । tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u sambhūtyāṁ ratāḥ ॥

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.

VERSE 13

अन्यदेवाहुः सम्भवादन्यदाहुरसम्भवात्। इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे॥

anyad evāhuḥ sambhavād anyad āhur asambhavāt । iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ ye nas tad vicacakṣire ॥

Other, verily, it is said, is that which comes by the Birth, other that which comes by the Non-Birth; this is the lore we have received from the wise who revealed That to our understanding.

VERSE 14

सम्भूतिं च विनाशं च यस्तद्वेदोभयꣳ सह। विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा सम्भूत्याऽमृतमश्नुते॥

sambhūtiṁ ca vināśaṁ ca yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha । vināśena mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā sambhūtyāmṛtam aśnute ॥

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.

VERSE 15

हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम्। तत्त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये॥

hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham । tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu satyadharmāya dṛṣṭaye ॥

The face of Truth is covered with a brilliant golden lid; that do thou remove, O Fosterer, for the law of the Truth, for sight.

VERSE 16

पूषन्नेकर्षे यम सूर्य प्राजापत्य व्यूह रश्मीन् समूह तेजः। यत्ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत्ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि॥

pūṣann ekarṣe yama sūrya prājāpatya vyūha raśmīn samūha tejaḥ । yat te rūpaṁ kalyāṇatamaṁ tat te paśyāmi yo 'sāv asau puruṣaḥ so 'ham asmi ॥

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 of all, that in Thee I behold. The Purusha there and there, He am I.

VERSE 17

वायुरनिलममृतमथेदं भस्मान्तꣳ शरीरम्। ॐ क्रतो स्मर कृतꣳ स्मर क्रतो स्मर कृतꣳ स्मर॥

vāyur anilam amṛtam athedaṁ bhasmāntaṁ śarīram । om krato smara kṛtaṁ smara krato smara kṛtaṁ smara ॥

The Breath of things is an immortal Life, but of this body ashes are the end. OM! O Will, remember, that which was done remember! O Will, remember, that which was done remember.

VERSE 18

अग्ने नय सुपथा राये अस्मान् विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान्। युयोध्यस्मज्जुहुराणमेनो भूयिष्ठां ते नमउक्तिं विधेम॥

agne naya supathā rāye asmān viśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān । yuyodhy asmaj juhurāṇam eno bhūyiṣṭhāṁ te nama-uktiṁ vidhema ॥

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. To thee completest speech of submission we would dispose.