Intro to IshAvAsOpaniShadbhAShya

- Intro by Prof K.T.Pandurangi

This Upanishad constitutes the 14th chapter of the Vajasaneyi Samhita of Sukla Yajurveda. It is called Mantropanishad since it is part of the Samhita. This name is also given to it distinguish it from Brihadaranya as that Upanishad forms a part of a Brahmana.

The background of the revelation of the mantras of this Upanishad is explained in Bhagavatha(skanda viii chapter I) as follows: svayambhuva Manu had two daughters viz., Devahuti and Akuti. Lord Vishnu took his incarination of Kapila in Devahuti and that of Yajna in Akuti. Svayambhuva Manu offered prayers through these hymns to his grandson Yajna. At that time the Raksasas attacked him. However, God Yajna destroyed them. A summary of this Upanishad is given in this section of Bhagavata. Yajna is one of the five forms of the God viz., Yajna, Yajna puman, Yajnesa, Yajnabhava and yajnabhuk. For this Upanishad, the God Yajna is the deity, Svayambhuva Manu is the seer and Anustup etc. are the chandas.

THE CENTRAL THEME OF ISAVASYA

The central theme of this Upanishad is to teach that the God is all pervasive and the regulator of all. All are entirely dependent upon him and he is the only independent. The sarvavyapitva, sarvaniyamakatva, and svatantrya of the supreme God are delineated here.

This small Upanishad of twenty mantras is very neatly planned. The topics discussed in this Upanishad may be listed as under:

1) Eligibility for spiritual pursuit.

2) Importance of duty

3) Nature of God

4) Right knowledge and wrong knowledge

5) Reality of the world

6) Prayer to God in certain Pratikas.

The very opening verse and the opening expression in it ie., 'Isavasyam idam sarvam' states the central theme of this Upanishad. God is present everywhere in order to enable all to function. Without his presence and dirction nothing can function. He alone is independent and all others are dependent upon him. The world of matter is located in Prakruti, the primordial matter, and the Prakriti itsself is dependent upon him.

ELIMINATION OF GREED IS THE MOST IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT FOR SPIRITUAL PURSUIT:

From the fact that all are entirely dependent upon the God, it follows that all have to content with what the God provides for one. No useful purpose will be served by being greedy or approaching this or that inferior person for one's wants since all of them are dependent upon the God. Thus the elimination of greed is proportionate to the realisation of the direction of the God and our dependence upon him. This is further related to our realisation of his independence, allpervasiveness, and the fact of regulating all. These important tenets are stated in the very first mantra of Isavasya. DO YOUR DUTY The idea of dependence on the God and regulation by him should not be misused for abandoning one's prescribed duty. There is no room for escapism. One should perform one's prescribed duties in dedication to the God. Dedicated performance of works does not bind a person. No one should avoid his duty. This importance of the duty is stressed in the second mantra. These two verses, in fact, summarise the entire teaching of the Bhagavadgita.

NATURE OF THE GOD

Then, the Upanishad gives a graphic description of the God. The God is transcendental, he is beyond the ordinary senses, his way of functioning is beyond ordinary logic. Therefore, Upanishads follow a three-fold method to convey him. 1) Possitive description of his great attributes. 2) Negative description of the absence of the ordinary prakrita attributes. 3) Presence of the contradictory attributes to bring out his achintya sakti. Isavasya follows all the three methods in its descreption of the God.

The God is unmoved, fearless, he is one ie., supreme, even the deities cannot understand him fully as he is infinite, he is near and he is far, he is within and he is without, he is present in all, all are supported by him, all fear him and obey him, he has no gross body nor the subtle body, he is of the nature of existence, knowledge and bliss, he has no limitations of time and space, he is the ground of purity, he is free from the sin and sorrow, all beings are in him and he is in all. One who knows this will not hide himself from the God and will be free from sorrow.

RIGHT KNOWLEDGE AND WRONG KNOWLEDGE To know the God as described above is right knowledge , to know in any other inferior way is wrong knowledge. It is more important to avoid wrong knowledge. Those who acquire only right knowledge and hesitate or avoid to censure wrong knowledge will suffer more. One will overcome the transmigration by censuring wrong knowledge and attain liberation by obtaining right knowledge. Similarly, one has to know that Gos is both the creator and the destroyer. Knowing only his creatorship without knowing him as a destroyer is sinful. Upanishads stress the importance of censuring the wrong knowledge frequently.

REALITY OF THE WORLD OF MATTER Isavasya expressly states that God has created the world truly and dispels all doubts regarding the reality of the world. There is no room for the doctrine of Jaganmthyatva in the Upanishads.

PRAYER TO GOD After describing the nature of the God, and stressing the importance of the right knowledge, a beautiful prayer to the God is incorporated in this Upanishad commencing from the Mantra ' Hiranmayena Patrena' etc., till the end of the Upanishad.

O Pushan! Unveil me the God hidden in the orb of the sun and enable me, who hold him at the heart, to see him. O, Pushan i.e., the infinite, Ekarshe I,e., the prime knower, Yama i.e., the regulator, Prajapatya i.e., one who is to be obtained by Hiranyagarbha, give me the knowledge of my true nature, bestow your grace on me, enable me to see your auspicious form.

The God who is present in Pushan, Ekarshi , Yama, Prajapati etc., pratika is also in me. He is especially present in Mukyaprana. Mukyaprana is immortal, the God is immortal.

O, God of the nature of infinite knowledge, take into account by dedicated deeds and bless me.

O, God, lead us by the right path towards the prosperiaaty (liberation),remove the bondage. We offer prouse salutations.

The above prayer has rich spiritual content and a high degree of poetic appeal. In this prayer three important points are made:

1) God has to be meditated upon in the pratika like Pushan, Ekarashi etc., according to their capacity.

2) God who is present in Pushan,Ekarshi etc., pratikas, in Suryamandala etc., is also present in the seeker who is offering this prayer.

3) God is especially present in Mukyaprana

Here the expression ' aham ' is used in the sense of present in me, and also none can remain without the God. Asmi ' is used in the sense of present everywhere. ' Asau ' is used in the sense of Mukyaprana. This prayer especially brings out the doctrine stated in the expression ' Isavasya ! '

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