Isha Upanishad
Author Kedi Ganapati
Shloka 1
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ॥ १ ॥
tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma gridhah kasyasviddhanam
Translation
This entire universe, whatever moves and exists within this changing world, is pervaded by the Divine. Therefore, enjoy it through renunciation; do not covet the wealth of anyone else.
Conversation
Kedi: What is the meaning of this verse?
Ganesh: The entire universe, and everything that moves or exists in this ever-changing world, is pervaded by God. Therefore, enjoy it with an attitude of detachment, and do not covet the wealth or property of others.
Kedi: I have heard that God resides only where there is cleanliness. Then how can God dwell everywhere? Does God also reside in filth?
Ganesh: Filth is one form of Maya (illusion). What appears as filth to you may serve as an essential resource for another person or an animal. Purity and impurity do not affect God. Rather, God dwells within every substance in the universe in order to sustain and set all of creation into motion.
Kedi: There are many wicked people in this world. More than half of the politicians are corrupt. Does God still dwell within them?
Ganesh: You are confusing God with the presence of God. These are two different concepts. Every human being and every living creature possesses a soul, and that soul is the dwelling place of God. The mind, however, represents the individual's own personal identity, thoughts, and choices.
Kedi: How can someone enjoy life through renunciation? These two ideas seem completely opposite.
Ganesh: After experiencing the joy of an event, action, object, or any worldly matter, one should not become attached to it. One should not insist on repeatedly enjoying the same thing at the wrong time. Instead, one should temporarily let go of those pleasures and focus on the duties of the present moment. Renunciation does not come before enjoyment; rather, true renunciation begins after enjoyment, when attachment is abandoned.
Kedi: What does it mean to covet someone else's wealth? If we work for someone and receive payment, whose wealth is that?
Ganesh: Wealth earned through your own work belongs to you, regardless of who pays you. However, taking someone else's wealth without performing any work, stealing, robbing, seizing another person's property, or refusing to pay someone fairly for their labor, service, or possessions are all forms of greed.
Shloka 2
एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥ २ ॥
evam tvayi nanyatheto'sti na karma lipyate nare
Translation
One should desire to live a hundred years while continuously performing one's prescribed duties. For a person living in this way, there is no other path by which actions do not bind — action performed without attachment does not cling to a person.
Conversation
Shloka 3
तांस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः ॥ ३ ॥
tamste pretyabhigacchanti ye ke chatmahano janah
Translation
Those who destroy their own true Self go, after death, to worlds known as demonic, covered by blinding darkness.
Conversation
Shloka 4
तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥ ४ ॥
tad dhavato'nyan atyeti tishthat tasminn apo matarishva dadhati
Translation
The Self is one, unmoving, yet swifter than the mind. The senses cannot reach it, for it moves ahead of them. Though standing still, it outruns all who run. In its presence, the cosmic life-force sustains all activity.
Conversation
Shloka 5
तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ॥ ५ ॥
tad antar asya sarvasya tad u sarvasyasya bahyatah
Translation
It moves, and yet it does not move. It is far away, and yet it is very near. It is within all this, and yet it is also outside all this.
Conversation
Shloka 6
सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते ॥ ६ ॥
sarva-bhuteshu chatmanam tato na vijugupsate
Translation
One who sees all beings within one's own Self, and one's own Self within all beings, no longer feels aversion or hatred toward anything.
Conversation
Shloka 7
तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः ॥ ७ ॥
tatra ko mohah kah shoka ekatvam anupashyatah
Translation
For one who has realized that all beings have become one with their own Self, what delusion or sorrow can remain, when unity alone is seen everywhere?
Conversation
Shloka 8
कविर्मनीषी परिभूः स्वयम्भूर्याथातथ्यतोऽर्थान्व्यदधाच्छाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्यः ॥ ८ ॥
kavir manishi paribhuh svayambhur yathatathyato'rthan vyadadhach chhashvatibhyah samabhyah
Translation
That Self is all-pervading, radiant, bodiless, without wound, without sinew, pure and untouched by sin. It is the seer, the wise one, the transcendent, the self-existent, who has rightly ordained the purposes of all things through endless ages.
Conversation
Shloka 9
ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायां रताः ॥ ९ ॥
tato bhuya iva te tamo ya u vidyayam ratah
Translation
Those who worship ignorance alone enter into blinding darkness. Those who are absorbed only in knowledge, without understanding its true purpose, enter into a darkness that is even greater.
Conversation
Shloka 10
इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे ॥ १० ॥
iti shushruma dhiranam ye nas tad vichachakshire
Translation
They say that one result comes from knowledge and a different result comes from ignorance — thus have we heard from the wise ones who explained this to us.
Conversation
Shloka 11
अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वा विद्ययामृतमश्नुते ॥ ११ ॥
avidyaya mrityum tirtva vidyayamritam ashnute
Translation
One who knows both knowledge and ignorance together crosses beyond death through ignorance (right action) and attains immortality through knowledge.
Conversation
Shloka 12
ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ सम्भूत्यां रताः ॥ १२ ॥
tato bhuya iva te tamo ya u sambhutyam ratah
Translation
Those who worship only the Unmanifest enter into blinding darkness. Those who are absorbed only in the manifest, without understanding its true purpose, enter into a darkness that is even greater.
Conversation
Shloka 13
इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे ॥ १३ ॥
iti shushruma dhiranam ye nas tad vichachakshire
Translation
They say that one result comes from the manifest and a different result comes from the unmanifest — thus have we heard from the wise ones who explained this to us.
Conversation
Shloka 14
विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा सम्भूत्यामृतमश्नुते ॥ १४ ॥
vinashena mrityum tirtva sambhutyamritam ashnute
Translation
One who knows both the manifest and the process of dissolution together crosses beyond death through dissolution and attains immortality through the manifest.
Conversation
Shloka 15
तत्त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥ १५ ॥
tat tvam pushann apavrinu satyadharmaya drishtaye
Translation
O Sun, the face of Truth is covered by a golden disc. Please remove that covering, so that I who am devoted to truth may see it.
Conversation
Shloka 16
तेजो यत्ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत्ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ॥ १६ ॥
tejo yat te rupam kalyanatamam tat te pashyami yo'sav asau purushah so'ham asmi
Translation
O nourisher, sole seer, controller, source of all, O Sun, offspring of Prajapati, withdraw your rays and gather your light. I wish to see, through your grace, your most auspicious form. That Being who is there, I am that.
Conversation
Shloka 17
ॐ क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर ॥ १७ ॥
om krato smara kritam smara krato smara kritam smara
Translation
May this life-breath now merge into the immortal universal air; may this body then end in ashes. O mind, remember — remember all that has been done. O mind, remember — remember all that has been done.
Conversation
Shloka 18
युयोध्यस्मज्जुहुराणमेनो भूयिष्ठां ते नमउक्तिं विधेम ॥ १८ ॥
yuyodhy asmaj juhuranam eno bhuyishtham te nama-uktim vidhema
Translation
O Agni, knowing all our deeds, lead us by the good path toward prosperity. Keep us away from crooked sin. We offer to you our most abundant words of salutation.
Conversation
Note: Every interpretation published here is the original work of Kedi Ganapati alone. No other author, commentator, or interpreter has contributed to these explanations. These interpretations are based on Kedi Ganapati's own understanding of the Isha Upanishad's verses through personal study, research, wisdom, and experience.
