✦ Shlokas ✦
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Shloka 1
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत् । तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ॥ १ ॥
isha vasyam idam sarvam yat kincha jagatyam jagat 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.
Commentary
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
कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः । एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥ २ ॥
kurvann eveha karmani jijivishet shatam samah 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.
Commentary
Shloka 3
असुर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसावृताः । तांस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः ॥ ३ ॥
asurya nama te loka andhena tamasavritah 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.
Commentary
Shloka 4
अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत् । तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥ ४ ॥
anejad ekam manaso javiyo nainad deva apnuvan purvam arshat 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.
Commentary
Shloka 5
तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके । तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ॥ ५ ॥
tad ejati tan naijati tad dure tad vantike 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.
Commentary
Shloka 6
यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति । सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते ॥ ६ ॥
yas tu sarvani bhutany atmany evanupashyati 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.
Commentary
Shloka 7
यस्मिन्सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मैवाभूद्विजानतः । तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः ॥ ७ ॥
yasmin sarvani bhutany atmaivabhud vijanatah 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?
Commentary
Shloka 8
स पर्यगाच्छुक्रमकायमव्रणमस्नाविरं शुद्धमपापविद्धम् । कविर्मनीषी परिभूः स्वयम्भूर्याथातथ्यतोऽर्थान्व्यदधाच्छाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्यः ॥ ८ ॥
sa paryagach chukram akayam avranam asnaviram shuddham apapaviddham 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.
Commentary
Shloka 9
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते । ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायां रताः ॥ ९ ॥
andham tamah pravishanti ye’vidyam upasate 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.
Commentary
Shloka 10
अन्यदेवाहुर्विद्ययान्यदाहुरविद्यया । इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे ॥ १० ॥
anyad evahur vidyaya anyad ahur avidyaya 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.
Commentary
Shloka 11
विद्यां चाविद्यां च यस्तद्वेदोभयं सह । अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वा विद्ययामृतमश्नुते ॥ ११ ॥
vidyam chavidyam cha yas tad vedobhayam saha 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.
Commentary
Shloka 12
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽसम्भूतिमुपासते । ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ सम्भूत्यां रताः ॥ १२ ॥
andham tamah pravishanti ye’sambhutim upasate 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.
Commentary
Shloka 13
अन्यदेवाहुः सम्भवादन्यदाहुरसम्भवात् । इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे ॥ १३ ॥
anyad evahuh sambhavad anyad ahur asambhavat 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.
Commentary
Shloka 14
सम्भूतिं च विनाशं च यस्तद्वेदोभयं सह । विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा सम्भूत्यामृतमश्नुते ॥ १४ ॥
sambhutim cha vinasham cha yas tad vedobhayam saha 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.
Commentary
Shloka 15
हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम् । तत्त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥ १५ ॥
hiranmayena patrena satyasyapihitam mukham 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.
Commentary
Shloka 16
पूषन्नेकर्षे यम सूर्य प्राजापत्य व्यूह रश्मीन्समूह । तेजो यत्ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत्ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ॥ १६ ॥
pushann ekarshe yama surya prajapatya vyuha rashmin samuha 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.
Commentary
Shloka 17
वायुरनिलममृतमथेदं भस्मान्तं शरीरम् । ॐ क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर ॥ १७ ॥
vayur anilam amritam athedam bhasmantam shariram 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.
Commentary
Shloka 18
अग्ने नय सुपथा राये अस्मान्विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान् । युयोध्यस्मज्जुहुराणमेनो भूयिष्ठां ते नमउक्तिं विधेम ॥ १८ ॥
agne naya supatha raye asman vishvani deva vayunani vidvan 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.
Commentary
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.