THE ISAVASYA UPANISHAD (contd)

 

CONTRIBUTED BY

P.J.SITARAMAN   &
VIJAYA RAMKUMAR


¢ÛOïO|   ÅOO¢ÛOïO|   ÅO   ÙOÞÏO¹EdOE×OÙO|   ÞOh                       
A¢ÛOïÙOO   ØO¦ÏÙO|   ÏO£ÏOR¯ÛOO   ¢ÛOÒÙOÙOO{ØO¦ÏOØOÜÓO¤ÏOE        /      11    /
¢ÛOïO|    ÅO   and partial knowledge about rituals
A¢ÛOïO|    ÅO   and steeped in rituals alone
ÙO:   who
ÏOÏO¯    that
ÛOEd   knows
u×OÙO|    these two
ÞOh   together
A¢ÛOïÙOO    avidya
ØO¦ÏÙO|    death
ÏO£ÏOR¯ÛOO    crossing
¢ÛOïÙOO    by vidya
AØO¦ÏOØO¯    the state of eternity
AÜÓO¤ÏOE    gains

11. That one who has the comprehensive knowledge of both vidya  and  avidya  obtains the state of  immortality  through  vidya,  having transcended mortality through Avidya.
 
Comments
He  who  understands  the  limitations  imposed  by  lack  of  knowledge or  partial  knowledge,  is  able  to  identify  them  and  identify himself  with  the  Eternal  and
attain  to  the  state  of  immortality, in  the  sense  that  life  and  death  bother
him  no  more.
 
AÓÒO|   ÏOØO:   p#¢ÛOÜO¢ÓÏO ÙOE{ÞOØ×O¥¢ÏOØO¤ÔOOÞOÏOE
ÏOÏOOE   ×O¥ÙO   iÛO   ÏOE   ÏOØOOE   ÙOE   u   ÞOØ×O¥ÏÙOO|   rÏOO:       /   12    /
AÓÒO|    dense
ÏOØO:    darkness
p#¢ÛOÜO¢ÓÏO    enter
ÙOE   who
AÞOØ×O¥¢ÏOØO¯    Prakruti or maya
uÔOOÞOÏOE    worship
ÏOÏO:    that
×O¥ÙO:    much greater
iÛO   as it were
ÏOE   they
ÏOØO:    ignorance
u   but
ÞOØ×O¥ÏÙOO|     the first born adijiva
rÏOO:   revel

12. Those worshipping  the non-intelligent  first  cause ie  Nature  enter  into  dense  darkness.  Those  revelling  in  the Hiranyagarbha,  the first  manifestation  enter  into  even denser  darkness.
 
Comments
Those  who  worship  insentient  nature  or  delight  in  its  manifestations remain  in  darkness  because  they  miss  the  light  of  its  true  reality from  which  all  these  emerge.  
AÓÙOdEÛOOh¤:     ÞOØ×OÛOOdÓÙOdOh¤rÞOØ×OÛOOÏO¯
i¢ÏO   ÜO¤½qO¤ØO   ÒO£rOÎOO|   ÙOE   ÓOÞÏO¢¹ÅOÅO¢ßOrE       /  13    /
AÓÙOÏO¯    differently
eÛO   truly
AOh¤:   it is said
ÞOØ×OÛOOÏO¯    from the worship of maya
AÓÙOÏO¯    totally different
AOh¤:   they said
AÞOØ×OÛOOÏO¯    from worship of the first manifestation
i¢ÏO    thus
ÜO¤½qO¤ØO    we had heard
ÒO£rOÎOO|    from the wise
ÙOE   who
ÓO:   to us
ÏOÏO¯    that
¢ÛOÅOÅO¢ßOrE    detailed

13. We had heard from the wise; as detailed to us by them, that one type of outcome there is due to worship of maya and a totally different one from the worship of the first ever manifestation.
 
Comments
Different  degrees  of  perception  accrue  from  the  worship  of two  forms  of  manifestation,  sensient  or  insensient.  
ÞOØ×O¥¢ÏO|   ÅO   ¢ÛOÓOOÜO|   ÅO   ÙOÞÏO¹EdOE×OÙO|   ÞOh
¢ÛOÓOOÜOEÓO   ØO¦ÏÙO|   ÏO£ÏOR¯ÛOO   ÞOØ×O¥ÏÙOO{ØO¦ÏOØOÜÓO¤ÏOE       /   14    /
(A)ÞOØ×O¥¢ÏO|    attributeless reality
ÅO   and
¢ÛOÓOOÜO|    the first manifestation
ÅO   and
ÙO:   whoever
ÏOÏO¯    that
ÛOEd   knows
u×OÙO|    both
ÞOh   comprehensively
¢ÛOÓOOÜOEÓO    by worship of the first born
ØO¦ÏÙO|    death
ÏO£ÏOR¯ÛOO    overcoming
A   ÞOØ×O¥ÏÙOO    ( ) by (worship of) the nonbecoming
AØO¦ÏOØO¯    deathlessness
AÜÓO¤ÏOE    attains

14. That person who worships the first manifestation he conquers death and by worship of the attributeless reality he obtains immortality.  
Comments
He  who  understands  the  limitations  of  all  manifestation  and  sees beyond  them,
sees  the  true  reality  and  sees  his  own  identity  with that  immortal  reality.
 
¢hrÎØOÙOEÓO   ÔOOæOEÎO   ÞOÏÙOÞÙOO¢ÔO¢hÏO|   ØO¤ÁOØO¯
ÏOÏO¯   ÏÛO|   ÔO¥ÝO°ÔOOÛO¦ÎO¤   ÞOÏÙOÒOØOORÙO   d]¾ÙOE      /      15    /
¢hrÎØOÙOEÓO    golden-hued
ÔOOæOEÎO    covering
ÞOÏÙOÞÙO    of the reality
A¢ÔO¢hÏO|    covered
ØO¤ÁOØO¯    entry
ÏOÏO¯    that
ÏÛO|    thou
ÔO¥ÝOÓO¯    O Sun
AÔOOÛO¦ÎO¤    discover
ÞOÏÙOÒOØOORÙO    for me who is devoted to truth
d]¾ÙOE    to be perceived

15. The  reality  within  Thee  is  covered  as though with  a  golden-hued  plate.  May you discover it, O  Sun, so that  I,  who  am  devoted  to  the  truth,  may  perceive  it.
 
Comments
O  Sun,  who  throws  so  much  light  on  the  world,  remove  that mask  which  hides
the  true  light  of  that  reality  from  which  you yourself  emerge,  because  it  is
that  Truth,  not  its  manifestations that  I  seek.
 
ÔO¥ÝO°EkÝOER   ÙOØO   ÞO¥ÙOR   p#OÇOOÔOÏÙO
   ÛÙO¥h   rÜØO£ÓO¯   ÞOØO¥h
ÏOEÇOOE   ÙOÏO¯   ÏOE   ãÔO|   kÚÙOOÎOÏOØO|
   ÏOÏO¯   ÏOE   ÔOÜÙOO¢ØO   ÙOOE{ÞOOÛOÞOOW   ÔO¤âÝO:   ÞOOE{hØO¢ÞØO    /  16    /
ÔO¥ÝOÓO¯    the nourisher
ekÝOER    the lonely traveller
ÙOØO    the controller
ÞO¥ÙOR    O Sun
p#OÇOOÔOÏÙO    the son of Prajapati
ÛÙO¥h    remove
rÜØO£ÓO¯    the rays
ÞOØO¥h    withdraw
ÏOEÇO:    light
ÙOÏO¯    which
ÏOE   they
ãÔO|    form
kÚÙOOÎOÏOØO|    most glorious
ÏOÏO¯    that
ÏOE   they (through Thy grace)
ÔOÜÙOO¢ØO    I see
ÙO:   who
AÞOOW   that
ÔO¤âÝO:    being
ÞO:   He
AhØO¯    I
A¢ÞØO    am

16. O  Sun,  son  of  Prajapati,  the  lonely  traveller  of  the  heavens the  nourisher  and controller  of  all,  withdraw  Thy  rays,  Thy light.  Through
Thy  grace,  I  behold       Thy  most  glorious  form. I  am  indeed  He ,
that  being  that  dwells  there.
 
Comments
O  Sun,  who  controls  and  supports  all  this  existence,  withdraw your  light.  For  I
now  see  the  true  Reality  from  which  you  have yourself  manifested,  and  I  see
it  is  the  same  Reality  that dwells  in  me  too.
 
ÛOOÙO¤r¢ÓOÚOØOØO¦ÏOØOÐOEd|   ×OÞØOOÓÏOØO|   ÜOr£rØO¯    !
@ÏOOE   ÞØOr   k]ÏO|   ÞØOr   @ÏOOE   ÞØOr   k]ÏO|   ÞØOr       /   17    /
ÛOOÙO¤:    the breath
A¢ÓOÚOØO¯    the all pervading air
AØO¦ÏOØO¯    eternal
AÐO   Now
id|ØO¯    this (existence)
×OÞØOOÓÏOØO¯    ceasing with burning to ashes
ÜOr£rØO¯    body
@ÏOOE   O mind
ÞØOr    recall
k]ÏO|   deeds
ÞØOr    recall
@ÏOOE   O mind
ÞØOr    recall
k]ÏO|   deeds
ÞØOr    recall

17. Now  let  my  breath  merge  in  the  all  pervasive  cosmic  prana and  the  body  be  burnt  to  ashes.  Om.  Recall  past  deeds, O! mind recall deeds, recall Oh! Mind! recall deeds , recall.
 
Comments
Let  the  breath  which  sustains  my  life,  leave  me,  on  my  death, return  to  that  cosmic  principle  (prana),  that  sustains  all  life and  let  my  body  return  as  ashes
to  nature.  Let  memories  of  my good  deeds  alone  be  carried  forward.  
AÂÓOE   ÓOÙO   ÞO¤ÔOÐOO   rOÙOE   AÞØOOÓO¯
        ¢ÛOáqOO¢ÓO   dEÛO   ÛOÙO¤ÓOO¢ÓO   ¢ÛO¼OÓO¯   
ÙO¤ÙOOEÒÙOÞØOÇÇO¤h¤rOÎOØOEÓOOE
        ×O¥¢ÙO¿O|   ÏOE   ÓOØOu¢ÀÏO|   ¢ÛOÒOEØO      /    18      /
AÂÓOE    God of Fire
ÓOÙO    lead
ÞO¤ÔOÐOO    by the good path
rOÙOE   to the fruits of our karma
AÞØOOÓO¯    us
¢ÛOáqOO¢ÓO    all
dEÛO   O Lord
ÛOÙO¤ÓOO¢ÓO    deeds
¢ÛO¼OÓO¯    realised one
ÙO¤ÙOOE¢ÒO    destroy
ÇO¤h¤rOÎO|    deceitful
eÓO:   sin
×O¥¢ÙO¿O|    plenty
ÏOE   to Thee
ÓOØO   u¢ÀÏO|   words of eulogy
¢ÛOÒOEØO    we offer

18. O! God of Fire,  Lead  us  by  the  good  path  to  the  rewards  of  our acts.  All our  deeds are  known  to  you.  Lord,  destroy  all that  is  deceitful  in  us.
We  offer  you  our words  of  eulogy in plenty.
 
Comments
Oh  God  of  fire,  when  you  consume  this  body,  destroy  all that  was  bad  in  us,  and  lead  us  through  the  path  of  enlightenment  to  whatever  rewards  we  deserve.      
                 ` ÔO¥ÎORØOd:   ÔO¥ÎOR¢ØOd|   ÔO¥ÎOORÏO¯   ÔO¥ÎORØO¤dÅÙOÏOE
                  ÔO¥ÎORÞÙO   ÔO¥ÎORØOOdOÙO   ÔO¥ÎORØOEÛOOÛO¢ÜOÝÙOÏOE
                       `   ÜOO¢ÓÏO:   ÜOO¢ÓÏO:   ÜOO¢ÓÏO:   .
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