Isha Upanishad Explained in English: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life

Dear readers,

Welcome back to our blog. We have reached the end of our journey of understanding the Self, but the actual journey is endless. Time to draw a conclusion however there can’t be any conclusion for something which will never be concluded. Hence, I have decided to recall the wisdom we received from Isha Upanishad.

Before we begin, I recommend you to read previous Shloka to understand meaning of Karma and journey beyond death and other shlokas if you missed them. Links to those blogs are given at the bottom of this page.

We chanted a profound mantra in the beginning which stated, Brahman is complete, and I (the Self or Aatman) am also complete because I am manifestation of Brahman. Knowing this truth and realizing the completeness of the Brahman, I become complete.

Then Isha Upanishad started by declaring that all living beings are covered by Isha or Lord. As the world is an illusion, live life with detachment. Leave all lust and desires.

Doing any action with this thought anyone can wish to live as long he / she wants. There is no other better way of living apart from this.

Self-knowledge is difficult to acquire without self-discipline. The first two Shlokas prepare us for that precious wisdom. The next Shloka talks about ignorance.

Ignorance is like darkness. Ordinary people enter that darkness by not knowing their Self or Aatman.

Next five Shlokas are the essence of Isha Upanishad. It removes ignorance through knowledge of the Self or Aatman.

The Self / Aatman is unmoving but ahead of mind. The senses could not reach there. Being static, it overtakes everything. Being omnipresent, it controls the controller of life.

The Self / Aatman moves. It does not move. It is far. It is very nearby. It is inside of all and it is also outside of all.

The being who sees everything in the Self / Aatman and the Self / Aatman in everything, feels no hatred for anyone.

The being who realized every being becoming the Self, then what delusion and what sorrow can there be for that seer of oneness.

The Self is all-pervasive, seed of everything, bodiless, scatheless, without sinews, pure, untouched by sin; omniscient, master of mind, transcendent, self-existent, duly allotted respective duties to the eternal years.

Then it talks about Avidya (Rituals) and Vidya (Knowledge) and immortality in the next three Shlokas.

Those who worship Avidya (Rituals) alone enter blinding darkness; and those who worship Vidya (Knowledge) alone fall into even greater darkness.

The result of Vidya (Knowledge) is different from the result received by following Avidya (Rituals).

He / she who knows Vidya (Knowledge) and Avidya (Rituals) both, crosses over death by Avidya (Rituals) and attains immortality through Vidya (Knowledge).

Next three Shlokas are on unmanifested and manifested and how destruction helps in gaining knowledge and immortality.

Those who worship unmanifested alone enter blinding darkness; and those who worship manifested alone fall into even greater darkness.

The result of worshipping manifested is different from the result received by worshipping unmanifested.

The person who knows the unmanifested and destruction both attains immortality through unmanifested by crossing death through destruction.

Then the two Shlokas discussed on the Sun and seeing oneness between the Sun or the nature and I or the Self or Aatman.

The face of truth is covered by a golden lid. Do thou, O Sun remove it, so as to be seen by me what is my true nature.

O Sun, solitary traveler, controller of all, Surya, son of Prajapati do remove thy rays and gather up thy dazzle. By your grace I shall see your form which is supremely benign. I am that person within thee.

Final two Shlokas remind us about our last journey which is none other than death but before that what we can do for immortality.

Let my vital force now attain immortality and let this body end to ash. Om, O mind, remember all deeds.

O Fire God, knowing all our good deeds lead us to the good path for the enjoyment of results of deeds and remove from us all the crooked sins. We offer you many words of salutation.

What an amazing knowledge journey of Isha Upanishad for the last few months! Lived each and every Shlokas. Experienced them in awaking, dreaming and sleeping states; in nutshell in every moment. Then interpreted them according to today’s era. Discussed many crucial modern-day issues and found solutions in the Shlokas. I believe many of you will see the world in a different perspective from now onwards. Let's end this journey with the same Mantra which we recited in the beginning. For interpretation, refer to the introductory blog. You can recite the shloka.

Introductory Mantra:

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

“Om. Purnamadah Purnamidam Purnat Purnamudachyate ।

Purnasya Purnamadaya Purnameva Vashishyate ॥

Om shanti shanti shanti ॥”

Translation in English:

Om. That (Brahman) is complete. This (Brahman) is also complete because this is manifestation of Brahman. That (Brahman) remains complete though this (Brahman) came out from that (Brahman). Knowing this truth and realizing the completeness of this, this becomes complete.

Om. Peace, peace, peace.

Dear readers, be with us in this journey of Universal Vedanta movement.

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Readers' List

Isha Upanishad - Shloka - 18

https://universal-vedanta.blogspot.com/2023/11/isha-upanishad-in-english-isha-verse-18-karma-life-after-death-heaven-hell-rebirth-virtue-sinexplained.html

Isha Upanishad - Shloka - 17

https://universal-vedanta.blogspot.com/2023/10/isha-upanishad-in-english-isha-verse-17-what-we-should-do-before-time-of-death.html

Isha Upanishad - Shloka - 16

https://universal-vedanta.blogspot.com/2023/10/isha-upanishad-in-english-isha-verse-16-aditya-l1.html