ISHA UPNISHAD (VERSE 8-11)

TRANSLATION


8. it is he that has gone abroad- that which is bright, bodiless, without scar of imperfection, without sins , pure and unpierced by evil. the seer, the thinker, the one who becomes everywhere, the self existent, has ordered objects perfectly according to their nature from years sempiternal.


9. into a blind darkness they enter who follow after ignorance, they as if into a greater darkness who devote themselves to knowledge alone.


10. other, verily, it is said, is that which comes by the knowledge, other that which comes by ignorance; this is the lore we have received from wise who revealed that to our understanding. 


11. he who knows that as both in one, the knowledge and the ignorance, by ignorance crosses beyond death, by knowledge enjoys immortality. 


COMMENTARY


VIDYA AND AVIDYA


all manifestation proceeds by two terms , vidya and avidya, the consciousness of unity and consciousness of multiplicity. 
unity is eternal and fundamental fact, without which all multiplicity would be unreal and an impossible illusion. the consciousness of unity is called vidya, knowledge. 
multiplicity is play or varied self expansion of the one, by force of which one occupies many centers of consciousness. 
brahman the lord is one. he is able to conceive himself in multiple forms from which flow multiple currents of energy, seen by us as actions or play of forces. but he is not bound by multiplicity.  he is lord of vidya and avidya.


THE EXTREME PATHS


the purpose of lord in the world cannot be fulfilled by following vidya alone or avidya alone. 
those who are devoted entirely to the principle of multiplicity and division and take their orientation away from oneness enter into blind darkness of ignorance. 
those who are devoted entirely to the principle of indiscriminate unity and seek to put away from them integrity of brahman , also put away from them knowledge and completeness and enter as if in greater darkness. although it's a higher state than other but is a conception of void or asat, an attachment to non existance of self from which it is more difficult to return to fulfillment of self.


by vidya one may attain the state of akshara purusha without actively participating in universe, but highest goal of man is neither fulfillment in movement as a separate individual, nor in silence separated from the movement ( akshara ), but in uttam purusha the lord who upholds in himself both kshara and akshara as modes of his being. 


MORTALITY AND AVIDYA


by death is meant the state of mortality which is subjection to the process of constant birth and dying as a limited ego bound to the dualities of joy and sorrow, good and evil, truth and error. 
this state comes by limitation and self division from one who is all and beyond all.


if avidya is cause of mortality it is also the path out of mortality. the limitation has been created in order that individual may affirm in himself against the flux of prakriti in order to transcend, possess and transform it. 


IMMORTALITY


immortality does not mean survival of self or the ego after dissolution of the body. self always survive the dissolution of the body because it always existed. it's unborn and undying. 
by immortality is meant the consciousness which is beyond birth and death, beyond cause and effect, the consciousness of lord.

ISHA UPNISHAD ( VERSE 6-7 )

TRANSLATION OF VERSE 6-7


6. But he who sees everywhere the self in all existences and all existences in the self, shrinks not thereafter from aught.


7. he in whom it is the self being that has become all existences that are becomings, for he has perfect knowledge, how shall he be deluded, whence shall he have grief who sees everywhere oneness?


COMMENTARY


ATMAN


Atman, our true self, is brahman, it is pure indivisible being, self- luminous, self concentrated in consciousness, self-delighted.


THE THREE FOLD PURUSHA


Atman represents itself to the consciousness of creature in three states, dependent on relations between purusha and prakriti, the soul and the nature. these three states are akshara, unmoving or immutable; kshara, moving or mutable, and para or uttama, supreme or highest. 

kshara purusha is self reflecting the changes and movements of nature, participating in them, immersed in consciousness of the movement, and seeming in it to be born, and die, increase and diminish, progress and change. atman in kshara, enjoys the change and division and duality; controls secretly its own changes, but seems to be controlled by them, enjoys oppositions of pleasure and pain but seems to be their victim; processes and upholds the action of nature by which it seems to be created. 


akshara purusha, is the self standing back from the changes, and movements of nature, calm , pure, impartial, watching them and not participating, above them as on summit, not immersed in these waters. 


para purusha is self containing and enjoying both stillness and movement, but conditioned and limited by neither of them. it is lord, brahman. it is this supreme self which has to be realized in  both unmoving and mutable.


PURUSHA IN PRAKRITI


In the physical consciousness atman becomes material being, annamaya purusha.
in the vital or nervous consciousness, atman becomes vital or dynamic king, pranamaya purusha.
in mental consciousness, atman becomes mental being, manomaya purusha.
in supra intellect consciousness, dominated by truth or causal idea, ( called in veda satya rtam bhrat ) atman becomes ideal being or great soul, vijnaamaya purusha or mahat atman.
in consciousness proper to universal beautitude, atman becomes all blissful being, anandmaya purusha. 
in consciousness proper to infinite divine self-awareness, atman is all-conscious soul that is source and lord of universe, chaitanya purusha.
in consciousness proper to state of pure divine existence, atman is sat purusha.

man being one in his true self with lord can live in any of these states of the self in world and partake of its experiences. 


SACHCHIDANANDA


sachchidananda is the menifestation of higher purusha; its nature of infinite being, consciousness is para prakriti. main, life and body is apara prakriti, lower nature.


mind and life in body are in state of death, because by ignorance they fail to realize sachchidananda. realizing it they can convert mind into nature of truth , vijnana, life into nature of chaitanya, body into nature of sat, that is into the pure essence. 
the realization of self in sachchidananda in self is aim of human existence. 


THE CONDITION OF SELF REALIZATION


from the standpoint of our lower state in the kingdom of death and limitation atman is sachchidananda, supra mental but reflected in mind. if mind is pure, bright and still, there is right reflection; if it is unpurified, troubled , and obscured the reflection is distorted and subjected to crooked action of ignorance. 

 it is the mental ego sense that creates this distortion by division and limitation of self. this limitation is brought about through kshara purusha, identifying itself with changeable formations of nature in separate body. its diminution and final disappearance  is the condition of self realization. 


THE STAGES OF SELF REALIZATION
THE VISION OF THE ALL


the first movement of self realization is the sense of unity with other existences in the universe. real knowledge begins with the perception of essential oneness - one matter, one life, one mind, one soul playing in many forms. 


THE VISION OF SELF IN ITS BECOMINGS

vision is not sufficient; one must become what inwardly one sees. 
in the individual soul extending itself to all by vision of unity, ( ekatvam anupasyatah , seeing everywhere oneness ) arranging its thoughts emotions and sensations according to perfect knowledge of right relations of things which come by realization of truth. 


THE ACTIVE BEATITUDE  


This realization is perfect and complete beatitude , embracing action, but away from sorrow and self- delusion. there is no possibility of self delusion ( moha ); for the soul having attained to the perception of unknowlable behind all existence, is no longer attached to becoming and no longer attributes of absolute value to any particularity in the universe, as if that were an object in itself and desirable in itself. desire and illusion is removed; illusion is replaced by knowledge , and desire by active beatitude of universal possession. 

ISHA UPNISHAD (VERSE 4-5) PART -2

THAT MOVES, THAT MOVES NOT


The motion of world works under the government of a perpetual stability. change represents the constant shifting of the apparent relations in an eternal immutability.


THE MANY


Unity is the eternal truth of things, diversity a play of unity. the sense of unity has therefore been termed knowledge, vidya, the sense of diversity ignorance, avidya. but diversity is not flase except when it is divorced from the sense of its true and eternal unity. 


brahman is one, not numerically but in essence. the many in the universe are sometimes called parts of universal brahman as waves are parts of sea.

creation  is not a making of something out of nothing or of one thing out of another, but a self projection of brahman in conditions of time and space. 


brahman as the absolute and universal has the power of standing back from itself in the relativity. it conceives, by a subordinate movement of consciousness, the individual as other than universal, the relative as different from absolute. without this separative movement, the individual would always tend to loose itself in the universal, the relative to disappear into absolute. 

THE RUNNING OF GODS


Brahman representing itself in the universe as stable by its immutable existence (sat) , is purusha, god, spirit; representing itself as motional, by power of its power of active consciousness (chit ), is nature, force or world - principle (prakriti, shakti, maya ). the play of these two principles is the life of universe. 


THE PRINCIPLE OF LIFE
MATARISHWAN AND THE WATERS


What is its intention is the movement?
it is a formula symbolically expressive of the unknowlable- so arranged that every level every level of consciousness really represents something beyond itself, depth of depth.


brahman in matter called prithvi , represents itself as universal life power, matarishwan, which moves there as dynamic energy, prana. 


THE WATERS


There are seven constituents of chit, active in universe ( called as the seven heavens later ).
we are aware of three elements in our being, mind , life, body. but this is not whole of our being. we have behind a superconscious existence which also has three constituents, sat, chit, ananda. 


sat, is essence of our being. it is divine counter part of physical substance.
chit , is pure energy of consciousness , free in its rest or actions, as opposed to prana which feeding upon physical substances, are dependent on them. it is divine counter part of lower nervous  or vital energy. 
ananda, is beautitude, the bliss of pure conscious existence. it is divine counter part of lower emotional , sensational being.

this higher existence is called amritam, immortality, and offered to us as goal to be aimed at felicity to be enjoyed, when we have transcended the state of death.


the higher divine is linked to lower mortal existence by causal idea, or super mental knowledge will  vijnana. it is the causal idea which by supporting and secretly guiding  mind , life, body ensures and compels the right arrangement of universe. 


vijnana, the truth , leads the divine consciousness back to one. it also sees truth of things in multiplicity. it is divine counterpart of lower divided intelligence. 


the seven powers of chit are spoken by vedic rishis as waters. they are imaged as currents flowing into or rising out of general sea of consciousness in human being. 

ISHA UPNISHAD, ( VERSE 4-5 ), PART-1

translation of verses.

4. one unmoving that is swifter than mind, that the gods  reach not, for it progresses ever in front. that standing, passes beyond others as they run. in that the master of life establishes the waters.

5. that moves and that moves not; that is far and the same is near; that is within all this and that also is outside all this.

commentary: 

BRAHMAN THE UNITY

The lord and the world, even when they seem to be distinct, are not really different from each other; they are one brahman.

ONE UNMOVING

God is one stable eternal reality. he is one because there is nothing else, since all existence and non existence are he. he is stable or unmoving, because motion implies change in space and change in time and he beyond time and space is immutable. he possess eternally in himself all that is has been or ever can be and he therefore does not increase or diminish. he is beyond casuality and relativity therefore there is no change of relations in his being. 

SWIFTER THAN MIND

the world is cyclic movement of divine consciousness in space and time. its law and in a sense it's object is progression; it exists by movement and would be dissolved by cessation of movement. but the basis of this movement is not material; it is energy of active consciousness which, by its motion and multiplication in different principles ( different in appearance , same in essense )., creates opposition of unity and multiplicity, divisions of time and space, relations and groupings of circumstances and causality. 

mental consciousness is not the power that creates universe. that is something infinitely more puissant , swift and unfettered that mind. it is pure omnipotent self awareness of absolute unbound by any law of relativity. the laws of relativity  upheld by the gods are its temporary creation. their apparent eternity is only the duration immeasurable to us, of the world which they govern. they are laws regularising motion and change not laws binding the lord of movement. the gods therefore are described as continually running in their course. but the lord is free and unaffected by his own movement. 

continued...

ISHA UPNISHAD - 1

first three mantras of isha upnishad translated by aurobindo ghosh.

1. All this is for habitation by the lord, whatsoever is individual universe of movement in universal motion. by that renounced thou shouldst enjoy; lust not after any man's possession.

2. doing verily works in this world one should wish to live a hundred years. thus it is in thee and not otherwise than this; action cleaves not to a man.

3. sunless are those worlds and enveloped in blind gloom whereto all they in their passing hence resort who are slayers of their souls.

summary of  { commentary on first three mantras by aurobindo ghosh }

THE INHABITING GODHEAD: LIFE AND ACTION

COSMOS

All world is a movement of the spirit in itself, and is mutable and transient in all its formations and appearances. every separate object is in truth, itself the whole universe presenting a certain front or outward appearance of its movement. the microcosm is one with macrocosm. 

yet in their relation of principle of movement and result of movement they are continent and contained, world in world, movement in movement. 

SPIRIT

Spirit is lord of it's movement, one, immutable, free, stable and eternal.

the movement with all it's formed objects has been created in order to provide a habitation for the spirit who, being one, yet dwells in multitudinously in the multiplicity of his mansions.

it is the same lord who dwells in the sum and the part, in the cosmos as a whole, and in each being, force or object in cosmos. 

since he is one and indivisible, the spirit in all is one and their multiplicity is play of his cosmic consciousness. therefore each human being in his essence one. 

AVIDYA

The object of habitation is enjoyment and possession; the object of spirit in cosmos is therefore the possession and enjoyment of universe. 

yet, being thus in his essence one, divine and free, man seems to be limited, divided from others, enslaved to death, ignorance and sorrow and thus is unable to enjoy because of limitation.

reason for this sorrow and inability to enjoy is avidya or ignorance of oneness. 

avidya comes from ego.

EGO

the cause of ego is that whil by its double power of vidya and avidya spirit dwells at once in the consciousness of multiplicity, and relativity and in consciousness of unity, and is therefore not bound by ignorance, yet it can in mind identify itself with the object in movement to the apparent exclusion of knowledge which remains behind veiled at the back of mentality.

the movement of mind is thus able to conceive of object as reality and inhabitant as limited, and determined by appearances of object. it conceives of object not as universe in one of frontal appearances but as itself a separate existence standing out of cosmos and different in being from all the rest of it. this illusion is called ahamkara, the separative ego- sense which makes being conceive of itself as an independent personality. 

the result of the separation us inability to enter into harmony and oneness with the universe, and a consequent inability to possess and enjoy it. result is discord of others and oneself, mental and physical sufferings, the sense of weakness and inability.

THE RULE OF DIVINE LIFE

Enjoyment of the universe and all it contains is the object of world- existence, but renunciation of all in desire is condition of free enjoyment of all. the renunciation demanded is not a moral constraint of self denial or a physical rejection, but an entire liberation of spirit from any craving after the form of things.

terms of this liberation are freedom from egoism and consequently, freedom from personal desire. 

ONE SHOULD NOT REGARD ANYTHING IN UNIVERSE AS A NECESSARY OBJECT OF POSSESSION, NOR AS POSSESSED BY ANOTHER, AND NOT BY ONESELF, NOR AS AN OBJECT OF GREED IN HEART OR THE SENSES. this attitude is found in perception of unity.

therefore by transcending ego and realizing the one self, we possess whole universe in one cosmic sense, and do not need to possess physically. 

being one with all beings we possess in their enjoyment in ours and in cosmic being's, delight of universal self expression. 

JUSTIFICATION OF WORKS

This freedom does not depend upon inaction , nor is this possession limited to enjoyment of inactive soul that only witness without taking part in the movement. on contrary doing works

in this material world and a full acceptance of term of physical life are part of its completeness. 

the man when he acts is supposed to be necessarily entangled in desire behind the action in subjection to the formal energy, that drives the action and in the results of action. these things are true in appearance, not in reality. 

desire is only mode of emotional mind which by ignorance seeks its delight in object of desire and not in brahman ( soul or spirit )  who expresses himself in object. by destroying that ignorance one can do action without entanglement in desire. 

the chain of karma only binds the movement of nature and not the soul which by knowing itself ceases even to appear to be bound by result of its works. 

therefore the way of freedom is not inaction, but to cease from identifying oneness in movement and recover instead our true identity.