ISHA VAASYA UPANISHAD
Namaskar Mahatmas!
This week we will do the introduction and the peace invocation sloka of Isha vaasya Upanishad.
WHAT ARE UPANISHADS?
The Upanishads are the Hindu Scriptures that constitute the core teachings of Vedanta. The Upanishads constitute the end and aim, the very crest jewel of the Vedas. The Upanishads are the sum and substance of all true wisdom.
According to tradition, the Upanishads were 1180 in number. Out of 1180 about 200 are brought to light till now. Of these, 108 Upanishads are deemed worthy of careful study. The Ishavaasaya Upanishad occupies the first place amongst the Upanishads because of the great spiritual significance of its contents.
The Sanskrit term ‘Upanishad’ is derived from – Upa – staying near, nearby; ni – at the proper place, down (with the spirit of surrender); shad – sitting down near a teacher in order to receive the instruction.
Upanishad is generally a conversation between the Guru and the Sishya. The Sishya always represents the Seeker like us. The Upanishadic conversations contain spiritual knowledge meant for reflection and contemplation. Hence, the deeper one dives into the significance of the passages of these scriptures in meditation, the greater the hidden meanings he finds in them.
ISHA VAASYA UPANISHAD – AN INTRODUCTION
The ‘Isha’ or ‘Ishavaasya Upanishad’ derives its name from the very opening of the first sloka of this Upanishad (Ishaa vaasyam idam sarvam).
This Upanishad has got 18 verses. The Ishavasya Upanishad is a beautiful Upanishad. This Upanishad lays down two paths for spiritual aspirants – one for those who are exclusively following the path of knowledge (path of Jnana) and the other for those who have not attained necessary internal development needed to renounce desires and adopt that exalted way (path of karma).
The very first line of the first sloka, “Ishavasyamidam sarvam-This whole world is covered by the Lord,” induces a thrilling inspiration in the minds of the readers (The essence of the tenth chapter of Gita). Meditation on this one idea alone will lead to the attainment of the Knowledge of the Self.
He who contemplates on the significance of the first line will become a Seer of Oneness, a Knower of the Self. He will have a direct vision of the Reality and inner Illumination. The Upanishad, though apparently simple and intelligible, is in reality one of the most difficult to understand. With the grace and the blessings of Guruji, and our complete surrender to Him will make this meditation fruitful. With humble prostrations at His lotus feet let us start meditating on the Ishavaasay Upanishad.
The Ishavaasya Upanishad starts with a peace invocation.
OM POORNAMDAH POORNAMIDAM
POORNAAT POORNAM UDACYATE
POORNASYA POORNAM AADAAYA
POORNAM EVAVASHISHYATE
OM SHANTIH SHANTIH SHANTIH.
MEANING OF THE SLOKA:
The invisible is the Infinite (The Brahman), the visible too is the Infinite (World). From the Infinite, the visible universe of Infinite extension has come out. The Infinite remains the same, even though the Infinite universe has come out of it. Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!
The peace invocation of this Upanishad gives us the vision and the understanding that the whole world is the manifestation of Brahman/completeness. There is nothing incomplete in this world as it has come out of completeness.
What is Infinite?
INFINITE IS WHICH INCLUDES EVERYTHING AND EXCLUDES NOTHING. INFINITY IS WHICH WE CANNOT MAKE OUT THE BEGINNING OR END.
From the Infinity, the world has come out. This world is of infinite extension. The tenth chapter of Gita explains the glories of this infinite extension and the Lord Himself says that it is immeasurable. Bhagavatham says that the Lord’s praises are infinite. Bhaktas till now keep singing his glories. Purusha Shuktam says that ‘adya dishta dashaangulam’ – He is always one step ahead of what we think of Him.
If we take any amount of water from the ocean, the ocean never gets reduced in its quantity of water. Because this beautiful world has come out of that Supreme Brahman, the Brahman doesn’t get reduced in any way and it remains complete only.
The Brahman is the existence (sat), Consciousness (chit) and Bliss (Ananda). If we remove the name and form in everything, the Brahman alone remains. That is the reason everything is complete – Poornam. Names and forms come and go but that (Brahman) alone remains.
The world what we see is complete in itself. The experiences of the world are complete in itself. The experiencer (we) of the world is complete within himself.
Any incompleteness we feel in the world or in the experiences or within us is not the reality. When we understand that we are complete; we are faultless, we live in contentment. This vision of completeness solves all problems in our life because it ends all our desires, the seed of all sorrows.
Desires come out of the feeling of incompleteness. We feel we will be complete if we add something to our life (be it people or money or name or fame) or by leaving something. As long as this struggle continues, we fail to have this vision in life.
During our childhood days, we used to get upset if our parents fail to buy toys we ask for. We used to feel that is the end of everything. How foolish and stupid we were when we used to feel the small little things are the end of life! The flashback of our experience clearly tells us that the event has got no meaning in our present life. What a teddy bear is going to give me when I am at the age of 30?! Match box collections!!!! Stamp and coin collection!!!! We are even able to look and laugh at those days sharing it with our friends and children. There are such innumerable experiences in every phase of our life which seems invaluable now.
How did this vision come? – We are now seeing those incidents from a distance.
When we are able to look at the particular incident in the totality of our life (from birth till now), this vision comes.
Let us not look at the world or the events in our life in its tits and bits.
We have seen big posters stuck to the walls with beautiful scenery. If we want to enjoy that picture, we have to stand at the distance where the picture can be seen completely. If we go too close to the picture, we will be able to see only a part of the picture. If we go too far from the picture, we can see only the outline and there will be no clarity of the picture. We cannot say the picture is faulty or ugly or something incomplete by standing at a wrong distance.
IF WE TAKE A RIGHT POSITION/ RIGHT DISTANCE TO SEE THE WORLD, THE WORLD LOOKS EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL. WE SEE THAT EVERYTHING IS IN ORDER; EVERYTHING IS PERFECT AROUND US.
The great seers of truth, the saints stand at this right distance and so remain ever happy. The Yoga Vasishta says,” The world is all darkness to the blind but is full of light to the one with the vision. Live life in such a way that you may avoid all future sorrows.” If we can view the whole of our life, the world with this truth (everything is poornam – complete) given in this invocation sloka, there is no misery.
When we don’t accept the vision what happens to us?
We try to change situations; we try to change people around us; we try to change the world – thinking that everything and everybody should be to our choice. We become blind to the reality. We are not ready to accept people or the world as it is. As long as we work for the change of others, the suffering continues in our life.
The person with jaundice sees everything as yellow. It is not the fault of the things but it is the fault of the eye. The only remedy is to take medicine to cure the disease. By taking this medicine of understanding and living with reality, we lead a ‘no complaint, no desire’ life.
So the world, you and I are all infinite; complete. The supreme glory which all scriptures sing, talk is about this infinity and we are that infinity and that is the reality.
In the second chapter of Gita, the Lord says “what is the use of the pond if the whole village is flooded”. There is nothing to be gained or there is nothing to be lost. The seer of truth feels complete within himself.
The person who has this vision, who discovers this vision in this very life attains to peace.
OM SHANTHI
SHANTHI
SHANTHI
The Shanti is mentioned thrice to emphasise the importance of peace in body, mind and intellect respectively. All the experiences we have are only on these three platforms. If those experiences do not create any disturbance, then one remains in peace. The joy and sorrow are our own identifications because of our desires (ignorance). The right distance is the attitude of witness and our understanding that we are always complete.
“Whatever problems we face in life, the correct solutions to them and the only way is, to live life in full knowledge of reality (Poornatvam). Once we understand that the Brahman alone is, our perturbation for the world’s woes will cease. Yet compassion for suffering and love for all beings remain till the world and people are around us” – GURUJI.
We will continue in the next week.
HARI OM!
