> VERSE 1 ; ISHAVASYA UPANISHAD WITH ŚAṄKARA’S COMMENTARY.

ॐ

श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः

VERSE 1 ; ISHAVASYA UPANISHAD WITH ŚAṄKARA’S COMMENTARY. 

ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किं च जगत्यां जगत् । 

तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् ॥ १ ॥

Whatever is here, on this earth, that moves (or does’t move; i.e. animate or inanimate) should be pervaded by the Lord.

Through renunciation safeguard yourself.

Do not covet anyones wealth; for whose is wealth.  

ईशा ईष्टे इति ईट्, तेन ईशा । ईशिता परमेश्वरः परमात्मा सर्वस्य । स हि सर्वमीष्टे सर्वजन्तूनामात्मा सन् प्रत्यगात्मतया । तेन स्वेन रूपेणात्मना ईशा वास्यम् आच्छादनीयम् । 

Īt (ईट्)  means is the one who governs, rules.

Īśā (ईशा) (would mean here) by the Lord.

The Lord is the supreme self of everything, as He rules (over everything), and (therefore) is the  supreme ruler.

He, alone, governs over every living being, abiding as the Self of everything. Through the Lord, as the own inner Self, all this should be pervaded.

किम् ? 

इदं सर्वं यत्किं च यत्किञ्चित् जगत्यां पृथिव्यां जगत् तत्सर्वम् ।

What (should be pervaded)?  

Whatever is here, that moves (or doest move; i.e. animate or inanimate) on this earth (should be pervaded by the Lord). 

स्वेनात्मना ईशेन प्रत्यगात्मतया अहमेवेदं सर्वमिति परमार्थसत्यरूपेणानृतमिदं सर्वं चराचरमाच्छादनीयं परमात्मना ।

By ones own Self, the Lord (ruler) being the Self of everybody should pervade everything, with this understanding that “I am (the content of), everything, that is here” and (being the content), my nature is real and everything that moves and moves not, is false.  

यथा चन्दनागर्वादेरुदकादिसम्बन्धजक्लेदादिजमौपाधिकं दौर्गन्ध्यं तत्स्वरूपनिघर्षणेनाच्छाद्यते स्वेन पारमार्थिकेन गन्धेन, तद्वदेव हि स्वात्मन्यध्यस्तं स्वाभाविकं कर्तृत्वभोक्तृत्वादिलक्षणं जगद्द्वैतरूपं पृथिव्याम् , जगत्यामित्युपलक्षणार्थत्वात्सर्वमेव नामरूपकर्माख्यं विकारजातं परमार्थसत्यात्मभावनया त्यक्तं स्यात् ।

Just like the incidental (adventitious) foul smell from sandalwood, when it comes in contact with moisture is driven away by the real fragrance of sandalwood. Similarly, the inadvertently superimposed (adventitious) false duality, characterised by (the notion of) doer-ship and enjoyer-ship on the Self is renounced (negated) by the understanding of its supreme, true nature.

The word, jagatyām  (जगत्याम,) is indicative of all the changeable (transitory) names and forms     

एवमीश्वरात्मभावनया युक्तस्य पुत्राद्येषणात्रयसंन्यासे एवाधिकारः, न कर्मसु । 

Thus, (anyone) who engages in contemplation of the Self and Lord, ought to (as he/she is eligible)  renounce the threefold desires, like desire for family (wealth, fame etc) and (not engage) in actions

    

तेन त्यक्तेन त्यागेनेत्यर्थः ।

न हि त्यक्तो मृतः पुत्रो भृत्यो वा आत्मसम्बन्धिताभावादात्मानं पालयति । अतस्त्यागेनेत्ययमेवार्थः । भुञ्जीथाः पालयेथाः । 

tena tyaktena (तेन त्यक्तेन) in the verse means ‘through renunciation) and should be taken (in its literal sense, in the past participle, ’having given up’) as deceased son or servant cannot protect as he is not present (to protect) 

Therefore, (the meaning tenable is) through renunciation, safeguard yourself. (भुञ्जीथाः) 

एवं त्यक्तैषणस्त्वं मा गृधः गृधिम् आकाङ्क्षां मा कार्षीः धनविषयाम् । कस्य स्वित् कस्यचित् परस्य स्वस्य वा धनं मा काङ्क्षीरित्यर्थः । स्विदित्यनर्थको निपातः । अथवा, मा गृधः ।

 कस्मात् ?

 कस्य स्विद्धनम् इत्याक्षेपार्थः । न कस्यचिद्धनमस्ति, यद्गृध्येत । 

आत्मैवेदं सर्वमितीश्वरभावनया सर्वं त्यक्तम् । अत आत्मन एवेदं सर्वम् , आत्मैव च सर्वम् । अतो मिथ्याविषयां गृधिं मा कार्षीरित्यर्थः ॥

Having renounced the (threefold) desires then do not yearn to covet anyones’s wealth; either yours or anybody else’s wealth. The word (particle) svit, (here, in the verse), doesn’t have any meaning.

Alternatively, (as an alternative interpretation) do not possess wealth; 

Why?  

As wealth belongs to no one therefore, do not possess. With this understanding, based on the (teaching of the pervade-ness) of the Lord, that “the Self is the content of all that is here”, therefore everything else is unreal (just names and forms). All that is here is the Self and Self alone, is (exists). Thus do not desire to possess what’s unreal.

NOTES