> VERSE 2 ; ISHAVASYA UPANISHAD WITH ŚAṄKARA’S COMMENTARY

ॐ

श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः

VERSE 2 ; ISHAVASYA UPANISHAD WITH ŚAṄKARA’S COMMENTARY. 

एवमात्मविदः पुत्राद्येषणात्रयसंन्यासेनात्मज्ञाननिष्ठतया आत्मा रक्षितव्य इत्येष वेदार्थः । अथेतरस्य अनात्मज्ञतयात्मग्रहणाशक्तस्य इदमुपदिशति मन्त्रः 

Thus the teachings of Vedas is (for) the one who has gained the understanding of Self, though renunciation of the threefold desires, thereby protecting the Self and gaining (firm) abidance in the Self.

Now, the following verse is for one who doest have the capacity and therefore has not understood the  Self, teaches the following:  

कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः । 

एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥ २ ॥

By (constantly) engaging in karma (religious actions), you should wish live to live (a full lifespan) of hundred years. As, for you, there is no other way that would spare you from clinging with (the taint of) actions.

कुर्वन्नेव निर्वर्तयन्नेव इह कर्माणि अग्निहोत्रादीनि जिजीविषेत् जीवितुमिच्छेत् शतं शतसङ्ख्याकाः समाः संवत्सरान् । तावद्धि पुरुषस्य परमायुर्निरूपितम् । तथा च प्राप्तानुवादेन यज्जिजीविषेच्छतं वर्षाणि तत्कुर्वन्नेव कर्माणीत्येतद्विधीयते । एवम् एवंप्रकारे त्वयि जिजीविषति नरे नरमात्राभिमानिनि इतः एतस्मादग्निहोत्रादीनि कर्माणि कुर्वतो वर्तमानात्प्रकारात् अन्यथा प्रकारान्तरं नास्ति, येन प्रकारेणाशुभं कर्म न लिप्यते ; कर्मणा न लिप्यस इत्यर्थः । अतः शास्त्रविहितानि कर्माण्यग्निहोत्रादीनि कुर्वन्नेव जिजीविषेत् ॥

By constantly engaging in karma, (religious actions, rituals, such as) agnihotra etc, here (in this life), one should desire to live hundred years; (the word in the verse) śatam means, one hundred in number and samāḥ, means, years. As hundred is considered the longest (ideal) age for humans. Though what has been stated is well known fact, the purpose of restating, is to prescribe (enjoin) that if one desires to live a hundred years then one should do so, by constantly engaging in actions (karma.)   Only by doing so, you, who desires to live (long) and has the (ego) sense of being mortal human, will not accrue undesirable taint (like sin and attachment) of actions. As, there is no other way (to avoid/sidestep the taint) so (you should) remain constantly engaged in (religious) actions prescribed in the scriptures, such as agnihotra etc, so long, as you desire to live (long).

कथं पुनरिदमवगम्यते — पूर्वेण मन्त्रेण संन्यासिनो ज्ञाननिष्ठोक्ता, द्वितीयेन तदशक्तस्य कर्मनिष्ठेति ? उच्यते — ज्ञानकर्मणोर्विरोधं पर्वतवदकम्प्यं यथोक्तं न स्मरसि किम् ? इहाप्युक्तम् — यो हि जिजीविषेत्स कर्माणि कुर्वन्नेव इति ; ‘ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वम्’, ‘तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथाः मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम्’ इति च । ‘न जीविते मरणे वा गृधिं कुर्वीतारण्यमियात् इति पदं ततो न पुनरेयात्’ ( ? ) इति च संन्यासशासनात् । 

उभयोः फलभेदं च वक्ष्यति ।

Q: How is one to understand ( and reconcile) that, here, (in the above discussed text) the first verse is for a renunciate, who has his commitment to knowledge and the second verse is for someone who lacks the capacity to gain knowledge ( and therefore) is committed to actions (and its results).

A: The variance between ‘knowledge’ and ‘actions’ is as firmly indubitable (unshakable) as a  mountain. And don’t you remember the discussion preceding section (in the introduction) ? Here, too, it was said that ‘anyone who desires to live (long) should remain (constantly) engaged in action’, and earlier it was said that ‘Lord should pervade everything’, through renunciation safeguard yourself, do not covet, anyones wealth; for whose is wealth.’ Similarly, (at other places, in our scriptures), these are instructions, for a renunciate: “ One should neither bother about (his) life or death after taking to the forest (renunciation) nor one should return (back to life of karma)”. 

The results of the two (i.e. life of seeking knowledge and actions) will be further stated. (further in verses 7 and 11)

इमौ द्वौ एव पन्थानौ अनुनिष्क्रान्ततरौ भवतः पुरस्तात् क्रियापथश्च एव उत्तरेण च संन्यासः अथवा क्रियापथश्चैव सन्यासश्च इमौ द्वौ एव पन्थानौ पुरस्तात् सृष्ट्यादौ अनुनिष्क्रान्ततरौ भवतः। उत्तरेण निवृत्तिमार्गेण एषणात्रयस्य त्यागः। तयोः संन्यासपथः एव अतिरेचयति “न्यास एवात्यरेचयत्” इति च तैत्तिरीयके ।

“द्वाविमावथ पन्थानौ यत्र वेदाः प्रतिष्ठिताः।

प्रवृत्तिलक्षणो धर्मो निवृत्तिश्च विभावितः ॥” (महा. शा. २४१/६)

इत्यादि वेदाचार्येण भगवता व्यासेन विचार्य पुत्राय निश्चितम् उक्तम् । अनयोः विभागश्च दर्शयिष्यामः॥२॥

Right in the beginning of creation, two paths were assigned (to be followed), the path of actions and thereafter, (path of) renunciation of the three fold desires. Between the two, path of renunciation is to be preferred. As stated in Taittiriya Aranyaka “ Renunciation, alone, excels” 

Similar thought was expressed by venerable mentor of Vedas, Vyasa, to his son (Shuka) as “In the Vedas two paths have been established; the path of engaging in actions(Dharma) and the other is marked out as path of taking to retreat (Snayassa or renouncing)” (Mbh. Santiparva, 241.6)

We will be, further, discussing the differences between the two paths.

NOTES