40. Adhyāya 40 — Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad
Mantras 1–10
40.1
ईशा वास्यम् इदꣳ सर्वं यत् किं च जगत्यां जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्य स्विद् धनम् ॥
īśā vāsyam idaṁ sarvaṃ yat kiṃ ca jagatyāṃ jagat ।
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam ॥
All this that is, moving in the moving universe, is pervaded by the Ruling Lord of Existence. Therefore, live it as given by Him, enjoy it objectively in a spirit of detachment. Covet not anyone’s wealth. It belongs to none (except to the Lord).
40.2
कुर्वन्न् एवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच् छतꣳ समाः ।
एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतो ऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥
kurvann eveha karmāṇi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ ।
evaṃ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti na karma lipyate nare ॥
Only doing one’s duty here should everyone wish to live for a full hundred years. Only this way—there is no other way—Karma does not smear the soul of man within.
40.3
असुर्या नाम ते लोका ऽअन्धेन तमसावृताः ।
ताꣳस् ते प्रेत्यापि गच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः ॥
asuryā nāma te lokā 'andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ ।
tāṁs te pretyāpi gacchanti ye ke cātmahano janāḥ ॥
Surely after death and even while living, demonical souls sunk in darkness who kill their conscience and live only a physical existence (void of virtue) go to those sunless regions of the world which are covered in the impenetrable darkness of sufferance.
40.4
अनेजद् एकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद् देवा ऽ आप्नुवन् पूर्वम् अर्शत् ।
तद् धावतो ऽन्यान् अत्य् एति तिष्ठत् तस्मिन्न् अपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥
anejad ekaṃ manaso javīyo nainad devā ' āpnuvan pūrvam arśat ।
tad dhāvato 'nyān aty eti tiṣṭhat tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti ॥
Brahma is constant, unmoving, One and only One, without a second, and faster than the mind. The mind and senses cannot attain to It, although It is present everywhere, already and always. Though still, It surpasses and transcends others who are at the fastest move in nature. Within It the wind holds the waters of the universe. Within the Divine Presence the soul performs its actions. (If somthing moves faster than the velocity of light, it becomes omnipresent. And what is omnipresent, is still too, because there is no space to move through.)
40.5
तद् एजति तन् नैजति तद् दूरे तद् व् अन्तिके ।
तद् अन्तर् अस्य सर्वस्य तद् उ सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ॥
tad ejati tan naijati tad dūre tad v antike ।
tad antar asya sarvasya tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ ॥
40.6
यस् तु सर्वाणि भूतान्य् आत्मन्न् एवानुपश्यति ।
सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न वि चिकित्सति ॥
yas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmann evānupaśyati ।
sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṃ tato na vi cikitsati ॥
40.7
यस्मिन्त् सर्वाणि भूतान्य् आत्मैवाभूद् विजानतः ।
तत्र को मोहः कः शोक ऽ एकत्वम् अनुपश्यतः ॥
yasmint sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ ।
tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ' ekatvam anupaśyataḥ ॥
40.8
स पर्य् अगाच् छुक्रम् अकायम् अव्रणम् अस्नाविरꣳ शुद्धम् अपापविद्धम् ।
कविर् मनीषी परिभूः स्वयंभूर् याथातथ्यतो ऽर्थान् व्यदधाच्छाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्यः ॥
sa pary agāc chukram akāyam avraṇam asnāviraṁ śuddham apāpaviddham ।
kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayaṃbhūr yāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhācchāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ ॥
In the state of knowledge wherein the knower knows all the forms of being as pervaded by the same One Soul, how can there be any illusion or suffering for the person who sees the same Unity in existence everywhere. The Supreme Soul is omnipresent, omnipotent, without body, without any flaw, without sinews, pure, sinless, visionary poetic creator and omniscient, existent in the heart and mind of all, transcendent, self-existent, who for the infinite ages of eternity creates, organises, reveals and sustains all the forms of existence as they are and ought to be.
40.9
अन्धं तमः प्र विशन्ति ये ऽसंभूतिम् उपासते ।
ततो भूय ऽ इव ते तमो य ऽ उ संभूत्याꣳ रताः ॥
andhaṃ tamaḥ pra viśanti ye 'saṃbhūtim upāsate ।
tato bhūya ' iva te tamo ya ' u saṃbhūtyāṁ ratāḥ ॥
Down into the darkest dark do they fall who worship only the primordial prakriti. Still deeper and darker do they fall who worship only the existential forms and are lost therein.
40.10
अन्यद् एवाहुः संभवाद् अन्यद् आहुर् असंभवात् ।
इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस् तद् विचचक्षिरे ॥
anyad evāhuḥ saṃbhavād anyad āhur asaṃbhavāt ।
iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṃ ye nas tad vicacakṣire ॥
Different is the result, they say, from primordial prakriti, and different is the result, they say, from the
Mantras 11–17
40.11
संभूतिं च विनाशं च यस् तद् वेदोभयꣳ सह ।
विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा संभूत्यामृतम् अश्नुते ॥
saṃbhūtiṃ ca vināśaṃ ca yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha ।
vināśena mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā saṃbhūtyāmṛtam aśnute ॥
One who knows the immortal/constant primordial and the mortal/mutable existential and knows that Supreme Spirit along with both, masters the facts of death by the mortal and realizes the immortal by the primordial.
40.12
अन्धं तमः प्र विशन्ति ये ऽविद्याम् उपासते ।
ततो भूय ऽ इव ते तमो य ऽ उ विद्यायाꣳ रताः ॥
andhaṃ tamaḥ pra viśanti ye 'vidyām upāsate ।
tato bhūya ' iva te tamo ya ' u vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ ॥
Down into the darkest dark do they fall who worship Avidya, i.e., illusion, or mere karma (action). Still deeper, and darker do they fall who are lost in Vidya, i.e., knowledge without reference to karma or the reality content of it.
40.13
अन्यद् एवाहुर् विद्याया ऽ अन्यद् आहुर् अविद्यायाः ।
इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस् तद् विचचक्षिरे ॥
anyad evāhur vidyāyā ' anyad āhur avidyāyāḥ ।
iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṃ ye nas tad vicacakṣire ॥
Different is the result of Vidya, they say, and different is the result of Avidya, they say. This we have heard from the wise who revealed the difference of both to us.
40.14
विद्यां चाविद्यां च यस् तद् वेदोभयꣳ सह ।
अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वा विद्ययामृतम् अश्नुते ॥
vidyāṃ cāvidyāṃ ca yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha ।
avidyayā mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtam aśnute ॥
One who knows Vidya, i.e., the constant reality and the knowledge of it, and Avidya, i.e., illusion, for what it really is, and Karma including the order of change, and knows that Supreme Spirit along with both Vidya and Avidya, masters the reality and meaning of death by Avidya, and realises Immortality by Vidya.
40.15
वायुर् अनिलम् अमृतम् अथेदं भस्मान्तꣳ शरीरम् ।
ओ3म् क्रतो स्मर क्लिबे स्मर कृतꣳ स्मर ॥
vāyur anilam amṛtam athedaṃ bhasmāntaṁ śarīram ।
o3m krato smara klibe smara kṛtaṁ smara ॥
The end of the body is ash. The prana-vayu merges with the cosmic energy. And this soul is immortal. O soul, remember Om, Supreme Soul of Existence. Agent of Karma, remember your karma. Remember both these to realise your real form and potential.
40.16
अग्ने नय सुपथा राये ऽ अस्मान् विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान् ।
युयोध्य् अस्मज् जुहुराणम् एनो भूयिष्ठां ते नम ऽ उक्तिं विधेम ॥
agne naya supathā rāye ' asmān viśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān ।
yuyodhy asmaj juhurāṇam eno bhūyiṣṭhāṃ te nama ' uktiṃ vidhema ॥
Agni, brilliant lord omniscient of all the laws and ways of existence, lead us to the wealth of life by the right path of honesty and simplicity. Remove from us all sin and crookedness. We sing the most joyous songs of celebration in praise of you. Homage to you again and again.
40.17
हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम् ।
यो ऽसाव् आदित्ये पुरुषः सो ऽसाव् अहम् ।
ओ३म् खं ब्रह्म ॥
hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitaṃ mukham ।
yo 'sāv āditye puruṣaḥ so 'sāv aham ।
o3m khaṃ brahma ॥
The face of truth is covered by a golden veil. The veil is removed by the Lord of golden glory. The life and light that shines in the sun is that Supreme Purusha. That is there, and that is here in me. Om is the saviour. Om is Brahma, Brahma is infinite, sublime. Swami Dayananda has accepted this version of Yajurveda chapter 40. There is another version, which is also accepted as Ishopanishad, and that has eighteen mantras. That version from mantra 15 to mantra 18 is given below: 15. The face of truth is covered with a golden veil (the veil of Prakrti). That veil, O Lord preserver and promoter of life, unveil so that we may see the Truth and eternal Dharma. 16. Lord giver of life and protection, universal guide, eternal light, lord of creation, Sole Lord, one and absolute, universal Eye, seer omniscient, gather up your light for me. The splendour that is yours is the most auspicious and sublime form I see. The light that shines in the sun is the Purusha. That is there, That is in me. 17. The end of the body is ash. The breath of life goes to eternal energy. The soul is immortal. O soul, remember Om. Remember your karma. Lord of yajna, agent of karma, remember the actions performed. 18. Agni, light of life, lead us on by the right path to the wealth of life. Brilliant lord omniscient of all laws and ways of existence, and all our thoughts and deeds, remove from us all sin and crookedness. We sing songs of celebration in praise of you. Homage to you again and again Note: In the Vaidic tradition of religious studies, thought and practice specially after Swami