What inner nurturing will help us cultivate good relationships?
Isha Upanishad, in
word for word translation.
(Pronunciation note. A dot under a letter or a bar above it, called diacritics, are important, for they indicate proper pronunciation of sacred language. Please read my webpage “Pronouncing the Sanskrit.”)
By tradition, the religion presents the Upanishads in obscure language that is difficult to use, or even incomprehensible. This is a great loss, for the Upanishads describe the experience of the ancient Rishis or sages of deep meditation, and the understanding of Deity that arises from such deep inner peace.
This calls for a new translation of the Upanishads that is clear and useful. This I have done.
For īśa upaniṣad (Isha Upanishad), we also need some preliminary discussion of Deity. īśa upaniṣad (Isha Upanishad) discusses the Divinity that resides in all of us, as our own innate nurturing (mātari-svān v 4 – 8.) When we return to the Divine, restore its Presence, renew our connection with it, and remember to do all these things, then mātari-svān will guide us away from darkness (tamas v 8, 9) to light (vidya v 9 - 11), from destructiveness and pain (mohaḥ + śokaḥ v 6, 7) to the healing and wholesome (dhīrāṇāṃ v 10.) īśa upaniṣad (Isha Upanishad) describes this innate nurturing, and how we can reconnect with it.
The composers of the Upanishads like īśa upaniṣad (Isha Upanishad) were inspired by their experience of deep samādhī, and I discuss samādhī in my page on the Mandukya Upanishad. In this deep meditation, the mind is quite still, focussed, not wandering, bright and alert, clear and insightful and very happy to be like this.
This means that the Upanishads like īśa upaniṣad (Isha Upanishad) express enlightened wisdom.
Isha Upanishad Translation.
īśā āvāsyam sarvaṃ
pure inhabited by all important
consciousness
1) Being inhabited by pure consciousness is all important
jagatyāṃ jagat
in the activities of us humans.
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā
for then letting go enjoy
of troubles
mā gṛdhaḥ dhanam kasyasvid
not wanting alluring something
things elsewhere
for then we can enjoy letting go of troubles, instead of wanting allures that are elsewhere.
kurvan karman
performing karma
jijīviṣet śataṃ samāḥ
livelihood, frequently like this
na karma lipyate tvayi
few karma defiled in us.
2) If we can frequently perform our speech and action (karma) like this in our livelihood, then there will be little painful consequences (karma) for us.
asuryā te lokā
diabolical those pursuits
andhena tamasā vṛtāḥ
blindness darkness hidden
3) Diabolical are those pursuits driven by blindness and darkness,
tān te pretya abhi -gacchanti
of these consequences towards take us
for they take us towards the consequences of blindness and darkness.
ātma hano janāḥ
higher self ruin our
They ruin our higher self.
anejat manaso javīya ekaṃ devā
stable mind skilful at-one Deity
āpnuvan pūrvam
obtain, Supreme.
arrive at
arṣat tat dhāvataḥ atyeti
busy-ness that moves fast, transcend,
of mind instable rise above
tiṣṭhat tasmin apaḥ
be Present, in our speech, actions
stable (karma)
mātari -svān dadhāti
nurturing own direct, sustain (cf dhāraṇa)
innate bestow, support
4) So let us direct (dadhāti) our mind in a skilful way, be stable and at-one with Deity, and obtain the Supreme. Let us transcend the rapid busy-ness and instability of mind, and be Present and stable in our speech and actions. Let this come from our innate nurturing (mātari-svān).
(note : dadhāti is related to dhāraṇa, which I discuss under “Upanishads and samādhi” on the page for “Mandukya Upanishad.)
tat ejati na ejati dūre antike
that active not active, far away nearby,
antar sarv-asya bāhyataḥ sarv-asyā
within all of this outside all of this
5) Our own innate nurturing (mātari-svān) can be in both activity and stillness, can be far away or nearby, and is both within our heart and in the outside world.
(note. The Sanskrit word for “our own innate nurturing” can also be spelled matar-īśvara which can also be interpreted as “Pure consciousness (īśvara) that nurtures (matar). matar is equivalent to the Latin mater = mother.)
yastu sarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmani eva ānupaśyati
who in all of us higher surely observe,
self experience
vijānataḥ na vijugupsate mohaḥ śokaḥ
with insight, not deny, deadening burning
objective conceal, ignore defilements pain
6 & 7) Our own innate nurturing (matar-īśvara) is surely in all of us. It is the higher self’s ability to observe and experience the painful thoughts and feelings in our mind (mohaḥ + śokaḥ) with insight and objectivity (vi-jn͂ānataḥ), and not deny, conceal and ignore our own pain (mohaḥ + śokaḥ).
sa paryagat śukram a-kāyam vyadadhāt
who permeates happiness not physical separate from
a-vraṇam a- asnāvaka śuddham a-pāpa-viddham
un-blemished no sinews purifies not evil afflicted
kaviḥ manīṣī paribhūḥ
wise sagacious Deity within
svayam-bhū sāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ
independent eternal towards equanimity
8) Our nurturing pure consciousness (matar-īśvara) is the eternal Deity within us, that permeates our happiness. It is spiritual and separate from the physical, with “no sinews”. The indwelling Deity is unblemished, not afflicted with evil, and purifying. It is wisdom and sagacity, and takes us towards equanimity and inner peace.
andhaṃ tamas praviśanti a-vidyā upāsate
blindness darkness enter un-wisdom sit down
ignorance in
9) Those who enter and “sit down in” un-wisdom and ignorance will be in blindness and darkness.
tato bhūya te ratāḥ tamas ye vidyāyāṃ
as if become they pleased deadening their wisdom
defilement
It seems as if they become pleased with darkness, think it wise to be in deadening defilement,
anya vidya
opposed wisdom, clarity.
and are opposed to wisdom and the light.
śuśruma dhīrāṇāṃ yenastad vicacakṣire
listen, wisdom those of us manifest
heed within
anya a-vidya
oppose un-wisdom, ignorance.
10) But for those of us who listen to and heed the wisdom within, then wisdom will manifest in us, and we will oppose un-wisdom and ignorance.
vidyāṃ ca a-vidyāṃ veda ubhayam
wisdom and un-wisdom, know both
clarity ignorance understand
11) One who truly knows and understands both wisdom and un-wisdom,
a-vidyāt mṛtyor tīrtvā
stupidity, mortality, transcend
ignorance destructive
vidyayā amṛtāya aśnute
wisdom, immortal, return to,
clarity eternal attain
will transcend from stupidity and ignorance and move towards wisdom and clarity. One will transcend from mortality and destructiveness, and return to and restore the immortal and eternal.
Mortal and Immortal.
This theme of mṛtyor ma amṛta occurs in two songs on this website – triambakam and asat oma sat gamaya. When we can perceive suffering and the defilements (tamas v 3) as impermanent and destructive (mṛtyu), then we know they will soon end, providing we cease to fuel them, cease to permit them, and cease to identify with them. Indeed, the perception (vi-jn͂āna v 7) that pain and negativity are indeed impermanent is the first step out of darkness (tamas v 3) and towards the light (vidya).
When we can perceive the in-dwelling Deity (matar-īśvara) as Being permanent and immortal (amṛta), then we know that Liberation is always available to us. It has not died, nor been destroyed, nor has it ceased nor failed. Just because we have fallen into a little (or not so little) slump. Yet again. It has just been temporarily obscured by defilements.
The Divine has always been there, always will be, calling out to us. We are called upon to return, to renew our connection, to restore Presence, and remember to do all this. Indeed, the perception (vi-jn͂āna, v 7) that healing and wholesome-ness is still available to us is the first step out of darkness (tamas v 9) in the journey towards the light (vidya).
om pūrṇam adah pūrṇam idam
Isha Upanishad actually begins with the mantra om pūrṇam adah pūrṇam idam. This mantra is about sending out and receiving purity (pūrṇam), and so supporting our inner innate nurturing (mātari-svān). I provide a writeup for this mantra on this website, and Nilong and Arjuna provide a beautiful recording of this mantra at –
https://arjuna108.bandcamp.com/album/wisdom-of-the-heart track 3
Acknowledgements.
I am indebted to Stephanie Simoes who provided the Sanskrit of Isha Upanishad, in word-for-word translation, when she was a graduate student of Brock University.
She is at –
https://brocku.academia.edu/StephanieSimoes
Her word-for-word translation of Isha Upanishad is at –
https://www.academia.edu/17430464/Isha_Upanishad_Word_for_Word_Translation_with_Transliteration_and_Grammatical_Notes
I looked up the translation of many words in the Isha Upanishad in the following online dictionary –
https://sanskritdictionary.com This remarkable resource for the Dharma gives translations from six different dictionaries. You type your entry using the International Agreement for Sanskrit Transliteration, which I use for all scripture quotes on this website. As does Stephanie. Please read my webpage “Pronouncing the Sanskrit.”
If you do not have the IAST spelling, you can use another online dictionary that will offer several different spellings, and you take your pick. This is
https://www.learnsanskrit.cc This will give the Devanagari, which you can enter into https://sanskritdictionary.com
She is at –
https://brocku.academia.edu/StephanieSimoes
Her word-for-word translation of Isha Upanishad is at –
https://www.academia.edu/17430464/Isha_Upanishad_Word_for_Word_Translation_with_Transliteration_and_Grammatical_Notes
I looked up the translation of many words in the Isha Upanishad in the following online dictionary –
https://sanskritdictionary.com This remarkable resource for the Dharma gives translations from six different dictionaries. You type your entry using the International Agreement for Sanskrit Transliteration, which I use for all scripture quotes on this website. As does Stephanie. Please read my webpage “Pronouncing the Sanskrit.”
If you do not have the IAST spelling, you can use another online dictionary that will offer several different spellings, and you take your pick. This is
https://www.learnsanskrit.cc This will give the Devanagari, which you can enter into https://sanskritdictionary.com
A Clear and Comprehensible Translation
of Upanishad.
Please remember that the Upanishads were composed in an earlier era, and their Sanskrit is archaic. Whereas dictionary translations tend to be classical Sanskrit from a later epoch in Indian history. When the latter are used to translate Upanishad like īśa upaniṣad, all sorts of strange interpretations arise. By tradition, Upanishad translations use obscure language that can confuse more than clarify. To the point of being (almost) incomprehensible.
This gives a misleading impression that Upanishad is obscure, esoteric, and only the elite can understand them. Indeed, for very many centuries Upanishad was reserved only for the Brahman priestly caste, who felt the need to be in charge of the religion. New scriptures were developed in more recent millennia for the common people. These are Purana, which uses the ancient tradition of story telling, where Names for Deity become the names of people in stories that are often imaginative and magical.
This is a great loss, for Upanishad expresses important spiritual insights that arise from deep meditation. Upanishad was not composed to be obscured with confusing obfuscations. Upanishad can be easy to use and understand, if priority is given to a translation that is sensible, comprehensible and helpful. To achieve this, the translator needs to extrapolate considerably from the dictionary translation, or rely on other info sources, and adjust word sequence and grammar. This I have done.
The works of religious scholars are the starting point, not the final word in my interpretation of sacred scripture and mantra. I adapt Hindu themes out of their origins in prescribed belief and doctrine, and into a form that works for me. I hope it works for you too.
Best wishes from Mike B.
Discussion on this webpage is ©Copyright by Mike Browning, 2021. The Sanskrit comes from ancient tradition, belongs to no one person, and therefore is in the Public Domain. This also applies to its translation into English.
You are permitted and encouraged to copy text from this webpage and use as you see fit, provided it is not harmful to mantra-translate.
You are permitted and encouraged to copy text from this webpage and use as you see fit, provided it is not harmful to mantra-translate.
