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.”)
Table of Contents.
1. Isha Upanishad Translation.
2. Comment on the Composition of īśa upaniṣad.
3. om pūrṇam adah pūrṇam idam
4. Acknowledgements.
5. A Clear and Comprehensible Translation of Upanishad.
īśa upaniṣad (Isha Upanishad) discusses the Divinity (īśa) that resides in all of us, as our own innate nurturing (mātari-svān v 4 – 8.) mātari-svān guides 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.) .
However, mātari-svān = mātar-īśvara can only do this for us when we connect with it, and restore it back into our daily life. We need to first return to mātar-īśvara before it can help us. So īśa upaniṣad (Isha Upanishad) describes this innate nurturing, and how we can reconnect with it.
īśa is short for īśvara, which is an important word for Presence of Deity or pure consciousness. When there is Presence, then we are truly at ease and content, and our mind is clear, inspired and full of good will for the people and pursuits of our lives.
As a mere dictionary word, īśvara simply means guide and direct. So īśvara can mean our ability to guide and direct our minds towards these Divine Qualities. īśvara can also mean our ability to guide and direct our daily activities, so that they may be an effective expression of these beautiful spiritual Qualities. Therefore, īśa upaniṣad focusses on directing and guiding our mind and thus our lives, away from pain and problems and towards delight and solutions.
So īśa upaniṣad (Isha Upanishad) expresses some important foundations for our spiritual practice. īśa upaniṣad is one of the 10 principle or mukhya upaniṣad. Of these, īśa upaniṣad is often numbered first in the list. So īśa upaniṣad is first in 108 upaniṣad, which are foundational to Vedic philosophy.
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 belong
things elsewhere
for then we can enjoy letting go of troubles, instead of wanting allures that belong elsewhere.
(note : “wanting allures that belong elsewhere” includes alluring thought trains and topics that do not belong to the refreshing and rejuvenating quiet of meditation and rest. In fact, such unnecessary and unhelpful thinking do not really belong anywhere in our lives. kasya literally means “whose?” or “where?” or “why?” and -svid is a suffix that makes the “whose?”, “where?” or “why?” very indefinite. To whom do these problems belong? Where do these problems belong? Why should we be entangled in them?)
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
degrading those pursuits
andhena tamasā vṛtāḥ
blindness darkness hidden
3) Degrading 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.
(note : loka literally means region or place, and what people do there. It suggests free open space. So the expression ‘te loka adhena tamasā’ suggests a place that has lost its freedom, due to defilements (tamas) and a blindness (adhena) to them. To the point of being even diabolical (asurya).)
anejat manaso javīya ekaṃ devā
stabilise mind skilful at-one Deity
āpnuvan pūrvam.
approach, original.
arrive at purity.
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 support, receive help
4) So let us carefully direct and protect (dadhāti) our mind in a skilful way, be stable and at-one with Deity, and head towards our primordial purity. 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 either 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 mātar-īśvara which can also be interpreted as “Pure consciousness (īśvara) that nurtures (mātar). mātar is equivalent to the Latin mater = mother.)
yastu sarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmani eva ānu-paśyati
who in all of us higher surely observe with
self objectivity
vijānataḥ na vijugupsate mohaḥ śokaḥ
with insight not deny, deadening burning
conceal, ignore defilements pain
6 & 7) Our own innate nurturing (mātar-īśvara) is surely in all of us. She is the higher self’s ability to observe and experience the painful thoughts and feelings in our mind (mohaḥ + śokaḥ) with objectivity and insight, 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 (mātar-īśvara) is the eternal Deity within us (paribhū). She is spiritual and separate from the physical, with “no sinews”. The indwelling Deity (paribhūḥ) is unblemished and not afflicted with evil. She purifies us from festering sores (vraṇāt) and from penetrating hurts (viddhāt). She is wisdom and sagacity, She pervades us with happiness, and She takes us towards equanimity and inner peace. She is independent (svayam-bhū), and originates from and dwells within our higher self (svayam-bhū).
(note 1. The word used in verse 8 for indwelling Deity is paribhū. bhū = being and pari = near, around, so paribhū can mean Deity that is lives around us and near us. Yet bhū also means become and gain, and pari also means develop, beyond, richly so paribhū can also mean ‘take care of, guide, govern.’ So the word paribhū describes two different yet not unrelated features of Deity.
note 2. svayam = self, higher self, self originated so svayam-bhū can mean ‘developed from the self or independent.’ Yet svayam-bhū can also mean ‘originating from and dwelling within the higher self.’ These are two more features of Deity.)
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) When we truly know and understand both wisdom and un-wisdom,
a-vidyāt mṛtyor tīrtvā
stupidity, mortality, transcend
ignorance destructive
vidyayā amṛtāya aśnute
wisdom, immortal, return to,
clarity eternal attain
then we will transcend from stupidity and ignorance and move towards wisdom and clarity. We will transcend from mortality and destructiveness, and return to and restore the immortal and eternal.
(Note. In the expression – “know wisdom”, this can be the wisdom of turning towards nurturing, valuing it, and re-establishing inner nurturing into this moment. Perhaps by valuing and appreciating the good things we have, being content, and take delight and enjoyment in life. “know ignorance” can be the ignorance that allows problems to breed, that fuels the instability of mind and mental noise. When we truly ‘know’ both these opposites, then we can transcend …… )
2. Comment on the Composition of īśa upaniṣad.
Verses 1 – 3 emphasise the importance of avoiding painful speech and action (karma). Then verses 4 – 8 discuss the innate nurturing that enables us to avoid such bad karma. Such nurturing is an essential Quality of Deity, and Hinduism has very many Names and words for Deity. The Name (nāma) used in Isha Upanishad is “mātari-svān”, which can also be spelled “mātar-īśvāra”. This Name for Deity appears late in verse 4. Then verses 5 – 8 all begin with the words tat, yastu, sa = that or who. These words all relate to the Name (nāma) for Deity, which is mātari-svān = mātar-īśvāra for Isha Upanishad (īśa upaniṣad).
Thus Deity is not named directly in verses 5 – 8, but only referred to indirectly, using indirect words “that, who.” Deity is infinite, and words are finite, with finite meaning. Using such indirect language helps us to let go of limiting, ego centric notions and opinions about the Divine, when we recite sacred verses.
Then verses 9 – 11 discuss un-wisdom (a-vidya) and wisdom (vidya). We need to properly understand these two extremes, to avoid harmful speech and action.
Isha Upanishad (īśa upaniṣad) then continues with verses 12 – 18, which give further discussion. May I suggest we properly understand and study verses 1 – 11 first, before proceeding any further. Verses 1 – 11 are complete within themselves, as a unit.
3. 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), when conditions are favourable to do so. It concludes with the expression (or mantra) –
pūrṇam -eva vasiṣyate
purity surely will be here.
This is what we can do to support our own innate nurturing, described as ‘mātari-svān’ in īśa upaniṣad.
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
4. 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
https://pdfcoffee.com/isha-upanishad-word-for-word-translation-with-transliteration-and-grammatical-notes-pdf-free.html
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
I found that the dictionary meaning worked well for most words in Isha Upanishad, often the exact dictionary words. But the less commonly used dictionary meanings were usually the best choice. A few words were superfluous, and I left these on Stephanie’s website.
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
https://pdfcoffee.com/isha-upanishad-word-for-word-translation-with-transliteration-and-grammatical-notes-pdf-free.html
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
I found that the dictionary meaning worked well for most words in Isha Upanishad, often the exact dictionary words. But the less commonly used dictionary meanings were usually the best choice. A few words were superfluous, and I left these on Stephanie’s website.
5. A Clear and Comprehensible Translation
of Upanishad.
Some traditional presentations of Isha Upanishad are caught up in strange unexplained religious beliefs about themes such as ‘Self’, ‘themselves’, the ‘world within’ and the ‘world without’. They make quite extraordinary claims about these themes. Yet they are using these terms in ways completely unrelated to the common sense understanding of these terms.
Other presentations of Isha Upanishad talk about ‘worshipping karma born of ignorance’ and ‘worshipping knowledge of Devatas’ instead of the ‘world within’ and the ‘world without’. And provide no information about what they mean about these strange terms.
More importantly, these strange religious beliefs effectively conceal vital information about our spiritual practice, preserved in the original Sanskrit.
This is a common problem in traditional presentation of the Upanishads. By tradition, the Upanishads have been presented in obscure language that can confuse more than clarify. They conceal more than reveal the full value of these verses, for our daily lives. This gives a misleading impression that the Upanishads are obscure, esoteric, and only the elite can properly understand them. This has effectively put the full value of Upanishadic material out-of-reach of the common people. For very many centuries the Upanishads have been studied only by the Brahman priestly caste.
In more recent millennia, new material was incorporated into Hindu scriptures for the common people. These are Purana (puraņa), 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 the Upanishads (upaniṣad) express important spiritual insights that arise from deep meditation. upaniṣad preserve and convey important information about spiritual practice, that we need to give us direction on the Path.
upaniṣad was not composed to be obscured with confusing obfuscations. upaniṣad can be easy to use and understand, if priority is given to a translation that is sensible and comprehensible. This I have done.
I often found that the lesser dictionary meanings worked better than the primary meanings, when I translated these upaniṣad. At times I had to extrapolate considerably from dictionary meanings, to make the translation work. Or I had to use other information sources. I also adjusted word sequence and grammar. upaniṣad is ancient, with archaic Sanskrit, and primary dictionary meanings might be classical Sanskrit from a later epoch in Indian history.
In addition, Sanskrit verse is concise and succinct, with all unnecessary verbiage omitted. We often have to add words to the Sanskrit to make sense of it. We also need to be quite familiar with the Principles of spiritual practice to know what words to add.
I place the sacred language of Sanskrit side by side with the worldly language, with diacritics retained to indicate proper pronunciation. In this, the sacred language is supposed to be articulated, to help us to gain full benefit. We need to get out of this “One Language” of English, and explore others.
May the beauty of sacred language attract us to the beauty of spiritual practice.
Composed by Mike Browning, 2021. ©Copyright cannot be claimed for this webpage, for the important sections of it all come from ancient tradition.
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.
