The Upanishads help us solve the mystery of life and creation. They reveal to us the nature of the Absolute Truth. The knowledge they expound is unmatched in its sublimity. Along with philosophic insights, the Upanishads provide clear methodologies for spiritual elevation. They are eminently capable of guiding souls from material bondage to spiritual perfection. For this reason, these holy books are held in the highest esteem. The Ishavasya Upanishad is considered the first Upanishad in the Vedic structure. Its beautiful and profound name means ‘the Upanishad of the all-pervading God’. The uniqueness of this sacred text is that it skilfully resolves contrary viewpoints. And in doing so, it provides the wisdom for achieving a harmonious balance among the different dimensions of life.
तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके । तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः || That Supreme Lord walks, while remaining still. He is very far and also extremely close. Though He resides within everything in this world, yet He is also present outside this creation. ishavasya Upnishad or Isha upnishad is an ancient Hindu text, it is one of the shortest Upanishads consisting only 18 verses. It is considered a mukhya upnishad or Principal upnishad. As the name suggests “Isha” this upnishad is dedicated to the lord, the supreme power in the Hindu faith. Through the dvaita and Advaita (dualism and non-dualism) this holy text explains the nature of the lord and the self - the atma. Ishopanishad has many commentaries, this specific one is written by swami Mukundananda who named this teeka as Kripalu Toshini teeka. The author introduces this sacred text in his teeka as “the upnishad of the all-pervading God.” In all 18 verses authors explains all of them in simple layman terms. Most of them dedicated to explanation of the all powerful Paramatma (Supreme soul), his nature and qualities, the human soul it’s nature and how it can get closer to the supreme soul - the lord. A spiritual text that touches the soul, sings the glory of god and paves a way for us mortals to experience her/his divine presence. I’m fortunate to get an opportunity to read this beautiful teeka on the most beautiful upnishad in Hindu philosophy. In praise of it Mahatma Gandhi said - “If all the Upanishads and all the other scriptures happened all of a sudden to be reduced to ashes, and if only the first verse in the Ishopanishad were left in the memory of the Hindus, Hinduism would live forever.”
And that first verse is as follows - “ईशावास्यमिदं सर्वं” meaning “All of creation, whether sentient or insentient, is pervaded by god.
The Upanishads reveal the nature of the Absolute Truth. They help us solve the mystery of life and creation. Who are we? Why are we on this planet? Why does creation exist? Is there a Supreme Intelligence behind creation? And what, after all, is the purpose of the world? On these bigger questions of life, the Upanishads provide astonishing insights. The knowledge they expound is unmatched in its sublimity. For this reason, these holy books are held in the highest esteem by spiritualists, thinkers, and philosophers.
The Ishavasya Upanishad is considered the first Upanishad in the Vedic structure. Its beautiful and profound name means ‘the Upanishad of the all-pervading God’. The uniqueness of this sacred text is that it skilfully resolves contrary viewpoints. And in doing so, it provides the wisdom for achieving a harmonious balance among the different dimensions of life.
The simplicity with which the essence of these texts is rendered is commendable. This makes the book not only readable but accessible too.
Supreme divine guidance and advice to reach the end goal
Spellbound by the commentary on Ishavasya Upanishad by Swami Mukundandaji. Without this translation in English the divine wisdom would have been out of the of reach of the souls who are in search to understand the presence in this material world and our ultimate purpose of the human form.