Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula

IsA vAsya upaniSad (Isa Upanishad)

Translated and Explained by Satya Sarada Kandula in the light of Adi Sankaracharyas Commentary and Sri Krishnas Bhagavad Gita and her own understanding.

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula This work first appeared as a series of blog-posts on ancientindians.wordpress.com and satyaveda.wordpress.com from April 2010 to June 2013. The material has been revised and edited into a book form in November 2012 (Karthika Masam). This work is protected by traditional copyright. All Rights Reserved by Satya Sarada Kandula.

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula

Letter Scheme (Transliteration Chart) a A(aa) i I(ee) u U(oo) R RR e E ai o O au(ou, ow) am ah. ka kha ga gha Ma ca cha ja jha gnya Ta Tha Da Dha Na ta tha dad ha na pa pha ba bha ma ya ra la va sa Sa sa ha la kSa tra gnya La
avagraha cihna (a symbol for a when used in a sandhi)

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula

Preface
The Isa Upanishad is the last part of the Sukla Yajur Veda, given to us by Yajnavalkya, received by him from Surya Deva. It is said that Surya was in the form of an Asva (or horse), when he delivered this wisdom. The sun and the horse are always seen in the Ancient Indian Philosophical context as associated with illumination and learning. So first we respectfully remember Surya and Yagnyavalkya.

Jagadguru Sri Krishna gave us the Bhagavad Gita which is the essence of all the upanishads. As we try to understand the Isa Upanishad, we always look and see what Krishna said in the bhagavad gita, for clearer understanding. We devoutly remember Krishna and Veda Vyasa.

Lokasankara, Sri Adi Sankaracharya has written a commentary on the Isa Upanishad as well as on the Bhagavad Gita. If VisalaBuddhi, Veda Vyasa consolidated and classified all the Vedas and Puranas and has himself the Mahabharata and the Bhagavatam as well as the Brahmasutras, Then Prachandabuddhi, Adi Sankaracharya has studied all of these, commented on the Upanishads, BrahmaSutras and the Bhagavad Gita

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula and a portion of the Mahabharata like the Vishnu Sahasranamam. He has also written several illuminating texts as well as beautiful stotras. It is in the light of his commentaries and explanations that we attempt to understand the Upanishads. There are those who disagree with him, but no one ever ignores his work. Sankaracharyas conclusion after all his studies is the Advaita Philosophy Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithyam, Jivo Brahmah Na Parah. Brahman is the Truth. The Moving World is an Illusion. The Jiva is the Brahman, not any other. We reverently remember Adi Sankaracharya before we begin our study of the Isa Upanishad. AUM srI gurubhyOr namah! We also gratefully and respectfully remember the Brahmin gurusishya tradition which preserved this knowledge over the millennia, sometimes under severe duress. We regard the nationalist movement and the philanthropists who worked hard to make this precious knowledge available to all people and in all languages.

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula Finally these words come to you, the reader of this book, through my agency. I first acquired the Isa Upanishad while I was studying for my bachelors degree in engineering. My father autographed the book for me with tvamEvAham you verily are I! This Upanishad I first taught to my fathers cousins. I have read this Upanishad over and over again. In 2010, I was fortunate to be taught the proper chanting, with vEda swarAs of the IsA upanishad by my vEda guru, pUjya Smt. Kunda Channagiri. After discussing the meanings with me in a few elaborate sessions, she pointed me to the sAnkara bhASya and advised me to study the meanings in the context of the work of this great practitioner (AcArya) of Advaita. I respectfully touch the feet of this guide who put this book in my hands and asked me to study it. Where would I be without her? She encouraged me to interpret, allowed me to debate and gently directed me towards the goal, even while continually blessing me that I should attain brahma vidya!

Starting in 2010, I started writing a series of blog-posts, battling with my interpretations and re-interpretations in the light of this great geniuss commentary. I completed that series in 2011. This year, I am finally bringing out my first edition of this book.

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula

May this work help you along your path. Satya Sarada Kandula 26th Nov. 2012 Bangalore (Bengaluru)

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula

Peace Invocation : sAnti mantram

AUM pUrNamadah pUrNamidam pUrNat pUrNamudacyatE | pUrNasya pUrNamAdAya pUrNamEvAvasiSyatE.||0|| AUM sAntih, sAntih, sAntih. Every Upanishad begins with an invocation for inner peace. We do not wish to be disturbed by causes internal, external or divine. Aum is the divine sound and represents the brahman. purnam adah that is complete purnam idam - this is complete purnat purnamudachyate completeness arises from completeness purnasya purnamadaya having taken completeness from completeness purnameva avasishyate only completeness remains. AUM, this is complete and that is complete. From completeness, completeness arises. Having taken the completeness of completeness, only completeness remains. What do the words this and that refer to? This is all that we see. That is the Brahman, the great, the divine, the perfect.

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula All this came from that. From perfection only perfection can arise. That means that all that we see is also perfect. It is also complete. We normally think that when you take something out of something else there is less of the original stuff to go around. However when you look at the infinity concept in mathematics you can see that subtracting infinity from infinity leaves infinity. Similarly when a perfect world emerges from a perfect being, or a complete world is taken from a complete being, the original being is still perfect and complete. When a perfect child is born of a perfect mother, the mother is still perfect and complete. If you look at the world around you and look at it as imperfect and incomplete you will not have inner peace or santhi. Without inner peace you cannot think, contemplate or meditate and understand the truth. So first let us accept that the world around us is pURNa since it comes from that perfect complete divine Brahman. And perfection can only give rise to perfection.

10

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula

See Isa everywhere, be detached.

IsA vAsyam idam sarvam yat kinca jagatyAm jagat | tEna tyaktEna bhunjIthA mA grudhah kasya svid dhanam. ||1||

The first word is IsA. In the Vedas, every time there is a reference to the Divine, it is to one of his attributes. For eg savitR is progenitor, pUSan is the one who nourishes all of us, viSNu means omnipresent and so on. IsA refers to that aspect of the divine according to whose will or iSTa, this universe moves. isa vasyam by the Isa should be covered. idam sarvam all this yatkinca jagatyaam jagat which moves in this moving world. tena tyaktena bhunjitah be one who is protected by renunciation maa grudhah kasya sviddhanam do not covet another mans wealth By Isa, should be covered (as with a cloth) all this, every which thing, that moves in the world. By giving that up, be protected, dont covet anyones wealth. (for whose is wealth?)

11

Isa Vasya Upanishad (Complete) Interpretation by Satya Sarada Kandula Every which thing that moves in this moving world should be cloaked in our mind by IsA. Whatever we look at we should see IsA only, the one by whose will this entire universe moves. When you cover something with a cloth, all you can see is the cloth and not the object. Similarly when you cover everything by IsA, all you can see is IsA. It is detachment from all things that will protect you, neither the thing nor the attachment to it. Dhanam or wealth means different things to different people. But who does everything belong to? Dont covet things or want them, they are not yours or your neighbours. There is one Isa based on whose will everything moves. The concept of duality is an illusion. Just as wet sandal can be made to smell good again, by rubbing it with sandal, all duality, change and motion can be made to disappear by recognising Isa everywhere. All things have nothing but Isa, the paramAtma in them as their Atma. When you cover them again with Isa, the duality disappears. Now you no longer care for threefold desires of sons, wealth and worlds. sankarAcArya says that this is the way for those who seek liberation through renunciation. They need not perform any karma, vEdOkta or otherwise. He says that this upanishad is for those who seek to know the true nature of things. True Knowledge and Karma are not the same path at all. We can work or we can know. Action is for those who cannot understand the True Nature of Reality. Knowledge inhibits action, emotion facilitates action. Renunciation is for those who understand the true nature of reality.

12