Isavasyopanishad - 1st Manthram

[Guest guest]

Respected Ramanuja Bhaktas,

 

Continuing with the 18-part series on Isavasyo:panishad, here is the

transliteration and explanation of the 1st manthram as provided to us by HH

Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamy.

 

Please feel free to reply with your questions or comments, so that these can

be addressed directly by Sri Jeeyar Swamy.

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mohan

 

1st Manthram:

 

isa:va:syamidam sarvam

yath kincha jagathyam jagath |

the:na thyakthe:na bhunjidhah

magridhah kasyaviddha:na:m ||

 

This very first manthra tells us how we should live in this world which is

pervaded by God and therefore belongs to God in its entirety. This manthra

thus describes the nature of this world and directs us how we ought to live in

this world. The meaning of this manthra may be stated as follows:

 

‘Jagathyam’ in this world, ‘yathkincha’ whatever small part ‘Jagath’ with the

property of evolving is visible to us, that part is ‘Isa:va:syam’ entirely

controlled and inhibited by Him. As He pervades the whole world, the whole

world is in him and it is occupied by Him. That is, He remains outside the

world and at the same time dwells in it thereby living in it and controlling

it in its entirety. The verbs root ‘Vas’ several connotations. For instance it

means to dwell or to live, it also means to be occupied, and then it means to

cover, to envelop, and hence the derivative ‘vasthram’ means which covers or

envelops and protects the body. Thus this entire world is not only inhabited,

occupied and controlled but also enveloped by God! That is, He protects the

world. Another implication is that God wears this entire world as a cloth or

cover. Does the cloth possess any individuality or independent existence? No,

it is fully under the control of the person who wears it. Likewise this entire

world is under the total control of Paramathma, the Lord. In other words, this

entire phenomenal world, the animate creatures, inanimate objects, trees,

rivers, mountains, oceans, the sky, the stars, the planets and everything is

completely under the control of God because it belongs to Him.

 

Therefore, this mantra tells men, ‘bhunjidhah’ enjoy all the things of this

world which has an evolutionary character. Attain them, use them and enjoy

them according to your qualifications and need. But this enjoyment should have

a clear-cut approach; ‘the:nathyakthe:na’ enjoy them in the name of God. That

is, while enjoying all these worldly objects remember that they are His

property. Hence while enjoying His property renounce the idea of egoism. Don’t

think that ‘it is mine or I am enjoying it’. Renounce the idea that you are

the owner of things, or you are enjoying the things. Renounce the idea of ‘I’,

‘mine’, ‘myself’, ‘me’ etc. and substitute them with ‘He’, ‘Himself’, and

‘Him’. As God dwells in the entire world He is also dwelling in you. What ever

you got is also got by Him, whatever you enjoy is also enjoyed by Him.

Ultimately the owner, controller, giver, recipient, beneficiary and

experienced is He, not you. Therefore this mantra says that man is free to

enjoy the things and experiences provided this phenomenal world but he should

do so without a sense of egoism, a sense of possession and with a sense of

renunciation. In other words man should practice three kinds of renunciation:

phalathya:ga (renunciation of fruits of our actions), sangathya:ga(

renunciation of possession or association) and karthruthwathya:ga (

renunciation of agent or performers role). That is, man should learn to feel

“whatever I do is actually done by Him and everything else also belongs to

Him”. Hence the mantra adds further ‘magridhah’- don’t think that it is yours

‘kasyasviddha:na:m’ which belongs to others (i.e., to Him). If you start

thinking that things or objects belong to you and that you are their owner,

you will be no better that a thief who steals other goods. When the entire

world is His how foolish is it on your part to think that certain things are

yours. If you consider so you will be a cheat, a thief, a criminal and a

culprit. So enjoy everything given to you in this world but leave the

consequence, goal or your experience to – God.

 

It can be noted that this mantra reflects in a brief manner, the pulse of

Indian culture, philosophy or civilization. The purport of this mantra is the

fundamental principle of the Indian culture.