Isha Upanishad
ईशावास्योपनिषद्
The shortest of the ten principal Upanishads — just 18 verses from the Shukla Yajurveda (Vajasaneyi Samhita). Also known as Ishavasya Upanishad. It reconciles the paths of action and knowledge, teaching that the Lord (Isha) pervades the entire universe, and that true renunciation is non-attachment, not abandonment of action.
Read Overview →Shlokas (18)
+ Add ShlokaAll This Is Pervaded by the Lord
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 1
ईशावास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत् । तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ॥ १ ॥
īśāvāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiñca jagatyāṃ jagat | tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam || 1 ||
All this — whatever exists in this moving world — is pervaded by the Lord. Enjoy whatever He has given up; do not covet anyone's wealth.
Action and Long Life
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 2
कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः । एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥ २ ॥
kurvanneveha karmāṇi jijīviṣec chataṃ samāḥ | evaṃ tvayi nānyathetо'sti na karma lipyate nare || 2 ||
Performing works here below, one should desire to live a hundred years. Only in this way — not otherwise — does karma not cling to a person.
Those Who Slay the Self
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 3
असुर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसाऽऽवृताः । ताँस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः ॥ ३ ॥
asūryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ | tāṃs te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātmahano janāḥ || 3 ||
Those worlds called sunless, wrapped in blinding darkness — to them go, after death, those people who are slayers of the Self.
The Self — Unmoving Yet Swifter Than the Mind
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 4
अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन् पूर्वमर्षत् । तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत् तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥ ४ ॥
anejad ekaṃ manaso javīyo nainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat | tad dhāvato’nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat tasmin napo mātariśvā dadhāti || 4 ||
Unmoving, It is One — swifter than the mind. The gods could not reach It, for It moves ahead. Standing still, It overtakes those who run. In It, Matarishva (wind/prana) places the waters of life.
It Moves and It Moves Not
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 5
तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके । तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ॥ ५ ॥
tad ejati tan naijati tad dūre tad v antike | tad antarasya sarvasya tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ || 5 ||
It moves — and It moves not. It is far — and It is near. It is within all this — and It is also outside all this.
Seeing All Beings in the Self
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 6
यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति । सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते ॥ ६ ॥
yas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmany evānupaśyati | sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṃ tato na vijugupsate || 6 ||
One who sees all beings in the Self alone, and the Self in all beings — from that one has no hatred.
Where Is Delusion or Sorrow for the Knower?
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 7
यस्मिन्सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मैवाभूद्विजानतः । तत्र को मोहः कः शोकः एकत्वमनुपश्यतः ॥ ७ ॥
yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ | tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śokaḥ ekatvam anupaśyataḥ || 7 ||
When, for the knower, all beings have become the Self itself — what delusion and what sorrow can there be for one who sees this unity?
The Self — Radiant, Bodiless, Pure
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 8
स पर्यगाच्छुक्रमकायमव्रणम् असनाविरꣳ शुद्धमपापविद्धम् । कविर्मनीषी परिभूः स्वयम्भूः याथातथ्यतोऽर्थान् व्यदधाच्छाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्यः ॥ ८ ॥
sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇam asanāviraṃ śuddham apāpaviddham | kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūḥ yāthātathyato’rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ || 8 ||
He is all-pervading, radiant, bodiless, without wound, without sinew, pure, untouched by sin — the poet, the thinker, the self-existent. He has ordained things rightly for eternal ages.
The Darkness of Ignorance (Avidya)
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 9
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते । ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायां रताः ॥ ९ ॥
andhaṃ tamaḥ praviśanti ye’vidyām upāsate | tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyāṃ ratāḥ || 9 ||
Those who worship ignorance (avidya) enter blinding darkness; but those who delight only in knowledge (vidya) enter into even greater darkness.
Vidya and Avidya Yield Different Results
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 10
अन्यदेवाहुर्विद्ययाऽन्यदाहुरविद्यया । इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे ॥ १० ॥
anyad evāhur vidyayā anyad āhur avidyayā | iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṃ ye nas tad vicacakṣire || 10 ||
One thing they say is attained through knowledge (vidya); another thing, they say, through ignorance (avidya). Thus we have heard from the wise who explained this to us.
Combining Vidya and Avidya — Crossing Death, Gaining Immortality
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 11
विद्यां चाविद्यां च यस्तद्वेदोभयꣳ सह । अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वा विद्ययाऽमृतमश्नुते ॥ ११ ॥
vidyāṃ cāvidyāṃ ca yas tad vedobhayaṃ saha | avidyayā mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā vidyayā’mṛtam aśnute || 11 ||
Whoever knows both vidya and avidya together — by avidya crosses over death, and by vidya gains immortality.
The Darkness of Worshipping the Unmanifest Alone
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 12
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽसम्भूतिमुपासते । ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ सम्भूत्यां रताः ॥ १२ ॥
andhaṃ tamaḥ praviśanti ye’sambhūtim upāsate | tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u sambhūtyāṃ ratāḥ || 12 ||
Those who worship the unmanifest (asambhuti — the Unborn) enter blinding darkness; but those who are devoted only to the manifest (sambhuti — the created) enter even greater darkness.
Sambhava and Asambhava Yield Different Results
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 13
अन्यदेवाहुः सम्भवादन्यदाहुरसम्भवात् । इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे ॥ १३ ॥
anyad evāhuḥ sambhavād anyad āhur asambhavāt | iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṃ ye nas tad vicacakṣire || 13 ||
One thing they say results from the manifest (sambhava); another thing from the unmanifest (asambhava). Thus we have heard from the wise ones who explained this to us.
Combining Both — Cross Death and Gain Immortality
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 14
सम्भूतिं च विनाशं च यस्तद्वेदोभयꣳ सह । विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा सम्भूत्याऽमृतमश्नुते ॥ १४ ॥
sambhūtiṃ ca vināśaṃ ca yas tad vedobhayaṃ saha | vināśena mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā sambhūtyā’mṛtam aśnute || 14 ||
Whoever knows both the manifest (sambhuti) and dissolution (vinasha) together — by dissolution crosses over death, and by the manifest gains immortality.
Golden Lid on the Face of Truth
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 15
हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम् । तत्त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥ १५ ॥
hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitaṃ mukham | tat tvaṃ pūṣann apāvṛṇu satyadharmāya dṛṣṭaye || 15 ||
The face of Truth is covered by a golden disk. O Pushan (Sun), remove it so that I who am devoted to Truth may behold it.
Prayer to the Sun — I Am That Person
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 16
पूषन्नेकर्षे यम सूर्य प्राजापत्य व्यूह रश्मीन्समूह । तेजो यत्ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत्ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ॥ १६ ॥
pūṣann ekarṣe yama sūrya prājāpatya vyūha raśmīn samūha | tejo yat te rūpaṃ kalyāṇatamaṃ tat te paśyāmi yo'sāv asau puruṣaḥ so'ham asmi || 16 ||
O Pushan, sole Seer, O Yama, O Surya, O son of Prajapati — gather your rays and draw them in. I behold your most auspicious form. That person yonder — I am He.
Body Returns to Ashes — Remember the Deeds!
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 17
वायुरनिलममृतमथेदं भस्मान्तꣳ शरीरम् । ॐ क्रतो स्मर कृतꣳ स्मर क्रतो स्मर कृतꣳ स्मर ॥ १७ ॥
vāyur anilam amṛtam athedaṃ bhasmāntaṃ śarīram | oṃ krato smara kṛtaṃ smara krato smara kṛtaṃ smara || 17 ||
The breath merges into the immortal wind; this body ends in ashes. OM. O mind (krato), remember! O deed, remember! Remember the deeds done! Remember!
Lead Us on the Good Path — Final Prayer
Isha Upanishad · Chapter 1 · Verse 18
अग्ने नय सुपथा राये अस्मान् विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान् । युयोध्यस्मज्जुहुराणमेनो भूयिष्ठां ते नम उक्तिं विधेम ॥ १८ ॥
agne naya supathā rāye asmān viśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān | yuyodhy asmaj juhurāṇam eno bhūyiṣṭhāṃ te nama uktim vidhema || 18 ||
O Agni, lead us along the good path to prosperity. O God, you know all the ways. Keep far from us the sin that leads us astray. We offer to you the most abundant praise.