Last verified: April 2026 · Source: Īśāvāsyopaniṣad · Trans. Swami Gambhirananda, Eight Upaniṣads Vol. 1 (Advaita Ashrama, 2009)

ईशावास्योपनिषद्

Īśā Upaniṣad

18 verses. The shortest of the ten principal Upanishads — and one of the most philosophically daring. It opens with the instruction that the Lord pervades all this, and proceeds to hold action and renunciation, knowledge and worship, in a single unresolved tension that has generated commentary for 1500 years.

Śuklayajurveda (Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā 40) 18 verses All verses covered ✓

What makes Īśā distinctive Every other principal Upaniṣad reaches its philosophical content through dialogue or narrative. The Īśā has none. It is 18 direct, compressed, sometimes paradoxical statements — the most concentrated philosophical statement in the entire Upanishadic corpus. Śaṅkara's bhāṣya on verse 2 alone is longer than most Upanishads.

The text belongs to the closing chapter (40th adhyāya) of the Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā of the Śuklayajurveda — making it unique among the Upanishads in being embedded within a Saṃhitā rather than in a Brāhmaṇa or Āraṇyaka. The title comes from the first word: īśā (by the Lord) + vāsyam (to be clothed/pervaded) — the Lord is to be perceived in and as all this.

Verses 1–8 deal with the question of action versus renunciation. Verse 9–14 address the relationship between knowledge and ignorance, becoming and non-becoming. Verses 15–18 are a dying prayer — addressed to the sun, asking that the true face behind the light be revealed. The text has been read as both fully compatible with Advaita (Śaṅkara) and as requiring a theistic interpretation (the later tradition associated with Rāmānuja).

All 18 Verses

ईशावास्यमिदँ सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्

All this is pervaded by the Lord

The foundational statement: the Lord (Īśa/Brahman) dwells in and as all this — everything moving in this moving world. Enjoy by renouncing. Do not covet anyone's wealth.

कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतँ समाः

By action alone — the householder's path

Do your actions and wish to live a hundred years — there is no way karma can cling to you. Not that action is always appropriate, but for the one who cannot yet renounce, action performed as non-attachment is the path. Śaṅkara's most contested verse.

असुर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसावृताः

The worlds covered in blind darkness

Those who slay the self — who live as though the self is merely the body-mind — enter worlds covered in blinding darkness after death. The first warning in the text.

अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत्

Unmoving, one, swifter than the mind

The self does not move, yet it outruns the mind. It does not move, yet the gods could not reach it first when it ran ahead. Standing, it outpaces those who run. In it, the wind holds the waters.

तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके

It moves — it does not move. Far — and near.

It moves and it does not move. It is far and it is near. It is inside all this and it is outside all this. The paradox of Brahman as both immanent and transcendent, stated without resolution.

यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति

Who sees all beings in the self

The one who sees all beings in the self alone, and the self in all beings — is not deluded by anything. For one who sees thus, how can there be delusion, how can there be grief?

यस्मिन्सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मैवाभूद्विजानतः

When the knower sees all as self

When the knower of Brahman realises that all beings have become the self — then what delusion is there, what grief, when one sees oneness?

स पर्यगाच्छुक्रमकायमव्रणमस्नाविरँ शुद्धमपापविद्धम्

The self — radiant, bodiless, unscathed

It pervades all. Radiant, bodiless, unscathed, without sinews, pure, untouched by evil — the wise, all-seeing poet has encompassed all things from eternity. He ordains for each its place.

अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते

Into blind darkness — those who worship ignorance

Into blind darkness enter those who worship ignorance. Into darkness even greater than that enter those who are devoted to knowledge alone. The first of the great paradoxical pairs.

अन्यदेवाहुर्विद्यया अन्यदाहुरविद्यया

Knowledge and ignorance lead to different results

One result, they say, comes from knowledge — another from ignorance. Thus we have heard from the wise who explained this to us.

विद्यां चाविद्यां च यस्तद्वेदोभयँ सह

By ignorance crosses death — by knowledge attains immortality

One who knows both knowledge and ignorance together — crossing death through ignorance, attains immortality through knowledge. The resolution of the paradox in verses 9–10.

अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽसम्भूतिमुपासते

Into blind darkness — those who worship non-becoming

The second paradoxical pair: those who worship non-becoming enter blind darkness. But those devoted to becoming alone enter even greater darkness. The same structure as verses 9–10, applied to a different axis.

अन्यदेवाहुः सम्भवादन्यदाहुरसम्भवात्

Becoming and non-becoming lead to different results

One result, they say, comes from becoming — another from non-becoming. Thus we have heard from the wise who explained this to us.

सम्भूतिं च विनाशं च यस्तद्वेदोभयँ सह

By non-becoming crosses death — by becoming attains immortality

One who knows both becoming and non-becoming together — crossing death through non-becoming, attains immortality through becoming. Resolution of the second paradox.

हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम्

The golden lid — prayer to the sun

The face of truth is covered by a golden vessel. Remove it, O Pūṣan, so that I who am devoted to truth may see it. The famous dying prayer begins. The sun veils Brahman even as it reveals it.

पूषन्नेकर्षे यम सूर्य प्राजापत्य व्यूह रश्मीन्

O Pūṣan, lone traveller — gather your rays

O Pūṣan, lone traveller, Yama, sun, child of Prajāpati — gather your rays, withdraw your light, so I may see your most auspicious form. That person there — I am that person.

वायुरनिलममृतमथेदं भस्मान्तँ शरीरम्

Breath to wind — body to ash

Let the breath go to the immortal wind. Let this body end in ash. O mind, remember — remember the deeds. O Agni, lead us along the good path to prosperity. You know all our actions.

अग्ने नय सुपथा राये अस्मान् विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान्

O Agni — lead us by the good path

O Agni, lead us by the good path to prosperity. You know all our crookedness, O god. Remove from us the sin that leads us astray. We shall offer you the fullest praise.