By: JayakrishNa Nelamangala
॥ॐ श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः हरिः ॐ ॥
Before we study the first mantra of the IshAvAsya upanishat, here are certain fundamental principles that a student of vedAnta must be aware of. We will dwell on some of these points as we go through this series of postings. The three means of knowledge (called pramANa) are pratyaksha (perception), anumAna ( inference ) and verbal testimony ( Agama).
The knowledge generated by pratyaksha has the name ‘pratyaksha’
The knowledge generated by anumAna is called ‘anumiti’
The knowledge generated by verbal-testimony is called ‘shabda-jnyAna’.
One upanishat never contradicts another upanishat. Vedas when understood with the help of brahma-sootras, become the highest pramANa. The knowledge generated by Agama is vague to begin with. It is not like pratyaksha. The knowledge generated by pratyaksha is definite and clear. If I say, “this is a blue pen” then irrespective of one’s religious beliefs, it is still a blue pen to everyone because that knowledge belongs to pratyaksha. But the knowledge generated by Agama is not like that at all. It is very vague to begin with. It is inquiry in the form of shravaNa-manana-nidhidhyAsanA (also known as brahma-jignyAsA) that brings clarity to the vagueness in knowledge. Sri VedavyAsa wrote brahma-sootras in order to fix the meaning of veda. Veda becomes the highest pramANa, when it teaches the Highest. Veda when understood without the help of brahma-sootras, is often made to yield to the mind dispositions of various thinkers. In this circumstance, one should remember that Veda is apourushEya to begin with. The previously existing Veda is revealed to a rishi. Under the na-vilakshaNa adhikaraNa of the brahma-sootras, Sri VedavyAsa teaches that the nature of Veda is quite distinct and different from all other authored Agama that is known to mankind.
The moment ‘knowledge’ is mentioned, three things should come to our mind. 1) The knower (subject of knowledge) 2) What is known (object of knowledge) and 3) The process of knowing. The ‘knower’ is the subject for the knowledge of ‘what is known’ by the ‘process of knowing’. At the end of the process, the knower has the knowledge of the object. ‘knowledgeless subject’, ‘subjectless knowledge’ and ‘objectless knowledge’ are all meaningless phrases. ‘Knowledge’ itself is the object for ‘theory of knowledge’ i.e., epistemology or what is known as ‘pramANa vicAra’ in vedAnta. Similarly, a subject himself/herself can be the object of knowledge. There are certain vedAnta thinkers that do teach that a knower cannot be the known and they are quite wrong in this observation. When self-introspection is done, the object and the subject can be one and the same for that piece of knowledge. There is a lot to be said on the topic of ‘theory of knowledge’ which includes ‘theory of error’ as well. We will touch upon this very fundamental and important subject as we go forward with this series.
For any piece of knowledge, there is always a prerequisite. For example: for the knowledge of college Algebra, high school Algebra is a prerequisite. vedAntic knowledge imparted by this upanishat also has a prerequisite which is technically called as ‘adhikAra’ i.e, fittedness for knowledge. IshAvAsya starts off by specifying the adhikAra.
For any piece of knowledge, there is always a prerequisite. For example: for the knowledge of college Algebra, high school Algebra is a prerequisite. vedAntic knowledge imparted by this upanishat also has a prerequisite which is technically called as ‘adhikAra’ i.e, fittedness for knowledge. IshAvAsya starts off by specifying the adhikAra.
With this background, let us study the first mantra of IshAvAsya upanishat.
उपनिषत् upaniShat
ईशावास्यमिदँ सर्वम् यत् किञ्च जगत्याम् जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुन्जीथाः मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ॥१॥
ISAvAsyamida~M sarvam yat ki~jca jagatyAm jagat |
tena tyaktena BunjIthAH mA gRudhaH kasyasviddhanam ||1||
IshAvAsyamidam sarvam yat kimcha jagatyAm jagat |
(This “everything” needs God’s pervasion. “Everything” means the world which is a product of prakriti.)
tEna tyaktEna bunjeethA mA gridhah kasyasvit dhanam ||1 ||
Live with what He has given. Do not covet for anyone else’s money.
When our ‘effort’ is done without a desire for results, what is also called nishkAma karma, then it is the pronouncement of Isha’s Independence. You work in an office and get a salary. If your understanding is that “I” have earned it by “MY” own efforts, then it is sakAma-karma. The work that you think as “I am doing”, if you understand it as God’s work, and money that you got as a result, is because He gave it you, then it is nishkAma-karma. sakAma-karma is begging others for money. nishkAma-karma is
pronouncing Isha’s Independence, because everything is IshAvAsya. Everything around you depend on prakriti and prakriti itself depends on Isha.
Shree krishNArpaNamastu,
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