Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 1

[Distorted audio]

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa [leads devotees in chanting]

[leads devotees in chanting mantras 1–15]

oṁ pūrṅam adaḥ pūrṅam idaṁ pūrṅāt pūrṅam udacyate pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]

[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]

īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam [Īśo mantra 1]

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

kurvann eveha karmāṅi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti na karma lipyate nare [Īśo mantra 2]

[One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man.]

asuryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ [Īśo mantra 3]

[The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance.]

anejad ekaṁ manaso javīyo nainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat tad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti [Īśo mantra 4]

[Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence.]

tad ejati tan naijati tad dūre tad v antike tad antar asya sarvasya tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ [Īśo mantra 5]

[The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything.]

yas tu sarvāṅi bhūtāny ātmany evānupaśyati sarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ tato na vijugupsate [Īśo mantra 6]

[He who systematically sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything or any being.]

yasmin sarvāṅi bhūtāny ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvam anupaśyataḥ [Īśo mantra 7]

[One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?]

sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṅam asnāviram śuddham apāpa-viddham kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr yāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ [Īśo mantra 8]

[Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead, who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated, the self-sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's desire since time immemorial.]

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'vidyām upāsate tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyām ratāḥ [Īśo mantra 9]

[Those who engage in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the culture of so-called knowledge.]

anyad evāhur vidyayā- nyad āhur avidyayā iti śuśruma dhīrāṅāṁ ye nas tad vicacakṣire [Īśo mantra 10]

[The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.]

anyad evāhuḥ sambhavād anyad āhur asambhavāt iti śuśruma dhīrāṅāṁ ye nas tad vicacakṣire [Īśo mantra 10]

[The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.]

vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ c yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtam aśnute [Īśo mantra 11]

[Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality.]

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'sambhūtim upāsate tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u sambhūtyām ratāḥ [Īśo mantra 12]

[Those who are engaged in the worship of demigods enter into the darkest region of ignorance, and still more so do the worshipers of the impersonal Absolute.]

anyad evāhuḥ sambhavād anyad āhur asambhavāt iti śuśruma dhīrāṅāṁ ye nas tad vicacakṣire [Īśo mantra 13]

[It is said that one result is obtained by worshiping the supreme cause of all causes and that another result is obtained by worshiping what is not supreme. All this is heard from the undisturbed authorities, who clearly explained it.]

sambhūtiṁ ca vināśaṁ ca yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha vināśena mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā sambhūtyāmṛtam aśnute [Īśo mantra 14]

[One should know perfectly the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṅa and His transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes, as well as the temporary material creation with its temporary demigods, men and animals. When one knows these, he surpasses death and the ephemeral cosmic manifestation with it, and in the eternal kingdom of God he enjoys his eternal life of bliss and knowledge.]

hiraṅmayena pātreṅa satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṅu satya-dharmāya dṛṣṭaye [Īśo mantra 15]

[O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee.]

Prabhupāda: Open the page. Read.

Gargamuni: Page eighteen.

Prabhupāda: Read.

Gargamuni: Page eighteen. "The root of sin is deliberate disobedience to the laws of nature through not recognizing the proprietorship of the Lord; disobedience to the laws of nature, or disobedience to the order of the Lord, brings ruin to the human being.

On the other hand, if one is sober and knows the laws of nature, without being influenced by unnecessary attachment or abhorrence, he is sure to be recognized again by the Lord and thus become eligible for going back to Godhead, back to the eternal home." [Īśo mantra 1]

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So the natural law, without being influenced by unnecessary attachment or abhorrence. There is no need of attachment for this material world, neither there is need of abhorrence. That is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1].

Suppose we are sitting in this temple. So, of course, for temple we should have attachment. Ordinary home, or ordinary house... Temple... We must explain. The temple is transcendental. According to Vedic civilization, to live in the forest is residential quarter in goodness, to live in the forest. Therefore, formerly, great sages and saintly persons, they used to go to the forest and live there. And the government would give them protection.

The king's duty was to supply them food. What sort of food? The king used to give them in charity cows, nice cows. So they would take little milk, and whatever fruits are available in the forest, that was sufficient for them. And the king would sometimes hunt ferocious animals so that they may not disturb. But actually, they do not disturb saintly persons still.

So to live in the forest is in the mode of goodness, and to live in the city, or town, is..., is in the mode of passion, and to live in slaughterhouse and brothel and drunkards, these are the residential quarter in ignorance. And to live in the temple is transcendental, above goodness: pure goodness.

In the material world goodness is sometimes mixed up with ignorance and passion, but in the spiritual world there is pure goodness—no contamination or tinges of passion and ignorance. Therefore it is called śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva. Śabdam, sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam [SB 4.3.23]:

[I am always engaged in offering obeisances to Lord Vāsudeva in pure Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Kṛṣṅa consciousness is always pure consciousness, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Vāsudeva, is revealed without any covering.]

"That pure goodness is called vasudeva, and in that pure goodness one can realize God." Therefore God's name is Vāsudeva, "produced from Vasudeva." Vasudeva is the father of Vāsudeva.

So unless we come to the standard of pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance, it is not possible, God realization. Therefore bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc Madhya 19.167, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11].

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

Jñāna is the platform of goodness, and karma is the platform of passion and ignorance. So bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ, without any material desire, devoid of, freed from all kinds of material desire and uncovered by ignorance, passion and goodness. Goodness also.

To become very good man in this world, that does not mean that he is freed from this material contamination. He's contaminated by the goodness quality. Just like Arjuna. He wanted to be very good man. Kṛṣṅa said, "Now fight." He said, "Oh, how can I fight? Oh, they are my brothers, they are my grandfathers. No, no. Better I shall beg. I don't want this kingdom."

So this is material goodness. People appreciate very much: "Oh, just see. Arjuna is giving up claim on the kingdom." But what Kṛṣṅa replied? Kṛṣṅa said, "Wherefrom you got this foolish idea?" Kutas te kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam, anārya-juṣṭam [Bg 2.2]:

[The Supreme Person [Bhagavān] said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy.]

"This is for non-Āryans, not for Āryan."

So this so-called goodness, so-called gentlemanliness, has no value in the spiritual world. Spiritual world—complete love of God, without any attachment for this... So Arjuna, this goodness means attachment for his family. That's all. He was becoming a good man. Why? Because there is attachment for his family, for his grandfather, for his brother, nephews. So, so long there is attachment for this material world, either in the form of goodness or passion or ignorance, they're all the same.

In the transcendental platform... Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that in this material world, the divisions that "This is good" and "This is bad," they are simply mental concoction. The same example: the stool dried up is good, and the wet is not good. Stool is stool. That's all. For a devotee, this is stool. Either it may be dried up or moist, it doesn't matter. So those who are in ignorance and passion, they're little moist, and those who are in goodness, they're dried up. But after all, it is stool.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

There is no consideration of this goodness or badness. You have to give up all material attachment. And abhorrence. Abhorrence is also another negative attachment. "I don't like this," that means I have attachment for this "don't like." You see? So a devotee is simply attached to the service of the Lord, and whatever condition comes, favorable or unfavorable, any circumstances he is steady, dṛḍha-vratāḥ, bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg 7.28].

[Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.]

Dṛḍha-vratāḥ means fixed up, without being tilting, tottering in any circumstances. Ahaituky apratihatā... [SB 1.2.6]

[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]

So we should not have abhorrence or attachment. Suppose we have got this microphone. But sometimes there is no microphone; we have to say, lecture, in some jungle, where there is nothing available, neither like this seat. So whatever is available, that's all right.

But that does not mean because there is no microphone, there is no nice seat, there is no nice building, we shall stop our chanting. No. Chanting will go on at any circumstance, either in this nice building or in the hell. We have no consideration, hell or heaven. Whatever..., wherever Krsna is there, that we want. That's all.

So here it is said that without being influenced by unnecessary attachment. These karmīs, they are unnecessarily attached to this world. They know that everything will be finished; I will be finished, this body will be finished. Still they are attached. These are karmīs. And jñānīs, they are abhorring: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Jagan mithyā:

[The Supreme Brahman is the only truth, and this material world is false.]

"This world is false." Why it is false? It is... There are..., so many nice things there are which can be engaged in the service of the Lord.

Why it is false? We don't say that "false," "abhorrent," or "This is made of material... You don't like." No, it can be used. When you speak, glorifying Lord, oh, it can help you. Why abhorrence? So there is no unnecessary abhorrence, unnecessary attachment. Simply whatever is favorable for my service to the Lord we shall accept. That is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1].

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]