Isa Vasyam Idam Sarvam

।।ईशा वास्यम् इदम् सर्वम्।।

ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्।

तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथाः मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्।।

The above Shloka is the very first one in Isavasyopanishad.The meaning of the shloka is this – “Whatever is present in this world; that should be filled with the Lord.  (It means - One should be able to see the Lord in everyone and everything.)  You have to protect yourself by sacrificing it.  (Or, you have to nurse yourself by what that is given to you by him.)  You should never hanker after the wealth of anybody.”

The word यत्किञ्च makes us understand that the existent world is completely filled with various things.  They may be even opposites of one another.  For example, both good and bad are included in them.  Still, without any partiality, we must consider that both of them are filled with the Lord. Even a piece of sandal wood starts emitting bad smell when it is kept in the water for a long time.  Yet, when we take it out of the water and start rubbing it against a stone, it starts releasing its original sweet fragrance.  Originally, the water is pure and the sandal wood is also fragrant.  But their attachment for a long time caused a bad smell. Similarly, some people may appear bad due to their attachment with various other things. Yet, every person and everything has a distinctive and divine soul inside.  That divinity belongs to the Lord.  The words ईशा वस्यमिदं सर्वम् very strongly proclaim this truth.

The words तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथाः make us understand that one should sacrifice such attachment and live comfortably.  If you develop attachment with just one person or one thing, then, it means that you are ignoring the law of the omnipresence of the Lord.  When the law is violated, you deserve punishment in the form of grief etc.  Therefore, if you wish to be away from the punishment, you need to sacrifice.  You need to detach yourself from the remaining.  That is a way of protecting yourself.

The words कस्यस्विद्धनम् do not simply mean the wealth of others but they mean one’s own wealth as well.  So, one should not develop a desire to accumulate the wealth in excess of his needs.  These words remind us the “Yamas” of Yoga – “Asteya and Aparigraha”.

However, one may wonder as how to detach oneself from the remaining world.  He may even feel that death alone can detach a person from the world.  The Shastra gives answer to such doubts and thoughts:  “One should wish to live for hundred years; doing the activities which are accepted by the Shastras.  If you live so, your life is called as detached life and you are not considered for punishment.” – So, there is no need to die to detach oneself from the world.  Living a simple life prescribed by Shastras makes you free from grief.  According to the wish of the Lord, we should live a life span of hundred years. Another way of practicing detachment is, doing the prescribed activities without any expectation of personal benefit.

The people who do not lead such pious life are equal to the people who commit suicide.  Such people will be punished even after their death.  They will be in the dark and blind world of ignorance.  They will take birth as Rakshasas. (Those who consider sense-pleasures are the highest things to be achieved in one’s life.)

So, one should help oneself by finding God in everything and in oneself.  So, the practitioner must practice to find himself in all the living creatures and all the living creatures in him.  Then, he never feels insecurity.  Then, he will be free from all the illusions and grief. The real practitioner can practically experience satisfaction when some other creature is satisfied.   The knowledge of this is called “Vidya.”

However, mere Vidya does not make a person free from every grief.  Similarly mere action of showing mercy on the creatures etc; (Avidya) does not make a person free from his grief.  A person with both correct knowledge and sincere action alone can attain Moksha.  (Freedom from grief)

So, we must desire to find (learn and practice) both Satya (Knowledge) and Dharma (Action) from the Sun (Independent realization) by removing the golden cover (attractive and pleasant activities for self).

हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम्।

तत्त्वं पूषन् अपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये।।