Peace Finder

Isa Upanishad, verse I

About this passageThe opening line of one of the shortest Upanishads, eighteen verses long. Three instructions in sequence, and the order matters: see everything as covered by the Lord, let go of what is not real, and then enjoy what is — enjoyment arriving after the renunciation rather than instead of it. Paramananda notes that the commentator Sankara reads the word for "enjoy" as also meaning "protect".

All this, whatsoever exists in the universe, should be covered by the Lord. Having renounced (the unreal), enjoy (the Real). Do not covet the wealth of any man.

In plainer words

Everything there is, all of it, is covered by God. Let go of what is not real, and then take pleasure in what is. Do not set your heart on what belongs to somebody else.

A restatement in modern English, written for this collection. The passage above is the text; this is one way of putting it.

The Upanishads, translated by Swami Paramananda, 1919. Public domain. Only the translated verses are reproduced here; the translator's commentary is not.

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Provenance

Source.
The Upanishads
Translator.
Swami Paramananda
Rights.
Public domain. Published in 1919; the copyright has expired in the United States.
Text checked against.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3283