Isha Upanishad 75

75

punaranyena mantreṇa mārgaṃ yācate--

He prays for the path again through another verse:

Agne, O Fire; deva, O god; vidvān, knowing; viśvāni vayunāni, all deeds or meditations; naya, lead; asmān, us—who are endowed with the aforesaid fruits of virtue; supathā, by the good path. The attribute "good path" is used for eschewing the Southern Path (Pitṛ-yāna). I am disgusted with the Southern Path which is characterised by going and coming; hence I entreat thee again and again, "Lead by the good path which is free from going and coming." Rāye means, for the sake of wealth, i.e. for the enjoyment of the fruits of deeds. Moreover, yuyodhi, remove, destroy; asmat means asmattaḥ, from us; juhurāṇam, crooked, deceitful; enas, sin. The idea is this: Becoming purified thereby, we shall achieve our desired object. But (as) at present we cannot render any service to thee, (so) te, to thee; bhūyiṣṭhām, many; namaḥ uktim, words of salutation; vidhema, we offer—i.e. we serve thee with salutations.

(A doubt): Some people are filled with doubt at hearing the texts: "Crossing over death, through avidyā, attains immortality through vidyā" (Īś. 11), and "Crossing over death, through Destruction, attains immortality through the Unmanifested" (Īś. 14). Hence, to remove that doubt, we shall discuss (the topic) in brief. Now, then, the reason why the doubt arises is being stated: "By the word vidyā, why should not the knowledge of the supreme Self itself be understood; and so also (why should not) immortality (be taken in the primary sense)?"

Answer: Is it not a fact that by reason of the opposition between the knowledge of the supreme Self and karma, mentioned earlier, there is no possibility of combination?

Objection: True. But the opposition is not comprehended, because opposition or agreement rests on the authority of scriptures. Just as the performance of karma and the pursuit of knowledge rest on the authority of the scriptures, so also do their opposition and agreement. Just as the prohibition, "Do not kill any living thing", learnt from scripture, is overridden by the injunction, "One should kill an animal in a sacrifice", so also it is possible in the case of karma and knowledge that karma and knowledge are to be combined.

Answer: No (they cannot be combined), because of the Vedic text: "What are known as vidyā (knowledge) and avidyā (karma) are entirely different, and they follow different courses" (Ka. I. ii. 4).

Objection: Suppose we say that there is no antagonism because of the text: "He who knows vidyā and avidyā together" (Īś. 11).

Answer: No, because of the opposition involved in (their) causes, natures, and results.

Objection: Since (on the one hand) it is impossible to accept either alternative when there is both opposition and non-opposition between karma and knowledge, and since (on the other hand) their combination is enjoined (here), may we not argue that there is (really) no contradiction (between them)?

Answer: No, since their co-existence is absurd.

Objection: Suppose we say that knowledge and karma may cohere in the same person successively.

Answer: No.footnote{If the succession consists in ignorance being earlier and knowledge later, then it is certainly admitted. But if ignorance is later (than knowledge), then it is impossible"—A G.} For when knowledge arises, karma vanishes, since in the person in whom knowledge exists, karma cannot remain. For it is a fact that when the knowledge, "Fire is hot and effulgent", has arisen in a person, then in that very person there cannot arise the ignorance or doubt or error (of the form), "Fire is cold or non-illuminating". The impossibility of sorrow and delusion (for a man of knowledge) is declared by the Vedic text: "When to the man of realisation all beings become the very Self, then what delusion and what sorrow can there be for that seer of oneness?" (Īś. 7). And we have already said that since ignorance is impossible (for such a man), karma, which originates from ignorance, is also impossible.

As for the text, "He attains immortality", (Īś. 14) the immortality is a relative thing. If the knowledge of the supreme Self is understood by the word vidyā, the prayer for the path etc. in the text, "The face of the Truth (Brahman) is covered" etc. (Īś. 15) becomes irreconcilable.footnote{For there can be no going or coming for a knower of Brahman who becomes all by becoming Brahman Itself} Accordingly, the combination (of karma) is with meditation and not with the knowledge of the supreme Self. Thus we conclude by remarking that the meaning of the verse is just as we have interpreted.

He prays for the path again through another verse: