ISOPANISHAD

SRI ISOPANISHAD
OPEN BOOK Q&A

Atindra Basu

Atindra N Basu
atindranathbasu@gmail.com
Jai Prabhupad

Verse 1

Q 1: Are ISKCON devotees against enjoyment? How do you reconcile the statement of verse 1 with
the reality that devotees live in extremes; while some devotees deny so many basic pleasures of life
others enjoy lavishly in the name of serving Krishna; how will you maturely balance the need of
enjoyment and pleasure with the instructions of verse 1?

Answer

Enjoyment

Devotees of the Supreme Lord are not against enjoyment. Infact constitutional position of our soul is
to attain the sa-chit-ananda swarup which means eternal, conscious and always blissful. Thus
enjoyment is a basic construct of a soul and hence all of us are working towards achieving that state.
However, the approach towards the same is different for different people like :

1. For Devotees – through transcendental enjoyment;

2. For Nondevotees – through material sense enjoyment.

The question is how one should aspire for transcendental or spiritual enjoyment instead of material
sense enjoyment?

The same can be achieved through a very simple change in “perspective” – from dismissing the
concept of being “enjoyer” to “enjoyed”. Our position is that of “enjoyed” and not of “enjoyer”. The
Supreme Lord is the universal enjoyer and we are in the position of being enjoyed.

How we will trigger this change in perspective?

The change in perspective can be triggered through knowledge of the basic fact that we don’t own
anything. The ownership of everything in this universe is owned by the Supreme Lord.

ISO verse 1 explains this position:

Isavasyam Idam Sarvam

Yat kinca jagatyam jagat
Tenea tyaktena bhunjitha
Ma grdah kasya svit dhanam

Thus everything animate or inanimate within the universe is owned by and controlled by the Supreme
Lord. We can enjoy transcendental pleasure if we can serve the Supreme Lord with love and devotion,
and through gratitude by offering what has been provided to us by the Supreme.

However, if we want to deviate from the above by trying to enjoy independently by wrongly thinking
us to be the proprietor of our possessions, we will fall in the trap of the illusory energy of the Supreme
Lord and fail in the process, as a result will bind ourselves into the material world and will get ourselves
subjected to the Law of Karma. Hence, we will remain bereft of the actual enjoyment and will end up
wasting our valuable human form of life.

Devotees living in Extremes

ISO Verse 1 replies to this point unequivocally as follows:

1. We should accept only such things which are necessary for us;
2. We should accept such things as if such things have been set aside as our quota;
3. We should not accept or aspire for things which does not belong to us.

There is an underlying equilibrium within the creation and we often miss the same. For e.g. the
cow gives milk which she does’nt drink but is used as food for humans whereas the cow eats grass
and straw. We act as instrumentalities of the Supreme to provide the necessities for each as per
God’s Rules. We try to break this law of nature when we:
1. Surrender ourselves to material sense enjoyment;
2. Independently try to become the proprietor; and
3. Try to enjoy things not meant for us.

It’s important to note that only human form of life is capable to realise the Supreme Personality
and at the same time they are only subjected to Law of Karma. Hence, if we understand that as
per our requirement Supreme Lord has provided resources to us, we will be happy and satisfied.
However, if we reject God and submit ourselves to material enjoyment with the strong desire and
greed to acquire material things we will get entangled into the material energy of the Lord and
will fail to take advantage of our human life and to realise God.

Balance

Balance lies in internalising the Vedic wisdom of accepting:

1. Krishna is the Supreme Lord who owns everything animate or inanimate which means
rejecting the concept of ownership;
2. Krishna is the supreme enjoyer and we are the enjoyed thereby offering everything to the
Supreme Lord before consuming or enjoying;
3. Krishna has given us things as per our quota thereby developing a sense of gratitude towards
what we have and dismissing the sense of greed in what we don’t have materially.
Verse 2

Q 2: Mr Parishram Das wants to continue his work for Communist Party of India as he finds ISKCON
philosophy as very high of him to follow. He is more inspired by the teachings of Lenin and Marx.
Besides he feels ISKCON is denying family life and important world saving philosophies like that of
Communism given by Lenin. How will you explain him our real stand based on Verse 2 of
Isopanishad.

Answer
ISKCON philosophy is based on eternal principle that the living entity is not the body but soul and as a
soul it is changing dresses (i.e. body) through 84,00,000 species depending on its Karma. Thus the
living entity choses a particular dress according to its desire, as expressed through its activities (karma)
and material nature then awards such body to the soul. The karma performed is actually the “price”
with which the soul can “purchase” the new body. Iso Mantra 2 explains the benefit of working in the
īśāvāsya conception: one becomes free from karmic reaction and acts on the transcendental platform.
Such activities are the only method for freedom.

The living entity has to work for his livelihood because that is the law the law of material nature, and
if does not act according to the prescribed duties of his particular life he transgresses the law of
Nature, making himself bound more and more in the cycle of birth and death.

Although we are by nature eternal parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord we are suffering repeated
birth and death due to transgressing these laws of nature. There are three ways in which we can work
in relation to the laws of nature:
1) karma - pious, or scriptural, duties for material elevation
2) vikarma - impious, or sinful, acts
3) akarma – spiritual activities or service to the Supreme Lord

It is important to note that both Karma and Vikarma are material activities and they bind one to the
cycle of birth and death because they force us to take birth again to enjoy or suffer their reactions.

When the principle of sense enjoyment is extended to include one’s society, nation or humanity in
general, it assumes various attractive names such as altruism, socialism, communism, nationalism and
humanitarianism. These "isms" are certainly very attractive forms of karma-bandhana (karmic
bondage), but the Vedic instruction of Śrī Īśopaniṣad is that if one actually wants to live for any of the
above "isms," he should make them God-centered. There is no harm in becoming a family man, or an
altruist, a socialist, a communist, a nationalist or a humanitarian, provided that one executes his
activities in relation with īśāvāsya, the God-centered conception.

Only akarmic activities, or service to the Supreme Lord or God centered actions situate us in our
eternal relationship with Him and thus free us from this cycle of birth and death. What is suggested
here is it is not that we need to abandon our duties to our family and society, but our activities must
become God-centered. Even a small amount of service to the Lord guarantees a human body in our
next birth for continuing that service. Once our service to the Lord is completely pure we become
reinstated in our eternal relationship with Him.
Verse 4 & 5

Question 4 : Write an essay on the contradictions of the Lord mentioned in verse 4 and 5 and how
will you reconcile them?

Answer
Mantra Four informs us that although the Lord is always situated in His own abode He cannot be
approached by the mind or even by the powerful demigods. Unless He reveals Himself to us we cannot
imagine or understand His transcendental abode or activities. The Lord’s eternal abode is situated
within His spiritual, or internal, energy. It is only when the individual spirit souls, known as His marginal
energy, desire to enjoy separately from the Him that they are placed within this material, or external,
energy. Thus, when we engage ourselves in His service, desiring to dovetail our activities for His
enjoyment, He naturally becomes inclined to again reveal Himself and our eternal relationship with
Him in the spiritual world.

The different features of the Supreme Lord mentioned in mantra 4 of Īśopaniṣad are-

(a) The Lord is swifter than the mind although fixed in His abode

(b) Unapproachable even by powerful demigods

(c) Although in one place, He controls every one including those who supply air and rain

(d) The Lord surpasses everyone in excellence

Mantra Five illuminates the Lord’s inconceivable, spiritual nature. At any time the Lord can be present
both within the material and spiritual worlds. Yet, when the Lord appears in this material world, such
as in the Deity or His Holy Name, for the sake of revealing Himself to us and accepting our service,
foolish people conclude that He has accepted a material form. They can not understand the Lord’s
ability to convert material energy to spiritual energy, as He is the source and controller of both of
them. Thus, to the surrendered soul He is very near, but to the unsurrendered He is very far away.

Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa possesses the most glorious characteristics, completely distinguishing Him from
all other persons. Sometimes these qualities may seem contradictory, but within Him all
contradictions are resolved. Some of the contradictory qualities of the Lord which is mentioned are:

(i) The Lord walks and does not walk

(ii) The Lord is very near as well as very far away

(iii) The Lord is within everything and yet He is outside of everything

Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Lord is unapproachable by mental speculation. He is only
approached though unalloyed devotional service. He is situated in Goloka Vrndavana, but at the same
time He is all-pervading, in the form of His energies, just like fire is pervasive in the form of its light
and heat. He has three main types of energies, and we are one of them, the marginal potency. We
should use our limited capacities in His service, and cultivate understanding of His through the Vedic
literatures. In this way we can approach Him and enter His association.

Why the contradiction?

Men are accustomed to reach conclusions according to their capacity for understanding, but the
Supreme Lord is not subject to our limited capacity for understanding. This is the reason why the
Upaniṣads warn us that no one can approach the Lord by his own limited potency. Although the
individual parts and parcels of the Lord’s potencies have all the symptoms of the Lord Himself, they
have limited spheres of activity and are therefore limited and with limited sphere of activity it is quite
impossible to understand the Supreme Lord. This is the reason, why the mental speculators cannot
know the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The contradiction in the qualities and activities of the Lord prove His inconceivable potencies. For
example, the contradiction that: “He walks, and He does not walk”, will mean ordinarily that, if
someone can walk, it is illogical to say that he cannot walk. But in reference to God, such a
contradiction simply serves to indicate His inconceivable power. With our limited fund of knowledge
we cannot accommodate such contradictions, and therefore we conceive of the Lord in terms of our
limited powers of understanding. For example, the impersonalist philosophers of the Māyāvāda
School accept only the Lord’s impersonal activities and reject his personal features. But the members
of the Bhāgavata School, adopting the perfect conception of the Lord, accept His inconceivable
potencies and thus understand that He is both personal and impersonal.

Conclusion

The Lord is Complete Whole and the living beings are His parts and parcels. Every part and parcel of
the Complete Whole is endowed with some particular energy to act according to the Lord’s will. The
Lord will reveal Himself to the living entity as long as the living entity acts as per Lord’s will. The
inconceivable potency of the Lord can be deciphered by the living entity only with Lord’s mercy post
surrender of the living entity. With our imperfection we cannot understand the Lords energy neither
we should even try that path. We as part of marginal energy of the Lord should try to surrender
ourselves to the Lord and the rest will be as per Lords will. Because all power is obtained from the
Lord; therefore each particular power must be utilized to execute the will of the Lord and not
otherwise. When the living being will surrender to the Lord in this way, then only it is possible that he
can understand the Lord.
Verse 6 & 7

Question 5: Based on Mantra 6 & 7 explain how we can become one with God and bring about
universal brotherhood on this planet.

Answer

The utmost goal of human life is God realisation. The question is there is a process which one need to
go through before attaining the perfection to be in such a position of trance where he can apprehend
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Needless to say that will happen only if the Supreme decides to
reveal himself. However, what are the parameters where we need to assess ourselves on whether we
are progressing towards the Absolute Truth will depend on our positioning in devotional service. Thus
we need to understand our stage in the manner as instructed in Mantra 6. Devotees are divided into
the following three categories depending on their awareness and enlightenment:

1. Kanishta Adhikari
2. Madhyama Adhikari
3. Uttama Adhikari

Kanishta Adhikari

Traits of a kanishta adhikari Devotee are as follows:

1. They are in lower stage of realisation of God;

2. Goes to one place of worship like temple, church, mosque etc;
3. Worships in terms of scriptural injunction
4. They believe Gods presence only in such place of worship and no where
5. They can’t recognise who is in what position in their devotional quest;
6. They fight between themselves to prove there style of worship is better
7. They are materially attached
8. Last but not the least they are sectarian.

Madhyama Adhikari

Characteristics of madhyama adhikari Devotee are as follows:

1. They are above the kanishta adhikarisand are in the intermediate stage of devotional stage;
2. They see first of all the Supreme Lord and they adore the Lord;
3. Next they see the Devotees of the Lord and they try to associate with them;
4. They also see the innocent who have no knowledge about God and try to develop in them
love for the Lord;
5. They also avoid association of the atheists.

Uttama Adhikari

Characteristics of uttama adhikari Devotee are as follows:

1. They see everything in relation to Supreme Lord;

2. Does not make any discrimination between atheist and theist
3. Sees every one of them as part and parcel of God;
4. They try to do good to both
5. They don’t get misled by material bodies
6. They don’t have any attachment nor do they derive pleasure in any materialistic activity
 How to become one with God?

In BG Ch 5.18, the Supreme Lord gives the answer:

Vidya vinaye sampanne

Brahmane gavi hastini
Suni caiva sva-pake ca
Pandita sama - darsinah

Translation: The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle
Brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and dog – eater (outcaste).

In this material world, which is illusion, our division that “This is good and this bad” is only mental
speculation. In the material bondage no body is in goodness. Everybody is in trouble. In transcendental
position, one can see through that in material bondage nothing is good. When one is situated in such
a transcendental position of mind, then, ihaiva tair jitah sargah, in this very body he has conquered
rebirth. This sort of equilibrium in the transcendental stage of stage of Krishna consciousness is
nirdosham - it is called faultless life. Nirdosham hi samam brahma. When one is faultless, he develops
a spiritual vision by which he does not see fault in any other living being neither he derides any other
living being because he starts seeing sparks of the Paramatma in every living soul. He gains the
understanding that the body of a fig or a dog eater is only a dress, and the super soul is sitting inside
such body like He is there in a body of an Uttam Adhikari.

Thus if we all can attain this stage there will be brotherhood across the universe, with peace and
happiness. The Vedic literature gives us instruction that we are Brahman, we are not this matter. Thus
he moment we will get into Brahman realisation we will become Nirdosham and thereby, spread love
and affection thereby becoming non-sectarian and enjoying brotherliness across. However, in Kali
yuga is difficult to achieve such stage.
Verse 8

Question 6 : Explain how Godly life can help one experience both the antiseptic and prophylactic
nature of God in one’s own life? Share some examples from other scriptures or history to highlight
this principle.

Answer
The Supreme Lord has inconceivable potencies as described in Sri Isopanishad as well as in other
scriptures. However, as devotees we look upon specific two qualities of the Lord and those are:
1. Suddham i.e Antiseptic;
2. Apapa – viddham i.e. prophylactic

As a sinful and fallen soul we will look upon to the Lord to deliver us from this material world and the
Lord having the antiseptic and prophylactic qualities able to rescues us from the clutches of Maya
depending on the level of surrender.

We can try to understand these two qualities of the Supreme Lord through the following aspects:

1. Hearing about Krishna is purifying. By regularly hearing the narrations given in BG and SB
anyone can purify his life. The antiseptic effect in Krishna katha is so much that even the most
forbidden souls can get purification by listening Hari Katha through pure devotee. E.g. of
namacharya Haridas Thakur delivered a professional prostitute and converted her into a
serious devotee of the Lord. Thus if Pure Devotees of the Lord can have such tremendous
potency. Krishna’s potency will be so great and inconceivable.

2. Krishna’s name is so pure that it can purify even the most fallen. Classic example can be that
of Jagai and Madhai – most fallen brothers but their sin was purified completely when they
took shelter to the Holy Name through Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Like, germs cannot infect the
sun , rather sunshine can sterilise the infection, similarly anything infectious, anything sinful
can’t touch Krishna unless they want to get purified. This goes with all the demons killed by
the Supreme Lord, their sins got purified and they were liberated by the Lord immediately
after the soul left their body. That is the potency of the Supreme.

3. Krishna can go beyond ordinary behaviour to protect his devotees. In the war of Kurukshetra,
Supreme Lord was ready to even break his promise of not fighting for the purpose of
protecting Arjuna from getting killed by Bhisma. Further, also he protected Parikshit Maharaj
in the womb of his mother Uttara.

4. Krishna can purify others. Krishna in BG 9.31 unequivocally declares that even such person
engaged in most abominable activities, if he surrenders himself to the Supreme Lord, He will
ensure that such fallen souls can also get liberation. Rupa Goswami says that the first business
is that somehow or other people should become Krishna Conscious, all regulations will follow
just like a servant follows the master. Because such person has come to Krishna Consciousness
he will soon become a pious man.

Supreme Lord himself says that “I promise that I shall take those who are in Krishna Consciousness
out from the ocean of birth and death.” This is the power of His potency as Antiseptic and Prophylactic,
thereby instructing us to surrender that’s it.
Verse 9 - 11

Question 7: Explain with reference to Sri Isopanishad what Srila Prabhupada meant by “universities
are centres of nescience”, as well as the corresponding analogy regarding “the advancement of
learning by Godless people”. Use your own words and, if possible, concisely draw on your own
experience to convey your understanding. Mantra 11 may appear to be somewhat contradictory in
that it appears to support the study of nescience. Resolve and explain this apparent inconsistency.

Answer

Bhagavad bhakti hinasya

Jatih sastram japas tapah
Apranasyaiva dehasya
Mandanam loka ranjanam (Hari Bhakti Sudhodaya 3.11, CC 2.19.75)

Translation: One may possess high birth and learning; and he may meditate on his mantra and
perform austerities. Nevertheless, if he is devoid of devotion of the Lord, these things are as useless
as beautiful decorations on a dead body.

This is currently the system of education in universities across the globe. There is complete intellectual
and spiritual bankruptcy. All the universities are upto giving employability to the students so that the
students can get into corporate or otherwise can earn a handsome income which can be used to enjoy
the senses. None of the universities are teaching the following:
1. Science of self realisation to understand the constitutional position of human life;
2. Ownership of all animate or inanimate belongs to the Supreme Creator
3. Surrender to the Lord
4. Humility and sense of gratitude

The modern degrees are as useless as beautiful decorations on a dead body since they are throwing
people into the pool of sense enjoyment, no regulative principles and engaging in eating, mating,
sleeping and defending. With such spiritual bankruptcy, qualified people like lawyers, doctors,
chartered accountants are getting engaged in heinous crimes. White collar crimes have increased
manifold across the globe and so called these criminal are professionals from reputed universities
across the globe. with the increasing in materialism, people are working more like an ass to earn more
to enjoy more but getting entangled more and more within the clutches of Maya. None of the
universities teaches that the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of everything and that we must be
satisfied with our share.

More danger to humanity lies on the advancement of learning by Godless people since they are
covered by their inflated false ego and who believe in only material survival and pleasure as the only
goal. They refuse to believe that this body is a lump of dead flesh and the animating spirit is what is
of true value. Instead they spent their whole life in innovating lethal weapons of mass destruction in
the guise of national security and thereby earning millions for the purpose of sense gratification.
However, they fail to realise that such patchwork cant cover the material miseries and they will sooner
or later will get entrapped in birth, death, old age and disease. Instead they should have used their
intelligence in value addition by performing devotional service and helping to spread the message of
Krishna Consciousness. Since these people are in deep slumber whereby they have forgotten there
original position to serve the Supreme Lord and hence are in deep ignorance. They are mudhas in
darkness and are in a dangerous position since they are capable of doing anything and everything for
their material pleasure.
Critical analysis of Mantra 11 will lead to the concept of maintaining a balance between material
enjoyment and spiritual knowledge. Intelligent people understands the miseries of material nature
and take cognisance of the same to start their spiritual quest of transcendental knowledge. respect
to material enjoyment and spiritual quest. The Vedic system of Salvation is pertinent to be noted here
where the system is found in four divisions:

1. Religion
2. Economic development
3. Sense gratification
4. Salvation.
At present people have a sole objective of sense gratification for which they want economic
development. For economic development they are becoming ritualistic and using religion for that
purpose. However, Mantra 11 actually advises to follow religion to guide them towards salavation. In
the process they need so much of economic development which is necessary for keeping the body
and mind capable to acquire the knowledge, to that respect they are allowed sense gratification in a
regulated manner.

Thus to conclude religiousness, economic development and sense gratification if used in a regulated
manner to provide devotional service to the Lord can help the people to gradually move out of
nescience towards absolute knowledge.