ISA UPANISAD [3]

The Ever New Metaphorical Interpretation For Soul Culture By Swami Hariharananda Giri

SLOKA 2
kurvann eveha karmani jijivesec chatiam samah evam tvayi nanyatheto'sti na karma lipyyate nare

The literal translation of this Sloka is that in this world, if you work according to the first sloka, then you will get immortality and constant salvation. If you work in this way, then you will never get bondage or mortality. You will have no other alternative except perception of God.
In the first sloka it is said that Isvara is all-pervading, so every man should perceive it, conceive it, and realize it. In this sloka the rsi says that every human being can get self-realization, but the animal being cannot.

In the first sloka the rsi has instructed us to perceive the world as God's own all-pervading living form. He has also said to prepare your mind by which you may remain alert and feel that there is no non-God in the world and that any matter which you are enjoying is not matter, but Isa. Perceive all matter as living Soul and enjoy all matter as living Soul, then your knowledge and consciousness will always remain in cosmic consciousness.

It is the desire of God that the human being should always work with matter, but a man cannot get any work or cannot get any matter without the permission of the indwelling Self. So whenever we remain in the world we will only perceive the actor, the Soul, who is perceiving oneness through His action. The whole world is the manifestation of work, and that work is done by the indwelling Self of every human being. Your body is your body, but external objects in the world are also your body. Through your action you are to perceive that you and the whole world arc one ha.

If your mind wants Self-realization, then you need not renounce anything. Whatever you will renounce you are renouncing to God. From the indwelling Self you are getting inspiration of work. That work is worship. Any work that you perform, you will perform in the material world, which is also your Soul. It is why in the Isa Upanisad the rsi said, "You lead a life of work and if you feel that work is worship and the material world is also the living presence of Isa, then you will get salvation."

So first you should know what is work. Can a dead man do any work? Whenever there is nothing except the Soul and cosmic consciousness, then whatever we do with matter or memory is transformed into energy, and from energy into radiant all-accomplishing divine force. So whenever we perform any work from memory, it is nothing but the expression of our memory to super-consciousness.

The Soul is doing every work and through this He is getting some super—sensation. When a man gets super-consciousness, then, in every work, he will perceive divine sensation. If there is no God-consciousness in the human being, then he will seek only mortality, not immortality. The same work is done by the realized man and the same by the unrealized man, but they will get different results. It is why in the second sloka the rsi advised that only man can realize God, and whatever you find in the whole universe that is also Isvara. So you please try to follow the first sloka, otherwise your life will be miserable.

Every work has three steps: creation, retention, and destruction. According to the desire of God every man is getting inspiration to do some work. God is speaking from within to do a particular work. Accordingly man is thinking of the object of the work. Thinking means being. Immediately the work takes three forms, that is, creation, retention, and destruction. When the work starts, he is absorbed in it. After that, the work continues for a longer period in him. After that, he finishes the work. By doing a particular work he gets some inspiration through it. So from the material object people are getting some new inspiration, which is the perception of God.

In the whole world we see matter and various objects. They are all Isa. Human beings are also the living Soul. In this world a man cannot stay without doing some work. But any material work which is coming in the brain is not coming whimsically, it is God-sent.

According to the inspiration of God, man is getting particular work. If a man thinks, "This work is given to me to do, it has come in a divine form and it will give me some divine inspiration," then he will feel the oneness of Soul in the work. Through that work he will feel divine inspiration and his work will be accomplished very nicely. Through this he will get constant salvation and that work will be worship to him.

Generally, man always feels that there is non-God in the universe and that the material world is just matter. He feels as if mechanically he does his work. Through this he cannot perceive any divinity in him. This is why in the second sloka it is written for the general mass, "You are constantly merged in delusion, illusion and error and you do not feel that in the whole creation, only the Creator is abiding." In your boyhood you were absorbed in play and study. In your youthful stage you have passed your time in a neglectful mood. Half of your life has passed in sleeping and gossiping. So, my reverend souls, do not forget that you can realize God through your every activity, through your action. For this you require the good company of the realized soul. By His help you can perceive how you are to live your hundred years' life. Through your whole life you require caution in your food, work and movement. You require moderation. You should know that only the human being can perceive God, conceive God and realize God. Also you should know the whole world is Isa. Anything that is coming to your brain is given by Isa. Any material desire that grows in your mind is given by Isa. And any action or work which you are doing is accordingly done by Isa.

Having created the universe, the Creator entered into the creation. However insignificant something may be, still the Creator is there. Try to feel that God is all-pervading, omniscient, omnipresent. If you come to good company, then accordingly you prepare your own field. Try to understand that the power of God, Isa is within you. Also feel that any thirst, any hunger, any desire, any emotion that is entering in your brain is given by Him and accordingly you are getting oneness of that matter with your indwelling self. Through this you are experiencing divine perception and conception, divine thought, divine will, divine memory, salvation and God -realization.

Do not remain blind like an animal being. Open your third eye. Always perceive that you are that immortal Soul. In the scriptures it is said, "mrtyus ca mrtyur apnoti ya iha nanyeva pasyati." If you do not feel that you are a living Soul and that constantly whatever is coming to your brain is also Isa, then you will always feel mortality, bondage and unpleasantness. But if through your every action, you feel that your are the prototype of God's thought, that you are His deathless child and anything coming to your brain is also the power of God, then through your every activity you will earn salvation, peace, bliss, joy and immortality. Always feel that work is worship. Without Soul no work can be accomplished, because all work is done by Him only.

(End of commentary of second SLOKA)

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