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Isha Upanishad

AI-drafted · awaiting admin review

A short Upanishad of 18 verses that opens "Isha vasyam idam sarvam": all this is pervaded by the Lord.

Key facts
TraditionHindu (Vedic)
TypeUpanishad
LanguageSanskrit
Periodc. 1st millennium BCE (scholarly estimate)

What it contains

  • Forms the last chapter (40) of the Vajasaneyi Samhita of the Shukla Yajurveda.
  • Teaches that the Divine pervades everything, so one should enjoy through renunciation and not covet.
  • Balances action (karma) and knowledge (vidya).
  • Sees the one self in all beings and all beings in the self.

Significance

Though brief, it is usually placed first among the principal Upanishads and is widely recited.