The Isa Upanishad: Verse-3

Still however a doubt is arisen that how could the 

Upanishad spoke of path of action (karma) when the 

first verse taught the pursuit of Knowledge for the 

person of renunciation?

Definitely the antithesis between knowledge and 

action (karma) is irremovable like a mountain. 

Following the creation of the universe these two paths 

did emerge – the path of karma and the path of 

renunciation (Giving up desire of three kinds of desire 

viz. desire for son, desire for wealth, and desire for 

worlds; the path of detachment). In scriptures some 

where the path of renunciation has been sung in 

praise and elsewhere has praised the path of Karma. 

In Mahabharata it has been said that; these then are 

the two paths on which the Vedas are established: 

one consists of duty characterised by attachment and 

the other is clearly marked by detachment.

However be the superiority of these two paths, it is 

the Knowledge of the Self that is sought by the 

seekers from time immemorial for Liberation.

Knowledge is power, Knowledge is immortality; but 

variant are its form in this world of multiplicity. So to 

avoid the manyfoldedness of this relative knowledge a 

great Absolute knowledge is spoken of in the 

scriptures by knowing which every other thing is 

known and thereby achieving the origin and source of 

everything. For those people who are devoid of this 

Absolute Knowledge the Upanishad says:

असुर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसाऽऽवृताः ।

ताँस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः ॥३॥

asurya nama te loka andhena tamasa''vrtah ।
tanste pretyabhigacchhanti ye ke chatmahano janah ॥ 3॥

MEANING: Those worlds of devils are covered by 

blinding darkness. Those people that kill the Self go to 

them after giving up this body.

(‘Asurya nama te loka’) the worlds belonging to the 

devils, (’andhena tamasa''vrtah’) are covered by 

blinding deep darkness. (’ tanste 

pretyabhigacchhanti’) To these they depart after their 

demise (’atmahanah’), those that kill the Self(‘janah’).

Asura are those who are not realised and did not 

identified the obvious identity of the individual Self 

with the Absolute Self are all devils, even gods who 

thus has not achieved the (atmangyan) oneness of 

one’s self with the Absolute are devils as well. The 

word –loka is used for those places of residence 

where the results of karma (action) are perceived or 

enjoyed. From these regions people take birth in this 

world or the meaner, after perceiving the fruit of their 

good deeds.

By not knowing the real nature of the Self one does 

roam in this cycle of birth and death. The real nature 

of man is eternal, immortal. But people due to 

delusion think themselves to be mortal and limited to 

a shape and caste and creed. They think this world to 

be very real and assume the existence of their’s 

depends on the mortal physical body or those of the 

subtle ones. The Self is free from decrepitude and 

death. The inexplicable nature of ignorance veils upon 

the real nature of the Self as a result the knowledge of 

the Self remains concealed from the ignorant. They 

are called the killers of the Self as because by 

assuming the Immortality of the Self resulting from 

the existence of the Self; to be mortal. Since they slay 

the Self, they are subject to birth and rebirth again.