Description of Ishwar in the Upanishads

 

Description of Ishwar in the Upanishads

“That which speech cannot reveal, but by which speech is revealed—
Know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people worship.”
(Kena Upanishad 1.4)
That which is not revealed by speech, but through whose power speech is expressed—know That to be Brahman/Ishwar. What speech describes or worships is not Ishwar.

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“That which the mind cannot think, but by which the mind thinks—
Know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people worship.”
(Kena Upanishad 1.5)
That which the mind cannot conceive, but by whose power the mind performs thinking—know That to be Ishwar. What the mind thinks about is not Ishwar.

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“That which the eye does not see, but by which the eye sees—
Know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people worship.”
(Kena Upanishad 1.6)
That which cannot be seen by the physical eye, but through whose power the eye sees—know That to be Ishwar. What is seen by the eye is not Ishwar.

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“That which the ear does not hear, but by which the ear hears—
Know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people worship.”
(Kena Upanishad 1.7)
That which cannot be heard by the ear, but by whose power the ear hears—know That to be Ishwar. What is heard by the ear is not Ishwar.

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“That which the vital breath does not breathe, but by which the vital breath is moved—
Know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people worship.”
(Kena Upanishad 1.8)
That which does not take part in the activity of prāṇa, but by whose power prāṇa functions—know That to be Ishwar. Whatever is involved in prāṇa’s activity is not Ishwar.

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Thus, in clear words it is explained that Ishwar is formless and cannot be grasped by the senses. If the senses were capable, it would not have been said:

“From whom words turn back along with the mind, not reaching Him.”
For how can inert senses grasp the conscious, formless Ishwar?

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“Though dwelling in unstable bodies, the Supreme remains bodyless.
Knowing that great, all-pervading Self, the wise do not grieve.”
(Katha Upanishad 1.2.22)
He resides in perishable bodies yet remains without a body. Knowing this great, all-pervading Ishwar, the wise become free from sorrow.

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“The Self hidden in all beings does not shine forth.
It is seen by subtle, sharpened intellects of those who see with inner vision.”
(Katha Upanishad 1.3.12)
Ishwar is concealed in all beings and cannot be perceived through physical eyes. Those endowed with subtle and purified intellect perceive Him through meditation.

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“That which is invisible, incomprehensible, without lineage or attributes,
without eye or ear, without hands or feet—
eternal, all-pervading, subtle, imperishable, and the womb of all beings—
this the wise behold everywhere.”
(Mundaka Upanishad 1.1.6)

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“The divine, formless Person, though inside and outside all beings, is unborn.
He is without prāṇa and without mind, pure, and beyond the imperishable.”
(Mundaka Upanishad 2.1.2)

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“He is not grasped by the eye, nor by speech, nor by other senses;
not by austerity nor by ritual.
Only the one whose mind is purified by knowledge beholds Him, the indivisible Brahman, through meditation.”
(Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.8)

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“Ishwar is attained through truth, austerity, right knowledge, and lifelong continence.
Those whose impurities are destroyed behold within themselves the pure, radiant Self.”
(Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.5)

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“The all-pervading Ishwar dwells in all beings like butter in milk;
Its realization comes through self-knowledge and austerity.
This is the Supreme Brahman taught in the Upanishads.”
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1.16)

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“He appears to possess all the senses yet is free from all senses.
He is the Lord of all, the ruler of all, the refuge of all.”
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.17)
Without physical senses, He is still the knower of all sensory objects.

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“Without hands or feet, He is swift; without eyes, He sees; without ears, He hears.
He knows everything, but none knows Him fully.
The wise call Him the Supreme, the Great Person.”
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.19)

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“With hands and feet everywhere, eyes, heads, and faces everywhere,
ears everywhere—He pervades the universe.”
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.16)

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“He has no master or ruler. No sign or form can describe Him.
He is the cause of all causes and the lord of all beings.
He has no parent and no superior.”
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.9)

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“As oil is hidden in sesame seeds, butter in curd, water in streams, and fire in wood,
so Ishwar is realized within the soul by those who see through truth and austerity.”
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1.15)

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“He is the eternal among eternals, the conscious among the conscious—
the one who fulfills the desires of many.
Knowing Him, the soul becomes free from all bondage.”
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.13)

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“The Self, subtler than the subtle and greater than the great,
dwells in the heart of every creature.
A desireless, grief-free seeker perceives His glory through the grace of Ishwar.”
(Katha Upanishad 1.2.20)

Reproduced by Dr. Vivek Arya