IVU 4-5: The Unmoving Self

Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad 4-5: Movement and Stillness

The Self remains unmoving yet is swifter than the mind; it is at once near and far, within and without.

Dr. Ronald Steiner 17.07.2023

Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad 4

अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत् |

anejad ekaṃ manaso javīyo; nainad devā, āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

anejat nominative singular neuter present participle active	an previx ej verbal root	unmoving, unstirring
ekam nominative singular neuter	eka numeral	one
manasaḥ genitive singular	manas substantive neuter	of the mind
javīyas nominative singular neuter comperative	javīyas adjective	swifter
na	na particle	not
enat accusative singular neuter	idam pronoun dem	this, it
devāḥ nominative plural	deva substantive masculine	gods, sense-powers
āpnuvan 3rd person plural aktive preterite	āp verbal root	reached
pūrvam	pūrvam adverb	before, previously
arṣat 3rd person singular aktive aorist	ṛṣ verbal root	sped, moved

तद्धावतो ऽन्यानतिएति तिष्ठत्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ||4||

tad dhāvato 'nyān ati*eti tiṣṭhat; tasminn apo, mātariśvā dadhāti ||4|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

tat nominative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	this, it
dhāvataḥ accusative plural masculine present participle active	dhāv verbal root	runners
anyān accusative plural masculine	anya adjective	others
atyeti 3rd person singular aktive present	ati previx i verbal root	outstrips, surpasses
tiṣṭhat nominative singular neuter present participle active	sthā verbal root	standing still
tasmin lokative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	in it
apaḥ accusative plural	ap substantive feminine	waters, works
mātariśvā nominative singular	mātariśvan substantive masculine	Mātariśvan, wind god
dadhāti 3rd person singular aktive present	dhā verbal root	places, sets

Metre: Pāda 1: Upendravajrā; pāda 2: Śālinī; pāda 3: Indravajrā; pāda 4: Śālinī

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

The One does not move and yet is swifter than the mind. Even the gods do not reach it, for it is already ahead of them. Standing still, it overtakes all that runs; in it Mātariśvan orders the works.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

Śaṅkara resolves the apparent opposites through upādhi (limiting attribution): the Self is in itself unmoving, one, and unchanging, but through mind, senses, and body it appears swift or manifold. All activities of breath, senses, and cosmic powers ultimately rest in nitya-caitanya (constant consciousness).

Īśā-Upaniṣad Śaṅkara-Bhāṣya

ati*eti conj. ed. ] atyeti GRETIL2018, LV1958

Critical Apparatus

Unmoving, the One (ekam) is swifter than the mind.
The sense-powers (deva) reached not It, speeding on before.
Past others running, This goes standing.
In It Mātariśvan places action.<6>

<6: A somewhat more concrete, and perhaps earlier, form of this stanza occurs as Kena 3 e-h. >

Robert Hume - 1921

Eins, – ohne Regung und doch schnell wie Denken, –
Hinfahrend, nicht von Göttern einzuholen, –
Stillstehend überholt es alle Läufer, –
Ihm wob schon die Urwasser ein der Windgott.

Paul Deussen - 1897

That one (the Self), though never stirring, is swifter than thought. The Devas (senses) never reached it, it walked <2> before them. Though standing still, it overtakes the others who are running. Mâtarisvan (the wind, the moving spirit) bestows powers <3> on it.

<2: Pûrvam arsat, Vâg. Samh.; pûrvam arshat, Upan. Mahîdhara suggests also arsat as a contraction of a-risat, not perishing.>
<3: Apas is explained by karmâni, acts, in which case it would be meant for ápas, opus. But the Vâg. Samhitâ accentuates apás, i.e. p. 312 aquas, and Ânandagiri explains that water stands for acts, because most sacrificial acts are performed with water. >

Max Müller - 1879

Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad 5

तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तदु अन्तिके |

tad ejati tan naijati; tad dūre tad u* antike | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

tat nominative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	this, it
ejati 3rd person singular aktive present	ej verbal root	moves
tat nominative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	this, it
na	na particle	not
ejati 3rd person singular aktive present	ej verbal root	moves
tat nominative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	this, it
dūre lokative singular	dūra substantive neuter	in the distance
tat nominative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	this, it
u	u particle	and, also
antike lokative singular	antika substantive neuter	nearby

तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ||5||

tad antar asya sarvasya; tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ ||5|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

tat nominative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	this, it
antar	antar adverb	within
asya genitive singular neuter	idam pronoun dem	this
sarvasya genitive singular neuter	sarva pronoun quant	all
tat nominative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	this, it
u	u particle	and, also
sarvasya genitive singular neuter	sarva pronoun quant	all
asya genitive singular neuter	idam pronoun dem	this
bāhyataḥ	bāhyatas adverb	outside

Metre: Anuṣṭubh

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

It moves and it does not move. It is far and at the same time near. It is within everything and yet outside everything.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

Śaṅkara reads the verse as a resumption of the same teaching: ātma-tattva (the reality of the Self) seems to move and yet does not move. It is far from the ignorant because they do not reach it, but immediately near to the wise because it is their own Self. It is within as the innermost Self and outside as all-pervading, subtle reality.

Īśā-Upaniṣad Śaṅkara-Bhāṣya

u* antike conj. ed. ] v antike GRETIL2018, LV1958

Critical Apparatus

It moves. It moves not.
It is far, and It is near.
It is within all this,
And It is outside of all this.<1>

<1: So Com. But apas may refer, cosmogonically, to ‘the [primeval] waters.’ >

Robert Hume - 1921

Rastend ist es und doch rastlos,
Ferne ist es und doch so nah!
In allem ist es inwendig,
Und doch außerhalb allem da.

Paul Deussen - 1897

It stirs and it stirs not; it is far, and likewise near <1>. It is inside of all this, and it is outside of all this.

<1: Tad v antike, Vâg. Samh.; tadvad antike, Upan.>

Max Müller - 1879

Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad 4-5: Movement and Stillness

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