Invocation: Isa Upanishad

(Shanti Path- also known as Peace Chant)

Prayer Mantra:

Purnamadah Purnamidam Purnaat Purnamudachyate

Purnasya Purnaamadaya Purnameva Vashishyate.

Aum Shantih Shantih Shantih

Meaning:

That is infinite, this is infinite;

From That infinite this infinite comes.

From That infinite, (if) this infinite is removed;

Infinite remains infinite.

Aum Peace Peace Peace

Thought:

This is a customary mantra before starting religious services or spiritual discourses. This is a very important mantra that should be known to all Hindus. This mantra offers the Hindu world view concisely.

The dictionary meanings of the word "Purna" are: full, whole, complete, limitless, perfect. The word THAT (adah) refers to something unknown or unknowable; here it means Brahman (the Ultimate Reality). Taittareeya Upanishad (verse 2.1.1) defines Brahman as Satyam (Ever Existent), Jnanam (Consciousness Absolute), Anantam (limitlless).The word THIS (idam) refers to something here, known and limited; it means the phenomenal world.

The first part of this mantra says that everything on this phenomenal world (physical world that we experience) is but a manifestation of the limitless Brahman (the Ultimate Reality).

Brahman or Atma or spirit can be considered limitless, but how can visible objects around us be called infinite? The answer is, it depends upon the plane of view. The ocean, for example, can be called limitless, but not the waves. The waves (of the ocean) appear limited as long as we look at the waves and ocean as separate (this is called dualistic view). However, if we consider the wave as mere water, then the wave is as limitless as the ocean. From a dualistic view point, the waves "appear" limited, but in a larger context it is really infinite as the ocean itself. Similarly, if we do not consider ourselves to be bodies, but the infinite spirit residing in the bodies, then, we are limitless and infinite.

The experience of duality is called unreal in Vedanta, because it has no absolute existence. From a dualistic viewpoint, a wave is afraid of losing its identity. From a non-dualistic point of view, there is no such fear. The experience of non-duality brings fearlessness, togetherness, universality, joy; it drives away all the pettiness of life.

Thus, the first half of this great Upanishadic mantra tells in a nutshell that the limitless Brahman is both the material and efficient causes of creation. There is no entity in the cosmos other than the creator. He has become all, and He is all, and He is in all. Om purnamadah purnamidam purnaat purnam-udacyate.

Now, what happens to the Infinite (Brahman) when infinite creations come out of it during creation and goes into it during dissolution?. The second half of the verse answers :purnasya purnamaadaaya, purnam-eva-avashishyate. After taking away the infinite creation from the infinite Brahman during the creative cycle or adding infinite universes to the infinite Brahman during the great dissolution, the infinite Brahman remains in His infinite Universal form unchanged, because the existence of the phenomenal world was always “apparent” or relative; the phenomenal world never had an “absolute” or “real” existence. This can be mathematically expressed as infinity, plus or minus infinity, equals infinity.

This single verse from the Upanishad has the essence of spirituality.  It brings unity and harmony to a diverse world by spiritualizing the physical world. We come out of Him, we live in Him all our life and we dissolve in Him. No one is impure, nothing is unholy. We are ever free. All we have to do is realize it.