Ishavasya Upanishad – Verse 11   «   »

Ishavasya Upanishad – Verse 11   «   »

विद्यां चाविद्यां च यस्तद्वेदोभयं सह ।
अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वा विद्ययामृतमश्नुते ॥ ११ ॥
vidyāṃ cāvidyāṃ ca yastadvedobhayaṃ saha |
avidyayā mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtamaśnute || 11 ||
11. He who simultaneously knows both Vidya and Avidya gets over Death by Avidya and attains immortality by Vidya.

Commentary by Sri Adi Sankaracharya – Translated in English

This being so, the following results. Vidya is the knowledge of the deities; Avidya is Karma. Who knows that both these should simultaneously be followed by the same person, he alone, so combining the two, gradually secures the one desirable end. ‘By Vidya’ means ‘by Karma such as Agnihotra, etc.’ ‘Death’ means ‘action and knowledge induced by Prakriti (nature).’ ‘Tirtva’ means ‘having got over.’ ‘By Avidya’ means ‘by the knowledge of the deities.’ ‘Asnute’ means ‘attains.’ To become one with the deities is what is called immortality (Amritam.)

Commentary by Swami Sivananda

Mrityu or death means work and worldly knowledge. Tirtva means having go over. Asnute means attains. To have communication with the deities is Amritam or immortality.


Ishavasya Upanishad – Verse 11 – Isha – 11-vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning and Commentary by Adi Shankaracharya (Sankara Bhashya) and Swami Sivananda – Ishavasya-11