The learned say life is self-created;
Others say life evolved from time. In truth,
The Lord brought the cosmos out of himself.
He is pure consciousness, omnipresent,
Omnipotent, omniscient, creator
Of time and master of the three gunas.
Evolution takes place at his command.
Those who act without thought of personal
Profit and lead a well-disciplined life
Discover in course of time the divine
Principle that all forms of life are one.
They work in the service of the Lord and
Are freed from the law of karma.
Know him to be the primal source of life
Whose glory permeates the universe,
Who is beyond time and space, yet can be
Seen in our hearts in meditation.
Know him to be beyond the tree of life,
Whose power makes all the planets revolve,
Who is both law and mercy, yet can be
Seen in our hearts in meditation.
Know him to be the supreme Lord of lords,
King of kings, God of gods, ruler of all,
Without action or organs of action,
Whose power is seen in myriad ways.
Know him to be the Cause without a cause,
Without a second, parent or master.
May he, Lord of Love, who hides himself in
His creatures as a spider in its web,
Grant us illumination.
The Lord is hidden in the heart of all
Creatures. He watches our work from within
As eternal witness, pure consciousness,
Beyond the reach of the gunas.
The Lord is the operator. We are
But his innumerable instruments.
May we realize him in our consciousness,
The bliss he alone can give us.
Changeless amidst the changing, consciousness
Of the conscious, he grants all our prayers.
May we realize him in our consciousness,
The freedom he alone can give us.
Neither sun nor moon nor star nor fire shines;
Everything reflects the light of the Lord.
May we realize him in our consciousness;
There is no other way to conquer death.
He is the maker of the universe,
Self-existent, omniscient, destroyer
Of death, the source and inmost Self of all,
Ruler of the cycle of birth and death.
May we realize him in our consciousness;
There is no other way to conquer death.
He is the protector of the cosmos,
All glory, all-knowing, omnipresent;
How could there be any ruler but he?
May we realize him in our consciousness;
There is no other way to conquer death.
Lord Shiva is my refuge, he who grants
Freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
Lord Shiva is my refuge, he who gave
The sacred scriptures at the dawn of time.
Lord Shiva is my refuge, he who is
The source of purity and perfection.
Lord Shiva is my refuge, he who is
The bridge from death to immortality.
Lord Shiva is my refuge, he whose grace
Has made me long for his lotus feet.
How can we roll up the sky like a piece
Of deerskin? How can we end our misery
Without realizing the Lord of Love who
Is enshrined in our heart of hearts?
If you have deep love for the Lord of Love
And your teacher, the light of this teaching
Will shine in your heart. It will shine indeed!
The Upanishads are the mystical documents of the Vedas, the center of India's scriptural canon. This passage has been translated for meditation by Easwaran and is published in his spiritual anthology, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow.” The audio recording is by Eknath Easwaran’s wife, Christine Easwaran.