Mantra 17b

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Īśa-upaniṣad mantra 17b:

ओं क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर ॥ १७ ॥

oṃ krato smara kṛtaṃ smara krato smara kṛtaṃ smara || 17 ||

om—the symbol of Hari: from ava (‘to Protect’, ‘to pervade’, ‘obtain’, ‘to shine’; O all-pervading!; krato—O Sacrifice! O Creator! O Hari! O all-pervading; O radiant; smara—remember, ie, have mercy on me; kṛtam—duty; smara—remember; Krato! O Hari! O Creator!. smara—remember me, forgive, pardon or be compassionate; kṛtam—my deeds, evil deeds and good deeds; smara—remember.

17b.O All-pervading Creator! remember me. Have mercy on me. O Soul remember thy duty.

Commentary: The Bhāṣya of Madhva (Madhvācārya):

(English translation of Madhva’s 13th-century commentary called the Īśāvāsyopaniṣadbhāṣya or Īśopaniṣadbhāṣya)

In the Brahman-tarka it is declared The phrase “O Viṣṇu! remember Thy devotees,” means have mercy on Thy devotees: for memory in reference to the Omniscient Lord has no meaning. He always remembers or rather knows everything: for past, present and future is one to Him: His knowledge is Eternal. Therefore “remember” is not to be taken here in its literal sense but in the sense, of “Have compassion upon thy devotee.”

Note.—When a thing passes out of perception then arises the memory of it from the impressions left by the object on the mind. In the case of the Lord, no object can ever vanish out of His perception—in fact all objects owe their be-ness to His perception of it. So the Lord has no Memory, but Eternal perception and cognition: for the essential nature of the Lord is eternal knowledge. This portion of the verse is a prayer to the Lord, symbolised as Om, to have compassion on His worshipper. Not only must one pray for mercy, but should never forget his own duty. Both are necessary—performing diligently one’s duty and praying for the mercy of the Lord.