Born of a poem

Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.

My name, Isha, is derived from the first word of the first shloka or verse of the Isha Upanishad from the Vedas, (specifically the Yajurveda), which reads as follows-

ईशा वास्यं इदं सर्वं (Iṣā vaśyaṁ idaṁ sarvaṁ), meaning “God envelops or pervades everything in the universe”.

The Upanishad is a poem, consisting of 17 or 18 verses- the first of them being the Isha Upanishad, while the “Vedas are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism.” (quoted from Wikipedia)

Isha as a Sanskrit word also means protector, ruler and goddess.

In the Sanatan Dharma, the Hindu goddess Durga is also referred to as Isha among her many other names, as are the Gods Shiva and Vishnu.

In Hindi, the Lord Jesus is referred to as Isa/Isha Masih (Jesus the Messiah).

The word is used in many different languages to mean many things, but the essence remains the same, (for example, the Hebrew ‘Isha’ used to mean ‘woman’, and representative of femininity, grace and strength, is at one with the Sanskrit word that is used to denote one who protects and one who rules).

However, despite its many religious meanings, I was quite literally named after a poem. ☺️ It was chosen by the priest at my birth and my parents chose not to change it.

This, dear reader, is a faithful account of the meaning, significance, etymology etc, of my name, which #bloganuary demanded to know. Hope you enjoyed it!