All Upanishads begin with a Shanti Path or Shanti Mantra, The Shanti Path of Isha Upanishad is

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमदच्यते।

 पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते।

ॐ शांतिः शांतिः शांतिः 

Om Purnamadah Purnamidam Purnat Purnamudachyate।

Purnasya Purnamadaya Purnamevavashisyate॥

Om Shanti Shamti Shanti॥

Meaning of the shanti path

Om! The vastness is boundless, and the universe is an embodiment of infinity. The limitless emerges from the limitless, and embracing the boundlessness of the infinite, it persists as the infinite alone.

Om, that is complete, and this is also complete. If you take a part from that it does not get impacted, it is complete and the part is also complete.

The Shanti Path states that everything is a manifestation from Brahma, everything was created out of it. To relate to it just imagine a BIG tree and its seed, The seed contains that tree within, when you sow a seed, it blossoms into a large tree. So, the seed contains the tree within which we cannot see but you do believe – a seed in its entirety is complete and so is the tree.

So, like the seed and the tree, the entire creation is a manifestation of Brahm.

I’d like to share another analogy, one that my daughter shared with me as she often listened to Isha Upanishad,  while it was played in our home. This was during the period when her mother was expecting (her soon-to-be brother). She, too, was engrossed in the mantra. When I inquired if she comprehended my earlier explanation, her response beautifully encapsulated the concept, highlighting how children can simplify understanding. I was captivated by what she shared, and I’ll recount it below:

An expectant woman embodies completeness, as she carries a baby within her, a being that is also whole. Upon giving birth, both the newborn and the mother attain a sense of wholeness. This concept suggests that when something is taken from a state of completeness—both the borrowed part and what remains are still whole.

I find this mantra or Shanti Path very powerful as it beautifully and elegantly illustrates the concept of creation and Brahm.

Hari Om! Peace, Peace, Peace.