Iṣṭā—the performance of public welfare activities such as digging wells or planting trees.Prabhupada ›Glossary›-I-›Ista-the performance of Ista-the performance of public welfare activities such as digging wells or planting trees. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/glossary/i/ista-the-performance-of-public-welfare-activities-such-as-di Previous: Isopanisad-one of the 108 principal Vedic scriptures known as the Upanisads. Next: Isvara-a controller. Krsna is paramesvara, the supreme controller; One of the five tattvas, or Vedic ontological truths: the supreme controller of all living and nonliving energy. In Bg. 18.61-62, Lord Krsna tells Arjuna: isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya tam eva saranam gaccha sarva-bhavena bharata tat-prasadat param santim sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam. The Supreme Lord (isvara) is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy. O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode. And Cc., Adi-lila 5.142 states: ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya yare yaiche nacaya, se taiche kare nrtya. Lord Krsna alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so. The isvara has full control over the jiva, prakrti, kala and karma. The jiva has the power to choose whether to surrender to the isvara or not. If he does surrender, he is freed from bondage within prakrti, kala and karma. If he does not, he is bound by them in the cycle of birth and death (samsara). See Avatara, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna, Modes of nature, Supersoul, Tattva.