Kena Upanishad – Part 1

Kena Upanishad – Part 1

॥ अथ केनोपनिषत् ॥

ॐ सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

English Meaning:
May the Supreme Lord protect both of us (teacher and student). May He nourish and sustain both of us. May we work together with great energy and strength. May our study be filled with brilliance and wisdom. May we never develop hatred or conflict between us. May there be peace, peace, peace.

ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुःश्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि । सर्वं ब्रह्मौपनिषदं माऽहं ब्रह्म निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म निराकरोदनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणं मेऽस्तु । तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

English Meaning:
May all my limbs, speech, life-force, eyes, ears, strength, and all my senses become fully energized and purified. Everything taught in the Upanishads is Brahman alone. May I never reject Brahman, and may Brahman never reject me. May there be no separation between me and the Supreme Reality. May all the truths and teachings revealed in the Upanishads remain established within me, and may they always abide in me.

केनेषितं पतति प्रेषितं मनः ।
केन प्राणः प्रथमः प्रैति युक्तः ।
केनेषितां वाचमिमां वदन्ति ।
चक्षुःश्रोत्रं क उ देवो युनक्ति ॥ १ ॥

English Meaning:
By whom is the mind directed toward its objects? By whom is the vital force guided and activated? By whose power do people speak words? What divine principle directs the eyes and ears toward their functions?

श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रं मनसो मनो यद् ।
वाचो ह वाचं स उ प्राणस्य प्राणः ।
चक्षुषश्चक्षुरतिमुच्य धीराः ।
प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भवन्ति ॥ २ ॥

English Meaning:
That which is the ear behind the ear, the mind behind the mind, the speech behind speech, and the life behind life — that is Brahman. The wise ones, realizing that Supreme Reality beyond the senses, become free from worldly limitations and attain immortality.

न तत्र चक्षुर्गच्छति न वाग्गच्छति नो मनः ।
न विद्मो न विजानीमो यथैतदनुशिष्यात् ॥ ३ ॥

English Meaning:
The eye cannot reach It, speech cannot describe It, and the mind cannot comprehend It. We do not know how to explain It through ordinary knowledge, because Brahman is beyond the reach of the senses and intellect.

अन्यदेव तद्विदितादथो अविदितादधि ।
इति शुश्रुम पूर्वेषां ये नस्तद्व्याचचक्षिरे ॥ ४ ॥

English Meaning:
Brahman is entirely different from what is known through the senses, and also beyond what is considered unknown. Thus we have heard from the ancient sages who explained this eternal truth to us.

यद्वाचा अनभ्युदितं येन वागभ्युद्यते ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ५ ॥

English Meaning:
That which cannot be expressed by speech, but by whose power speech itself functions — know That alone to be Brahman, not this limited object that people worship.

यन्मनसा न मनुते येनाहुर्मनो मतम् ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ६ ॥

English Meaning:
That which the mind cannot think of, but by whose power the mind is able to think — know That alone to be Brahman, not the limited forms that are objects of meditation.

यच्चक्षुषा न पश्यति येन चक्षूंषि पश्यति ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ७ ॥

English Meaning:
That which the eyes cannot see, but through whose power the eyes are able to see — know That alone to be Brahman, not the visible objects perceived by the senses.

यच्छ्रोत्रेण न शृणोति येन श्रोत्रमिदं श्रुतम् ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ८ ॥

English Meaning:
That which cannot be heard by the ears, but through whose power hearing itself is possible — know That alone to be Brahman, not the sounds perceived through the senses.

यत्प्राणेन न प्राणिति येन प्राणः प्रणीयते ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ९ ॥

English Meaning:
That which does not live by the life-force, but by whose power the life-force itself functions — know That alone to be Brahman, not the limited forms worshipped as objects.

॥ इति केनोपनिषदि प्रथमः खण्डः ॥