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Kena Upanishad

Chapter 1

प्रथमः खण्डः

First Khanda

Verses

  1. Verse 1

    oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi | sarvaṃ brahmaupaniṣadaṃ mā'haṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma nirākarodanirākaraṇamastvanirākaraṇaṃ me'stu | tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste mayi santu te mayi santu | oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||

    Meaning

    May my limbs, speech, breath, eyes, ears, and all my senses and strength grow vigorous. All this is the Brahman of the Upanishads. May I never deny Brahman; may Brahman never deny me. Let there be no denial — let there be no denial on my part. May the virtues declared in the Upanishads dwell in me, devoted to the Self; may they dwell in me. Om, peace, peace, peace.

  2. Verse 2

    oṃ keneṣitaṃ patati preṣitaṃ manaḥ kena prāṇaḥ prathamaḥ praiti yuktaḥ | keneṣitāṃ vācamimāṃ vadanti cakṣuḥ śrotraṃ ka u devo yunakti || 1||

    Meaning

    Willed by whom, directed by whom, does the mind alight upon its objects? Commanded by whom does the foremost life-breath (prana) move? By whose will do men utter speech? And what god directs the eye and the ear?

  3. Verse 3

    śrotrasya śrotraṃ manaso mano yad vāco ha vācaṃ sa u prāṇasya prāṇaḥ | cakṣuṣaścakṣuratimucya dhīrāḥ pretyāsmāllokādamṛtā bhavanti || 2||

    Meaning

    It is the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the Speech of speech, the Life of the life-breath, and the Eye of the eye. Letting go (their false identification with the senses), the wise depart from this world and become immortal.

  4. Verse 4

    na tatra cakṣurgacchati na vāggacchati no manaḥ | na vidmo na vijānīmo yathaitadanuśiṣyāt || 3||

    Meaning

    There the eye does not reach, nor speech, nor the mind. We do not know It; we do not see how one could teach It.

  5. Verse 5

    anyadeva tadviditādatho aviditādadhi | iti śuśruma pūrveṣāṃ ye nastadvyācacakṣire || 4||

    Meaning

    It is surely other than the known, and It is also above the unknown — thus have we heard from the ancients who expounded It to us.

  6. Verse 6

    yadvācā'nabhyuditaṃ yena vāgabhyudyate | tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate || 5||

    Meaning

    That which is not uttered by speech, but by which speech is uttered — know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people here worship.

  7. Verse 7

    yanmanasā na manute yenāhurmano matam | tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate || 6||

    Meaning

    That which one cannot think with the mind, but by which, they say, the mind itself is thought (made to think) — know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people here worship.

  8. Verse 8

    yaccakṣuṣā na paśyati yena cakṣūṃṣi paśyati | tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate || 7||

    Meaning

    That which one cannot see with the eye, but by which the eyes are made able to see — know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people here worship.

  9. Verse 9

    yacchrotreṇa na śṛṇoti yena śrotramidaṃ śrutam | tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate || 8||

    Meaning

    That which one cannot hear with the ear, but by which this ear is made able to hear — know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people here worship.

  10. Verse 10

    yatprāṇena na prāṇiti yena prāṇaḥ praṇīyate | tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate || 9||

    Meaning

    That which one does not breathe by the breath, but by which the breath is impelled — know That alone to be Brahman, not this which people here worship.

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