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Kena Upanishad

Chapter 3

तृतीयः खण्डः

Third Khanda

Verses

  1. Verse 1

    brahma ha devebhyo vijigye tasya ha brahmaṇo vijaye devā amahīyanta || 1||

    Meaning

    Brahman, it is told, won a victory for the gods. In that victory of Brahman the gods gloried.

  2. Verse 2

    ta aikṣantāsmākamevāyaṃ vijayo'smākamevāyaṃ mahimeti | taddhaiṣāṃ vijajñau tebhyo ha prādurbabhūva tanna vyajānata kimidaṃ yakṣamiti || 2||

    Meaning

    They thought: 'Ours alone is this victory, ours alone is this greatness.' Brahman knew this (vanity) of theirs and appeared before them. They did not recognize It: 'What is this wondrous being (yaksha)?'

  3. Verse 3

    te'gnimabruvañjātaveda etadvijānīhi kimidaṃ yakṣamiti tatheti || 3||

    Meaning

    They said to Agni: 'O Jatavedas, find out what this yaksha is.' 'So be it,' (he said).

  4. Verse 4

    tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko'sītyagnirvā ahamasmītyabravījjātavedā vā ahamasmīti || 4||

    Meaning

    He (Agni) rushed towards It. It asked him: 'Who are you?' 'I am Agni,' he said, 'I am indeed Jatavedas.'

  5. Verse 5

    tasmiṃstvayi kiṃ vīryamityapīdaṃ sarvaṃ daheyaṃ yadidaṃ pṛthivyāmiti || 5||

    Meaning

    'In one such as you, what power is there?' 'I can burn all this, whatever is on the earth.'

  6. Verse 6

    tasmai tṛṇaṃ nidadhāvetaddaheti | tadupapreyāya sarvajavena tanna śaśāka dagdhuṃ sa tata eva nivavṛte naitadaśakaṃ vijñātuṃ yadetadyakṣamiti || 6||

    Meaning

    It set a blade of grass before him: 'Burn this.' He fell upon it with all his speed, but could not burn it. He turned back from there: 'I could not find out what this yaksha is.'

  7. Verse 7

    atha vāyumabruvanvāyavetadvijānīhi kimetadyakṣamiti tatheti || 7||

    Meaning

    Then they said to Vayu: 'O Vayu, find out what this yaksha is.' 'So be it.'

  8. Verse 8

    tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko'sīti vāyurvā ahamasmītyabravīnmātariśvā vā ahamasmīti || 8||

    Meaning

    He rushed towards It. It asked him: 'Who are you?' 'I am Vayu,' he said, 'I am indeed Matarishvan.'

  9. Verse 9

    tasmiṃstvayi kiṃ vīryamityapīdaṃ sarvamādadīya yadidaṃ pṛthivyāmiti || 9||

    Meaning

    'In one such as you, what power is there?' 'I can carry off all this, whatever is on the earth.'

  10. Verse 10

    tasmai tṛṇaṃ nidadhāvetadādatsveti tadupapreyāya sarvajavena tanna śaśākādātuṃ sa tata eva nivavṛte naitadaśakaṃ vijñātuṃ yadetadyakṣamiti || 10||

    Meaning

    It set a blade of grass before him: 'Take this up.' He fell upon it with all his speed, but could not lift it. He turned back from there: 'I could not find out what this yaksha is.'

  11. Verse 11

    athendramabruvanmaghavannetadvijānīhi kimetadyakṣamiti tatheti tadabhyadravattasmāttirodadhe || 11||

    Meaning

    Then they said to Indra: 'O Maghavan, find out what this yaksha is.' 'So be it.' He rushed towards It, but It vanished from him.

  12. Verse 12

    sa tasminnevākāśe striyamājagāma bahuśobhamānāmumāṃ haimavatīṃ tāṃhovāca kimetadyakṣamiti || 12||

    Meaning

    In that very space he came upon a Woman, exceedingly resplendent — Uma, daughter of Himavat. To her he said: 'What is this yaksha?'

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