Kena Upanisad: Few Key Verses and Sri Sankara Bhasyam (for repeated reflection)

आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि। सर्वं ब्रह्मौपनिषदं माहं ब्रह्म निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म निराकरोदनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणं मेऽस्तु। तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु ।।

शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।।

Om āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ śrotramatho

balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi. sarvaṃ brahmaupaniṣadaṃ

māhaṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma nirākārodanirākaraṇa mastvanirākaraṇaṃ

mestu tadātmani nirate ya

upaniṣatsu dharmāste mayi santu te mayi santu .

Om śāntiḥ! śāntiḥ!! śāntiḥ!!!

Invocation of Peace

May my limbs, speech, vital air, eyes, ears, strength and

all the senses be fully developed. All that is revealed by the

Upanishads is Brahman. May I never deny Brahman; may

Brahman never disown me. Let there be no repudiation (from

Brahman); let there be no infidelity from my side. May all

the Dharmas extolled by the Upanishads shine in me who am

intent on knowing the Self. May they shine in me!

Sri Sankara Bhagavatpaada in his introduction : -

All the actions and knowledge explained above, if performed (acquired) in the right manner, will conduce to the attainment of mental purity of the man who is desirous of moksha and who does action without thinking of the result thereof. But in the case of the man who has the desire for the fruit of action and in whom knowledge is absent, the mere performance of “srouta karma” and “smarta karma” will lead him to the southern solstice from where he must return.

Part – I

keneṣitaṃ patati preṣitaṃ manaḥ.

kena prāṇaḥ prathamaḥ praiti yuktaḥ .

keneṣitāṃ vācamimāṃ vadanti cakṣuḥ

śrotraṃ ka u devo yunakti ..

I-1. Wished by whom is the mind directed to fall (on its objects)? Directed by whom does the foremost vital air move? By whom is wished this speech which the people utter? Who is the radiant being that unites the eye and the ear (with their objects)?

śrotrasya śrotraṃ manaso mano yadvāco

ha vācaṃ sa u prāṇasya prāṇaḥ .

cakṣuṣaścakṣuratimucya dhīrāḥ

pretyāsmāllokād amṛtā bhavanti ..

I-2. Because He is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of speech, the vital air of the vital air, and the eye of the eye, the wise, freeing themselves (from the identity with the senses) and renouncing the world, become immortal.

na tatra cakṣurgacchati na vāggacchati no mano

na vidmo na vijānīmo yathaitadanuśiṣyāt anyadeva

tadviditād atho aviditādadhi . iti śuśruma pūrveṣāṃ ye

nastadvyācacakṣire

I-3. The eye does not reach there, nor speech, nor mind, nor do we know (Its mature). Therefore we don't know how to impart instruction (about It). Distinct indeed is That from the known and distinct from the unknown. Thus have we heard from the ancients who expounded It to us.

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

As for the mind, it thinks of and determines other things, but it does not think of and determine itself for Brahman is the Self of that even. The cognition of a thing takes place indeed by (the combined function of) the senses and the mind. Because Brahman is not perceptible to these, we don’t know that Brahman is of such and such nature.

As such, to the knower Self, there is nothing different from It to be acquired to serve a purpose distinct from It. Thus, by the teaching that It is distinct from the known and the unknown, thereby denying both Its rejection or acceptance, the curiosity of the disciple to know a Brahman o1ther than his own Self shall come to an end. Certainly, it is impossible that there should be something distinct from one's own Self which is distinct from both the known and the unknown. Therefore, the meaning of this sentence is that the Self is Brahman. This is supported also by such other sruti as, "This Self is Brahman" (Mand. Upa. 2), "The Self that is not tainted by sin" (Ch. Up. VIII, 7-1), "The Brahman that is direct and perceptible" (Brih. Upa. 3.4.1) and "The Self that dwells within all” (Bri. Up).

Brahman is to be known only through the tradition of teachings of the Acharyas and not through argument, nor by the study of the Vedas, nor by intelligence, great 1earning, austerity, sacrifice etc. Thus have we heard from the Ancients.

yadvācānabhyuditaṃ yena vāgabhyudyate.

tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate.

I-4. That which is not uttered by speech, that by which the word is expressed, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

Know ·that Self. alone in Its real nature to be Brahman, unsurpassed,. called Bhuma (great). Being brihat (big) It is known as Brahman. Because It is conditioned by speech etc., such functional attributes as the speech of speech, the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the mind of mind, the doer, the enjoyer, ·the knower, the controller and the instructor. Knowledge and Bliss are applied to Brahman devoid of functional activities and attributes, supreme and same (in all) . Know the Self freed from these conditions to be Brahman devoid ·of attributes. This is the sense implied in the word eva (alone) in the above mantra. That which is represented by the word idam (this) and which consists of the non-Self, Isvara etc. that are distinguished as being conditioned by adjuncts and mediated on, is not Brahman. 'Know That alone to be Brahman'. In this utterance itself it has been shown that the non-Self is not Brahman.

I-5. That which one does not think with the mind, that by which, they say, the mind is thought, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped.

I-6. That which man does not see with the eye, that by which man sees the activities of the eye, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshiped.

I-7. That which man does not hear with the ear, that by which man hears the ear's hearing, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshiped.

I-8. That which man does not smell with the organ of smell, that by which the organ of smell is attracted towards its objects, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshiped.

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

(Purvapaksha):- 'I know it rightly' - Is not such a knowledge on a firm basis desirable?

(Samadhana): 'I know it rightly,' is not desirable: The knowable thing which becomes an object of perception alone can be known well. Even as the burning fire can consume only things that are consumable, but not its {fire's) own form. It is a settled fact in all Vedanta texts that the knower's own Self is indeed Brahman. Here too, that alone is discussed in the form of question and answer in such words as 'the ear of the ear' (1-2). By ·the passage “That which is not uttered by speech" (1-4), particular emphasis has been laid on it: Again, by the passage, "Distinct indeed is that from the known and distinct from the unknown" (1-3), the lineage of knowers of Brahman has been' conclusively affirmed. Similarly, this discussion will be concluded thus: ''To whom It is unknown, to him It is known; to whom It is known, he does not know It." (ii-3). Hence it is essential that the disciple's (false) notion that he knows rightly should be dispelled.

Never indeed can the knower know the knower, even as the consuming fire cannot consume itself. Other than Brahman there is no knower with another Brahman knowable to him. “There is no knower distinct from It" (Brih. Upa. iii, 8-11 ). Thus another knower (than Brahman) is denied. Therefore it is false to think, 'I know Brahman rightly'.

Part – II

yadi manyase suvedeti daharamevāpi nūnam tvaṃ vettha

brahmaṇo rūpaṃ yadasya tvaṃ yadasya deveṣvatha nu

mīmāṃsyameva te manye viditam

II-1. If you think, 'I know Brahman rightly', you have known but little of Brahman's (true) nature. What you know of His form and what form you know among the gods (too is but little). Therefore Brahman is still to be inquired into by you. I think Brahman is known to me.

nāhaṃ manye suvedeti no na vedeti veda ca .

yo nastadveda tadveda no na vedeti veda ca ..

II-2. I think not I know Brahman rightly, nor do I think It is unknown. I know (and I do not know also). He among us who knows that knows It (Brahman); not that It is not known nor that It is known.

II-3. It is known to him to whom It is unknown; he to whom It is known does not know It. It is unknown to those who know and known to those who know not.

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

As regards those who, for want of discrimination between Brahman and the upadhis (adjuncts), identify the Self with the limiting adjuncts such as the senses, the mind and the intellect which they are familiar with, the illusion, i.e. "Brahman is known by us" is but natural. Therefore the incorrect notion is here presented as a purvapaksha (a view to be opposed) by the teaching “Known to those who know not”

[ “Just as in common experience it is well known that to the people, aware of the nature of the mother of pearl, the silver superimposed on it remains unknown (on that mother of pearl) but to the ignorant alone the superimposed silver is known (as silver), similarly, knowableness being a thing superimposed on Brahman, the men of realisation do not consider that Brahman as known.”—Sri Ananda Giri ]

It has been ascertained that Brahman is unknown to those who know. If Brahman be wholly unknown, then there remains no distinction between the ordinary people and the knowers of Brahman. Besides, the statement, “unknown to those who know", is self-contradictory. How then can Brahman be known adequately? To explain this

the Upanisad says:

pratibodhaviditaṃ matamamṛtatvaṃ hi vindate .

ātmanā vindate vīryaṃ vidyayā vindatemṛtam .

II-4. When Brahman is known as the inner Self (of cognition) in every act of cognition, It is known in reality, because one thus attains immortality. Through one's own Self is attained strength and through knowledge is attained immortality.

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

Pratibodha-viditam, known with reference to each state of intelligence. By the word bodha are meant the cognition acquired through the intellect. The Self, that encompasses all ideas as Its objects, is known in relation to all these ideas. Being the witness of all cognition, and by nature nothing but the power of consciousness, the Self is indicated by the cognition themselves, in the midst of cognition, as non-different from them. There is no other door to Its awareness.

Therefore when Brahman is known as the innermost Self (i.e. witness) of cognition, then is It mutant, known, that is to say, then there is Its complete realisation. Only by accepting Brahman as the witness of all cognition can it be established that It is by nature a witness that is not subject to growth and decay, and is eternal, pure in essence, the Self, unconditioned, and one in all beings, just as it is in the case of akasa (space) because of the non-difference of its characteristics despite its existence in pots, caves, etc.

[ Since the reality of my consciousness, by virtue of which I am the witness, exists equally in all, l am not a mere witness m a single body. And since difference, origination, etc. do not inhere in the witness, therefore the non-duality, eternality, etc. of the witness are also established.”—Sri Ananda Giri]

Hi, because; vindate (one) attains; amrtatvam, immortality, existence in one's own Self, emancipation -by virtue of the aforesaid pratibodha, i.e. from the knowledge of the Self as appearing with reference to (i.e. as the witness of) each state of consciousness, therefore the Self is truly known when It is known along with each state of consciousness.

Besides, consciousness, as having the indwelling Self as its content, is alone held to be the cause of immortality. Immortality does not surely consist in the Self becoming a non-Self. Immortality being the very nature of the Self, it is certainly without any cause. And thus mortality consists in the Self being perceived as the non-Self through ignorance.

How, again, is immortality attained through the aforesaid knowledge of the Self? This is being answered. AtmanA through one’s own Self; vindate, (one) attains; viryam, strength, capacity. The strength got from wealth, friend, incantation, medicine, austerity, or Yoga cannot conquer death, for it is produced by impermanent things. But the strength, consequent on the knowledge of the Self, is acquired through the Self alone and not through anything else. Thus, since the strength resulting from the knowledge of the Self is independent of any means of acquisition, that strength alone is able to conquer death. Since the strength produced by the knowledge of the Self is thus attained through the Self, therefore, vidyaya, through knowledge about the Self; (one) vindate, attains; amrtam, immortality.

[Some Useful verses from Panchadasi for Reflection (These verses are not a must read in this context of Kena Upanisad, but in past I found the useful when reflecting on "Cognition", "Self-Awareness", "Object-less Consciousness" ]

https://studylearningcircle.blogspot.com/2019/10/some-useful-verses-in-panchadashi-on.html

iha cedavedīdatha satyamasti na cedihāvedīnmahatī vinaṣṭiḥ .

bhūteṣu bhūteṣu vicitya dhīrāḥ pretyāsmāllokād amṛtā bhavanti.

II-5. Here if one has realised, then there is accomplishment. Here if one has not realised, then there is utter ruin. Having realised Brahman in all beings, and having withdrawn from this world, the wise become immortal.

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

Therefore the dhirah, wise, Brahmanas (the knowers of Brahman), who are thus familiar with merits and demerits; vicitya, having known, realised, the one reality of the Self; bhutesu, in all beings moving and unmoving; pretya, turning away from, desisting from this world of ignorance—the world consisting of “I and mine”—i.e. having attained the non-dual state consisting in becoming identified with the Self of all; amrtAh bhavanti, become immortal, become Brahman indeed—this is the idea; as it has been said in the Vedic text : “He who knows that supreme Brahman becomes Brahman indeed ~ brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati” (Mu. III. ii. 9).

Part – III

God's delighted in the victory over Asuras. OBlivious of the real cause for the victory - namely Brahman. They took pride in thier so called ability to attain the victory.

To teach them a lesson - Brahman appeared before them as a Yaksha.

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

Then not knowing that this victory and this glory belonged to God who sits in the hearts as the indwelling Self—omniscient, dispenser of the fruits of all works of all creatures, omnipotent, and desirous of encompassing the stability of the world. Noticing this false pride of the devas and thinking, ‘‘In order that the debvass may not be thus defeated like the asuras, as a consequence of their vainglory, I shall, out of grace for them, favour the gods by removing their presumptuousness”

3. They said to Fire, “O Jataveda, find out thoroughly about this thing as to what this Yaksa is He said, “So be it.”

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

Jaataveda was first sent since he is nearly omniscient, as he knows about everyone who is born i.e. JAta Veda

4. To It he went. To him It said, “Who are you?” He said, “I am known as Fire, or I am Jataveda.”

5. (It said), "‘What power is there in you, such as you are?" (Fire said), “I can burn up all this that is on the earth."

6. (Yaksa) placed a straw for him saying, “Burn this.” (Fire) approached the straw with the power born of full enthusiasm. He could not consume it. He returned from the Yaksa (to tell the gods), “I could not ascertain it fully

as to what this Yaksa is.”

7. Then (the gods) said to Vayu, “O Vayu, find out thoroughly about this thing as to what this Yaksa is.” (Vayu said), “So be it.”

8. To It he went. To him It said, “Who are you?” He said, “I am known as Vayu, or I am Matarisva.”

9. (It said), “What power is there in you, such as you are?” (Vayu said), “I can blow away all this that is on the earth.”

10. (Yaksa) placed a straw for him saying, “Take it up."   Approached the straw with all the strength born of enthusiasm. He could not take it up. He returned from that Yaksa to tell the gods “I could not ascertain It fully as to what this Yaksa is."

11. Then (the gods) said to Indra, “O Maghava, find out thoroughly about this thing as to what this Yaksa is.’" (He said), "So be it.”  He (Indra) approached It (Yaksa). From him (Yaksa) vanished away.

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

Indra who is a great Lord, and is called Maghava, because of strength ; approached that Yaksa. Tasmat, from him, from Indra who had approached Itself (Yaksa); that Brahman, vanished from sight. Brahman did not so much as grant him an interview, so that India’s pride at being Indra might be totally eradicated.

12 - Sa tasminnevAkAse striyamAjagAma bahusobhamAnAm umAm haimavateem tAm hovAca kimetadyaksamiti

sa tasminnevākāśe striyamājagāma bahuśobhamānām umāṃhaimavatīṃ tāṃ hovāca kimetadyakṣamiti .

स तस्मिन्नेवाकाशे स्त्रियमाजगाम बहुशोभमानामुमा्ँ हैमवतीं ता्ँहोवाच किमेतद्यक्षमिति ।। 3.1.12 ।।

In that very space be approached the superbly charming woman, Uma Haimavati. To Her (he said), "What is this Yaksa?”

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

Indra, stayed on, deliberating in his mind, “What is this Yaksa?” He did not return like Fire etc. Understanding his devotion to Yaksa, Knowledge (of Brahman) made Her appearance as a woman, in the form Uma. Hawing realized the devotion of Indra ·towards Yaksha, Brahma Vidya assuming the female form, as Uma. lndra went near the exceedingly charming Uma. Of all that fascinates Vidya (Brahma Vidya) is the most fascinating. Hence the epithet 'exceedingly fascinating' (bahushobhamaanam) is quite befitting.

Or Uma Herself is Haimavati, the daughter of Himavat (Himalayas). Thinking that, since She is ever in association with the omniscient Ishwara, She must be able to know, Indra approached Her; (and) tam, to Her, to Uma; uvaca, said, “Tell me, kim etat yaksam iti, what is this Yaksa—that showed Itself and vanished?”

sā brahmeti hovāca brahmaṇo vā etadvijaye

mahīyadhvamiti tato haiva vidāñcakāra brahmeti

4.1- “It was Brahman’ said She. “In Brahman’s victory, indeed, you became elated thus.” From that (utterance) alone, to be sure, did Indra learn that It was Brahman.

Sri Sankara Bhasyam (Excerpts)

It was only from Uma's words (sÀ brahmeti hovÀca) that Indra learnt it was Brahman (note the emphasis on "only from Uma's words)

4. 2. Therefore, indeed, these gods, viz Fire, Air, and Indra, did excel other gods, for they touched It most proximately, and they knew It first as Brahman.

4. 3. Therefore did India excel the other deities. For he touched It most proximately, inasmuch as he knew It first as Brahman.

tasyaiṣa ādeśo yadetadvidyuto vyadyutadā 3

itīnnyamīmiṣadā 3 ityadhidaivatam

4. 4. Its instruction (regarding meditation) is this. It is similar to that which is like a flash of lightning or like the winkling of the eye. This is (the analogy of Brahman) in the divine aspect.

4.5. Then (follows) the instruction through analogy on the aspect of the individual self. (It is well-known that) the mind seems to attain to It, that It is continually remembered by the mind, and that the mind possesses the thought (regarding It).

taddha tadvanaṃ nāma tadvanamityupāsitavyaṃ sa

ya etadevaṃ

vedābhi hainaṃ sarvāṇi bhūtāni saṃvāñchanti .

4.6. That Brahman is known indeed as Tadvana (worshipful or adorable to all beings); That is to be worshiped as Tadvana. To him who knows It thus verily all beings pray.

upaniṣadaṃ bho brūhītyuktā ta upaniṣad brāhmīṃ vāva ta

upaniṣadamabrūmeti .

4.7. (Disciple:) "Revered sir, speak Upanishad to me." (Teacher:) "I have spoken Upanishad to thee. Of Brahman verily is the Upanishad that I have spoken."

tasyai tapo damaḥ karmeti pratiṣṭhā vedāḥ sarvāṅgāni

satyamāyatanam.

4.8. Of this knowledge austerity, self-restraint and action are the feet, the Vedas are all limbs and truth is the abode.

yo vā etāmevaṃ vedāpahatya pāpmānamanante svarge

loke jyeye pratitiṣṭhati pratitiṣṭhati .

4.9. He who knows this thus, with his sins destroyed, becomes firmly seated in the infinite, blissful and supreme Brahman. He becomes firmly seated (in Brahman).

आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि। सर्वं ब्रह्मौपनिषदं माहं ब्रह्म निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म निराकरोदनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणं मेऽस्तु। तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु ।।

शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।।

Om āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ śrotramatho

balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi. sarvaṃ brahmaupaniṣadaṃ

māhaṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma nirākārodanirākaraṇa mastvanirākaraṇaṃ

mestu tadātmani nirate ya

upaniṣatsu dharmāste mayi santu te mayi santu .

Om śāntiḥ! śāntiḥ!! śāntiḥ!!!

Om! May my limbs, speech, vital air, eyes, ears, strength,
And all the senses be fully developed.
All that is revealed by the Upanishads is Brahman.
May I never deny Brahman:
May Brahman never disown me.
Let there be no repudiation (from Brahman);
Let there be no infidelity from my side.
May all the Dharmas extolled by the Upanishads shine in me
Who am intent on knowing the Self.
May they shine in me!
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!

Here ends the Kenopanishad, as contained in the Sama-Veda.