---
type: article
status: Published
slug: "kena-upanishad"
title: "Kena Upanishad"
author: "Unknown"
tradition: "hindu"
language: "sa"
genre: "Upanishad"
period: "c. 1st millennium BCE"
source_url: "https://sa.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D&oldid=407400"
certainty: observed
source: "https://sa.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D&oldid=407400"
---
# Kena Upanishad

## Original

### Section 1

ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः
श्रोत्रमथो 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 ॥

1. ॐ केनेषितं पतति प्रेषितं मनः
केन प्राणः प्रथमः प्रैति युक्तः ।
केनेषितां वाचमिमां वदन्ति
चक्षुः श्रोत्रं क उ देवो युनक्ति

2. श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रं मनसो मनो यद्वाचो ह वाचं
स उ प्राणस्य प्राणः चक्षुषश्चक्षुः |
अतिमुच्य धीराः प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भवन्ति

3. न तत्र चक्षुर्गच्छति न वाग्गच्छति नो मनः ।
न विद्मो न विजानीमो यथैतदनुशिष्यात्

4. अन्यदेव तद्विदितादथो अविदितादधि ।
इति शुश्रुम पूर्वेषां ये नस्तद्व्याचचक्षिरे

5. यद्वाचाऽनभ्युदितं येन वागभ्युद्यते ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते

6. यन्मनसा न मनुते येनाहुर्मनो मतम् ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते

7. यच्चक्षुषा न पश्यति येन चक्षूँषि पश्यति ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते

8. यच्छ्रोत्रेण न शृणोति येन श्रोत्रमिदं श्रुतम् ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते

9. यत्प्राणेन न प्राणिति येन प्राणः प्रणीयते ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते

### Section 2

1. यदि मन्यसे सुवेदेति दहरमेवापि
नूनं त्वं वेत्थ ब्रह्मणो रूपम् ।
यदस्य त्वं यदस्य देवेष्वथ नु
मीमाँस्येमेव ते मन्ये विदितम्

2. नाहं मन्ये सुवेदेति नो न वेदेति वेद च ।
यो नस्तद्वेद तद्वेद नो न वेदेति वेद च

3. यस्यामतं तस्य मतं मतं यस्य न वेद सः ।
अविज्ञातं विजानतां विज्ञातमविजानताम्

4. प्रतिबोधविदितं मतममृतत्वं हि विन्दते ।
आत्मना विन्दते वीर्यं विद्यया विन्दतेऽमृतम्

5. इह चेदवेदीदथ सत्यमस्ति
न चेदिहावेदीन्महती विनष्टिः ।
भूतेषु भूतेषु विचित्य धीराः
प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भवन्ति

### Section 3

1. ब्रह्म ह देवेभ्यो विजिग्ये तस्य ह ब्रह्मणो
विजये देवा अमहीयन्त

2. त ऐक्षन्तास्माकमेवायं विजयोऽस्माकमेवायं महिमेति ।
तद्धैषां विजज्ञौ तेभ्यो ह प्रादुर्बभूव तन्न व्यजानत
किमिदं यक्षमिति

3. तेऽग्निमब्रुवन् जातवेद एतद्विजानीहि
किमिदं यक्षमिति तथेति

4. तदभ्यद्रवत्तमभ्यवदत्कोऽसीत्यग्निर्वा
अहमस्मीत्यब्रवीज्जातवेदा वा अहमस्मीति

5. तस्मिँस्त्वयि किं वीर्यमित्यपीदँ सर्वं
दहेयं यदिदं पृथिव्यामिति

6. तस्मै तृणं निदधावेतद्दहेति ।
तदुपप्रेयाय सर्वजवेन तन्न शशाक दग्धुं स तत एव
निववृते नैतदशकं विज्ञातुं यदेतद्यक्षमिति

7. अथ वायुमब्रुवन्वायवेतद्विजानीहि
किमेतद्यक्षमिति तथेति

8. तदभ्यद्रवत्तमभ्यवदत्कोऽसीति वायुर्वा
अहमस्मीत्यब्रवीन्मातरिश्वा वा अहमस्मीति

9. तस्मिँस्त्वयि किं वीर्यमित्यपीदँ
सर्वमाददीय यदिदं पृथिव्यामिति

10. तस्मै तृणं निदधावेतदादत्स्वेति
तदुपप्रेयाय सर्वजवेन तन्न शशाकादतुम् |
स तत एव निववृते नैतदशकं विज्ञातुं यदेतद्यक्षमिति

11. अथेन्द्रमब्रुवन्मघवन्नेतद्विजानीहि किमेतद्यक्षमिति तथेति
तदभ्यद्रवत्तस्मात्तिरोदधे

12. स तस्मिन्नेवाकाशे स्त्रियमाजगाम बहुशोभमानामुमाँ
हैमवतीं ताँहोवाच किमेतद्यक्षमिति

### Section 4

1. सा ब्रह्मेति होवाच ब्रह्मणो वा एतद्विजये महीयध्वमिति
ततो हैव विदाञ्चकार ब्रह्मेति

2. तस्माद्वा एते देवा अतितरामिवान्यान्देवान्यदग्निर्वायुरिन्द्रस्ते
ह्येनन्नेदिष्ठं पस्पर्शुस्ते ह्येनत्प्रथमो विदाञ्चकार ब्रह्मेति

3. तस्माद्वा इन्द्रोऽतितरामिवान्यान्देवान्
सह्येनन्नेदिष्ठं पस्पर्श स ह्येनत्प्रथमो विदाञ्चकार ब्रह्मेति

4. तस्यैष आदेशो यदेतद्विद्युतो व्यद्युतदा३इतीन् न्यमीमिषदा३
इत्यधिदैवतम्

5. अथाध्यात्मं यद्देतद्गच्छतीव च मनोऽनेन
चैतदुपस्मरत्यभीक्ष्णँ सङ्कल्पः

6. तद्ध तद्वनं नाम तद्वनमित्युपासितव्यं स य एतदेवं वेदाभि
हैनँ सर्वाणि भूतानि संवाञ्छन्ति

7. उपनिषदं भो ब्रूहीत्युक्ता त उपनिषद्ब्राह्मीं वाव त
उपनिषदमब्रूमेति

8. तसै तपो दमः कर्मेति प्रतिष्ठा वेदाः सर्वाङ्गानि
सत्यमायतनम्

9. यो वा एतामेवं वेदापहत्य पाप्मानमनन्ते स्वर्गे
लोके ज्येये प्रतितिष्ठति प्रतितिष्ठति

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

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

## Translation — Mouseia

> Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Sanskrit and reviewed against it, covering four sections and all 35 source-numbered verses with the opening and closing invocation. Sanskrit Wikisource contributors’ transcription, revision 407400, CC BY-SA 4.0; the underlying ancient text is public domain.

### Section 1

Om. May my limbs grow strong—speech, breath, eye,
ear, and all my strength and senses.
All is Brahman, revealed in the Upanishads.
May I never reject Brahman; may Brahman
never reject me. Let there be no rejection; let there be no rejection of me.
May the virtues spoken of in the Upanishads abide in me,
who delight in that Self; may they abide in me.

Om. Peace, peace, peace.

1. Om. At whose wish does the mind fly forth, impelled?
Who harnesses the foremost breath to set it moving?
At whose wish do people utter this speech?
What god joins eye and ear to their work?

2. That is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of speech,
the breath of breath, the eye of the eye.
The wise, leaving these behind, depart from this world and become immortal.

3. The eye does not reach it, nor does speech, nor the mind.
We do not know; we do not understand how one might teach it.

4. It is other than the known, and beyond the unknown.
So we have heard from those of old who explained it to us.

5. What speech cannot express, but through which speech is expressed—
know that alone as Brahman, not what people worship here.

6. What the mind cannot think, but by which, they say, the mind is known—
know that alone as Brahman, not what people worship here.

7. What the eye cannot see, but through which the eyes see—
know that alone as Brahman, not what people worship here.

8. What the ear cannot hear, but through which hearing itself is heard—
know that alone as Brahman, not what people worship here.

9. What breath cannot breathe, but through which breath is led onward—
know that alone as Brahman, not what people worship here.

### Section 2

1. "If you think, 'I know it well,' then surely you know
only a little of Brahman's form—
what is of it in you and what is of it among the gods. So now
it remains for you to inquire." "I think it is known."

2. "I do not think, 'I know it well'; nor do I think, 'I do not know it.' I know it too.
Whoever among us understands this understands it: not 'I do not know it,' and 'I know it' too."

3. For whom it is not thought, it is understood; whoever thinks it understood does not know it.
Unknown to those who know, known to those who do not know.

4. Understood in every act of awareness, it is truly understood: through it one finds immortality.
Through the Self one finds strength; through knowledge one finds the immortal.

5. If one has known it here, then there is truth;
if one has not known it here, great is the loss.
Discerning it in being after being, the wise
depart from this world and become immortal.

### Section 3

1. Brahman won a victory for the gods. In that victory
of Brahman, the gods exalted themselves.

2. They thought, "This victory is ours alone; this glory is ours alone."
Brahman knew their thought and appeared before them. They did not know
what this wondrous being was.

3. They said to Agni, "Jatavedas, find out
what this wondrous being is." "So be it."

4. He rushed toward it. It asked him, "Who are you?" "I am Agni,"
he said. "I am Jatavedas."

5. "What power is there in you?" "I could burn
all that is here on earth."

6. It set a blade of grass before him: "Burn this."
He went at it with all his force, but could not burn it. From there
he turned back. "I could not find out what this wondrous being is."

7. Then they said to Vayu, "Vayu, find out
what this wondrous being is." "So be it."

8. He rushed toward it. It asked him, "Who are you?" "I am Vayu,"
he said. "I am Matarishvan."

9. "What power is there in you?" "I could carry away
all that is here on earth."

10. It set a blade of grass before him: "Carry this away."
He went at it with all his force, but could not carry it away.
From there he turned back. "I could not find out what this wondrous being is."

11. Then they said to Indra, "Maghavan, find out what this wondrous being is." "So be it."
He rushed toward it, but it vanished from him.

12. In that very space he came upon a woman, shining with great splendor: Uma
Haimavati. He asked her, "What was this wondrous being?"

### Section 4

1. "It was Brahman," she said. "It is in Brahman's victory that you glory."
Only then did he learn that it was Brahman.

2. That is why these gods—Agni, Vayu, and Indra—surpass, as it were, the other gods:
they touched it most nearly; they were the first to learn that it was Brahman.

3. That is why Indra surpasses, as it were, the other gods:
he touched it most nearly; he was the first to learn that it was Brahman.

4. This is the indication of it: like the flash of lightning, like the blink of an eye.
So it is in relation to the gods.

5. Now in relation to the self: the mind seems to go toward it,
and through the mind one remembers it again and again—this is thought.

6. It is called Tadvanam, "the Beloved"; as "the Beloved" it is to be revered. Whoever knows it in this way—
all beings long for that one.

7. "Sir, teach me the Upanishad." "The Upanishad has been told to you.
It is the Upanishad of Brahman that we have told you."

8. Austerity, self-restraint, and action are its foundation; the Vedas are all its limbs;
truth is its dwelling.

9. Whoever knows it in this way, casting off evil, stands firm in the endless, highest
heavenly world—stands firm.

Om. May my limbs grow strong—speech, breath, eye,
ear, and all my strength and senses.
All is Brahman, revealed in the Upanishads.
May I never reject Brahman; may Brahman
never reject me. Let there be no rejection; let there be no rejection of me.
May the virtues spoken of in the Upanishads abide in me,
who delight in that Self; may they abide in me.

Om. Peace, peace, peace.

## Translation — Mouseia

> Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the Sanskrit and reviewed against it, covering four sections and all 35 source-numbered verses with the opening and closing invocation. Sanskrit Wikisource contributors’ transcription, revision 407400, CC BY-SA 4.0; the underlying ancient text is public domain.

### Section 1

Om. May my limbs grow strong—speech, breath, sight,
hearing, and strength, and all the senses.
Everything is Brahman as taught in the Upanishads.
May I not reject Brahman; may Brahman not
reject me. Let there be no rejection; let there be no rejection of me.
As one devoted to that Self, may the virtues
taught in the Upanishads live in me; may they live in me.

Om. Peace, peace, peace.

1. Om. At whose wish and urging does the mind move?
Who directs the chief breath to go forward?
At whose wish do people speak these words?
What god directs the eye and the ear?

2. It is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of speech;
it is the breath of breath and the eye of the eye.
The wise let go of these, leave this world, and become immortal.

3. The eye does not reach it, nor does speech, nor the mind.
We do not know, we do not understand how anyone could teach this.

4. It is different from what is known, and beyond what is unknown.
So we have heard from those before us who explained it to us.

5. What speech cannot express, but by which speech is expressed—
know that alone to be Brahman, not the thing people worship here.

6. What the mind cannot think, but by which, they say, the mind is understood—
know that alone to be Brahman, not the thing people worship here.

7. What the eye cannot see, but by which the eyes see—
know that alone to be Brahman, not the thing people worship here.

8. What you do not hear with your ears, but which lets the ear hear—
know that alone to be Brahman, not the thing people worship here.

9. What breath does not breathe, but by which breath is moved—
know that alone to be Brahman, not the thing people worship here.

### Section 2

1. "If you think, 'I know it well,' then only a little
of Brahman's form is surely known to you—
what it is in you and what it is among the gods. So now
you must look into it further." "I think I know it."

2. "I do not think I know it well; nor do I not know it. I do know it.
Whoever among us knows that knows it—not that they do not know it; they do know it."

3. Those who do not think they understand it understand it; those who think they understand it do not know it.
It is unknown to those who know, and known to those who do not know.

4. It is understood when known in every act of awareness, for one finds immortality.
Through the Self one finds strength; through knowledge one finds immortality.

5. If you know it here, then there is truth.
If you do not know it here, the loss is great.
The wise recognize it in each and every being;
they leave this world and become immortal.

### Section 3

1. Brahman won a victory for the gods. In that victory of Brahman,
the gods took pride.

2. They thought, "This victory is ours alone; this greatness is ours alone."
Brahman knew their thought and appeared before them. They did not know
what this mysterious being was.

3. They said to Agni, "Jatavedas, find out
what this mysterious being is." "Yes," he said.

4. He hurried up to it. It asked him, "Who are you?" "I am Agni,"
he said. "I am Jatavedas."

5. "What power do you have?" "I could burn all
that is here on earth."

6. It set a blade of grass before him. "Burn this."
He rushed at it with all his speed, but could not burn it. From there
he went straight back. "I could not find out what this mysterious being is."

7. Then they said to Vayu, "Vayu, find out
what this mysterious being is." "Yes," he said.

8. He hurried up to it. It asked him, "Who are you?" "I am Vayu,"
he said. "I am Matarishvan."

9. "What power do you have?" "I could carry away
everything here on earth."

10. It set a blade of grass before him. "Carry this away."
He rushed at it with all his speed, but could not carry it away.
From there he went straight back. "I could not find out what this mysterious being is."

11. Then they said to Indra, "Maghavan, find out what this mysterious being is." "Yes," he said.
He hurried up to it, but it disappeared from him.

12. In that very space he came upon a woman of great beauty, Uma
Haimavati. He asked her, "What is this mysterious being?"

### Section 4

1. She said, "It was Brahman. It is in Brahman's victory that you take pride."
Only then did he know that it was Brahman.

2. That is why these gods seem to surpass the other gods—Agni, Vayu, and Indra. They
came nearest to it and were the first to know that it was Brahman.

3. That is why Indra seems to surpass the other gods:
he came nearest to it and was the first to know that it was Brahman.

4. This is the teaching about it: it is like a flash of lightning, like the blink of an eye.
That is in terms of the gods.

5. Now in terms of the Self: the mind seems to reach it, and through the mind
one remembers it again and again, forming a thought of it.

6. It is called Tadvanam, "the Beloved." It should be worshiped as "the Beloved." Whoever knows it this way—
all beings long for that person.

7. "Sir, tell me the secret teaching." "The secret teaching has been told to you; it is Brahman's
secret teaching that we have told you."

8. Discipline, self-control, and action are its foundation. The Vedas are all its limbs.
Truth is its home.

9. Whoever knows this in this way casts off evil and, in the boundless heavenly
world that is highest, stands firm—stands firm.

Om. May my limbs grow strong—speech, breath, sight,
hearing, and strength, and all the senses.
Everything is Brahman as taught in the Upanishads.
May I not reject Brahman; may Brahman not
reject me. Let there be no rejection; let there be no rejection of me.
As one devoted to that Self, may the virtues
taught in the Upanishads live in me; may they live in me.

Om. Peace, peace, peace.