This Upanishad starts with the word ‘Kena’ and hence acquires this title.This is found as the ninth chapter in the Talavakaara Braahmana of the Jaimini shaakha of Sama Veda. Hence, it is also called as the Talavakaara Upanishad.

The Upanishad:

Om ! May my organs and limbs, my speech, my breath, my strength and my sense organs like the ear, the eyes etc., become efficient enough to perform their respective duties properly and without any hindrance. Everything is Brahman as propounded and abundantly made clear in the Upanishads. Brahman cannot leave me aside. And I cannot afford to leave Brahman aside (since both are inseparably dovetailed and also since both are one and the same). I pray further that such an inseparable relation may continue for times to come. May I also pray that the virtues (as described in the Upanishads) of those wise men who dwell in the Atma (or the Soul) become part of me and reside in me.

Om Shanti ! Shanti ! Shanti !

Part - I

(A question raised by the disciple to the Guru): On whose instigation and command does the mind get in to the worldly objects? On whose desire does it work? And on whose push is it dumped in to the worldly cycle of samsaara? By whose order does the life breath do its duty? By whose direction and control are the people uttering these words? Which God is putting the sense organs (like the eyes and ears) in to their respective work?

(The Guru answers to the above as): That one which is the ear (or the hearing organ) of the ear, the mind of the mind and the speech of the speech is the life breath of the life breath and is the eye of the eye. Those wise men who were able to know it and have understood it leave behind themselves all sorts of attachment. By that renunciation, they attain immortality.

The eyes cannot go there; the speech cannot reach as well; and it is the same with the mind. We will not be able to understand it in its real true sense. Hence we do not know how to explain it also (to our disciples and others). We have only heard from our wise ancestors and Gurus that it is verily different from the things that we have understood and it is quite distinct and beyond the things that we have not understood so far.

That one which cannot be defined or explained by speech but because of which speech is being explained (because of which speech is flowing) is Brahman. Understand that alone to be Brahman. All other things that are being defined as “Brahman” and worshipped are not.

That one which cannot be understood by the mind but because of which the mind is capable of understanding something is Brahman. Understand that alone to be Brahman. All other things that are being defined as “Brahman” and worshipped are not.

That one which cannot be seen by the (naked) eyes but because of which the eyes are capable of seeing is Brahman. Understand that alone to be Brahman. All other things that are being defined as “Brahman” and worshipped are not.

That one which cannot be heard by the ears but because of which the ears are capable of hearing is Brahman. Understand that alone to be Brahman. All other things that are being defined as “Brahman” and worshipped are not.

That one which cannot be smelled by the nose (or by the life breath) but because of which the nose (or the life breath) is capable of smelling is Brahman. Understand that alone to be Brahman. All other things that are being defined as “Brahman” and worshipped are not.

(The Guru continues:) If you think that you have understood it fully well, it is but certain that the aspect of Brahman, which you have known and understood, is only a (thousandth) fraction of what it is actually. That aspect of the Brahman, which you have known and understood by worship of various forms of Gods, is also of the same state. Hence, Brahman still remains to be identified, analyzed, explained and elaborated to you.

(The disciple, after some more thought declares:) “I think I have understood it now.” (If you ask me) how I have understood it, I do not feel that I have understood it fully well. I do not think that I have understood it. Nor do I think that I have not understood it. Among us (the disciples), that one who understands and feels this is the one who has actually understood Brahman in its right sense.

Those who belong to the class that declares that they have not understood Brahman have actually understood it. Those who belong to that class, which propagates that, they have understood Brahman, have not, in fact, understood Brahman. It is not understood by the wisest of the wise. It is capable of being understood by the utmost fool of the fools.

That Brahman which is pervasive throughout all objects and is existent everywhere does not appear as something to be understood. Rather, it is the object that is enabling you to understand and it is that aspect which understands it. This is the final principle. One who knows this and practices this attains immortality. He gets the real strength or power of knowledge directly from the Atma (or the Soul / the Supreme Being). By the attainment of such knowledge itself, he rises to immortality.

If one is able to understand this truth while living in this world itself, he remains immortal. If he does not understand it while being here, he becomes subject to huge disaster. The wise men identify Brahman in every being and in every object, and by doing so, become immortal.

It is a well known and acclaimed fact that Brahman won a war for and on behalf of the Devas. The Devas took pride in that victory and claimed that they are the ones who have won it. They thought that the victory is theirs and the pride of winning is also theirs (without realizing that it is the Brahman that actually won the war for them).

The Brahman understood the wrong feelings of the Devas and wanted to correct them. So, it appeared before them in a non-corporeal form, in the form of ethereal spirit, (termed in the Upanishad as the Yaksha – Note that the term “Yaksham” is used to connote the equivalent of Zero in Sanskrit). The Devas were not able to identify that spirit.

Hence the Devas went to Agni, the Fire-God and requested him as such: “O Jataveda! Please go on our behalf to that Yaksha and find out what it is really.”

Agni said “So be it” and he went running to that Yaksha. The Yaksha asked him “Who art thou?”. To this question, Agni replied thus: “I am Agni, popularly titled as ‘Jataveda’ (literally meaning the ‘all-knowing one’)”

The Yaksha asked Agni: “So what are the powers that you possess?”. To this Agni replied: “Whatever is there on this earth, I can burn any and all of those”.

The Yaksha then kept a blade of grass on the earth before the Agni and told him: “Burn this”. He (Agni) jumped on to it very fast and with full force only to find that he was not able to burn it off. So he came back to the Devas with the conclusion that he is not able to identify what the Yaksha is actually.

Hence the Devas went to Vayu, the Wind-God and requested him as such: “O Vayu! Please go on our behalf to that Yaksha and find out what it is really.”

Vayu said “So be it” and he went running to that Yaksha. The Yaksha asked him “Who art thou?”. To this question, Vayu replied thus: “I am Vayu, popularly titled as ‘Maataricva’ (literally meaning ‘air expanding in space’)”

The Yaksha asked Vayu: “So what are the powers that you possess?”. To this Vayu replied: “Whatever is there on this earth, I can lift any and all of those”.

The Yaksha then kept a blade of grass on the earth before Vayu and told him: “Lift this”. He (Vayu) jumped on to it very fast and with full force only to find that he was not able to lift it. So he came back to the Devas with the conclusion that he is not able to identify what the Yaksha is actually.

Hence the Devas went to Indra, (the King of the Devas and the giver of wealth) and requested him as such: “O Indra! Please go on our behalf to that Yaksha and find out what it is really.”

Indra said “So be it” and he hurried to that Yaksha. The Yaksha simply disappeared in an instant. While he was standing surprised at that place, Indra happened to see in the space Uma Devi who is the daughter of Imavaan (the snowy mountains) and who is luminous by her sheer beauty.

Then Indra asked her: “O Devi! What is this Yaksha in reality?”

To this Uma replied thus: “O Indra! That is Brahman, and it is in the victory of that Brahman that you should all claim greatness and pride”. (It is to point out that the Brahman was the one who was victorious and NOT the Devas). It is only after such explanation that Indra understood that it (that Yaksha swarupa) is Brahman.

Because Agni, Vayu and Indra had an opportunity to see Brahman at an arm’s length (nearest to its touch) and also because they were the first to know that this was Brahman, they became superior to other Devas.

Because Indra came nearest to the touch of the Brahman and because he was the first to know it was Brahman (as explained to him by Uma), he surpassed even Agni and Vayu and also the other Devas. He became the superior of all of them.

This teaching is about that (the Brahman). This Brahman is like the lightning of a lightning; it is like the blinking of an eyelid; this teaching is referring to the supreme divinity.

Now this teaching is about the self. The mind appears to be moving towards it and reaching it (the Atma). So at times, you get a feeling of being very close to it or even as if you are dwelling within it.

This feeling (although rare to get) is a prized one and has to be revered as that prize. That one who attains this is liked and loved by all beings and creatures.

(The Guru concludes thus:) Since you requested me to teach you the Upanishad, this was taught to you. And you were also clearly taught the great secret (or the rahasya) about the Brahman.

Discipline or character, restraint and dutiful work are the feet of that (Brahman). (This can also be considered as the foundation). The Vedas are its limbs and truth, its residing place.

That one who understands this in this specified way destroys all evils and sins, and gets into the limitless (in terms of happiness) and infinite heaven. He is established there. He is established there. (Second stress given in the Upanishad itself)

Om ! May my organs and limbs, my speech, my breath, my strength and my sense organs like the ear, the eyes etc., become efficient enough to perform their respective duties properly and without any hindrance. Everything is Brahman as propounded and abundantly made clear in the Upanishads. Brahman cannot leave me aside. And I cannot afford to leave Brahman aside (since both are inseparably dovetailed and also since both are one and the same). I pray further that such an inseparable relation may continue for times to come. May I also pray that the virtues (as described in the Upanishads) of those wise men who dwell in the Atma (or the Soul) become part of me and reside in me.

Om Shanti ! Shanti ! Shanti !

Click here to go back to the Veda Rahasya Home Page