Kena Upanishad - Part 3 - Devanagari

The third section of केनोपनिषत् teaches through narrative rather than pure abstraction. After declaring that Brahman is the source behind all faculties, the text now exposes a subtler obstacle: spiritual pride.

The gods win victory only through Brahman, but they mistake borrowed power for personal greatness. To correct this, Brahman appears as a mysterious यक्ष and quietly reveals the limits of even divine functions like fire and wind.

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

Translation (भावार्थ):
Brahman indeed won victory for the gods; yet in that victory of Brahman, the gods became self-glorifying.

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

Translation (भावार्थ):
They thought, "This victory is ours alone; this greatness is ours alone." Brahman understood this and appeared before them, but they did not recognize that mysterious presence, asking, "What is this yaksha?"

तेऽग्निमब्रुवञ्जातवेद एतद्विजानीहि किमिदं यक्षमिति तथेति ॥ 3॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
They said to Agni, "O Jataveda, find out what this mysterious being is." He replied, "So be it."

तदभ्यद्रवत्तमभ्यवदत्कोऽसीत्यग्निर्वा अहमस्मीत्यब्रवीज्जातवेदा वा अहमस्मीति ॥ 4॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Agni approached it, and the being asked, "Who are you?" Agni replied, "I am Agni; I am Jataveda."

तस्मिन्स्त्वयि किं वीर्यमित्यपीदꣳ सर्वं दहेयं यदिदं पृथिव्यामिति ॥ 5॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
It asked, "What power is in you?" Agni said, "I can burn all this, whatever exists on earth."

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

Translation (भावार्थ):
It placed a blade of grass before him and said, "Burn this." Agni rushed with full force, but could not burn it. He returned and said, "I could not determine what this yaksha is."

अथ वायुमब्रुवन्वायवेतद्विजानीहि किमेतद्यक्षमिति तथेति ॥ 7॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Then they said to Vayu, "O Vayu, find out what this yaksha is." He replied, "So be it."

तदभ्यद्रवत्तमभ्यवदत्कोऽसीति वायुर्वा अहमस्मीत्यब्रवीन्मातरिश्वा वा अहमस्मीति ॥ 8॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Vayu approached it, and it asked, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am Vayu; I am Matarishva."

तस्मिन्स्त्वयि किं वीर्यमित्यपीदं सर्वमाददीय यदिदं पृथिव्यामिति ॥ 9॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
It asked, "What power is in you?" Vayu replied, "I can sweep away or take up all this, whatever is on earth."

तस्मै तृणं निदधावेतदादत्स्वेति तदुपप्रेयाय सर्वजवेन तन्न शशाकादातुं स तत एव निववृते नैतदशकं विज्ञातुं यदेतद्यक्षमिति ॥ 10॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
It placed a blade of grass and said, "Take this up." Vayu rushed with all force but could not move it. He returned and said, "I could not determine what this yaksha is."

अथेन्द्रमब्रुवन्मघवन्नेतद्विजानीहि किमेतद्यक्षमिति तथेति तदभ्यद्रवत्तस्मात्तिरोदधे ॥ 11॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Then they said to Indra, "O Maghavan, find out what this yaksha is." He agreed and approached it; but it vanished from before him.

स तस्मिन्नेवाकाशे स्त्रियमाजगाम बहुशोभमानामुमां हैमवतीं तागंहोवाच किमेतद्यक्षमिति ॥ 12॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
In that very space he encountered a radiant woman - Uma Haimavati - and asked her, "What was that yaksha?"

॥ इति केनोपनिषदि तृतीयः खण्डः ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Thus ends the third section of the Kena Upanishad.

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