Kena Upanishad - Part 1 - English

kēnōpaniṣat, traditionally associated with the tālavakāra stream of the sāmavēda, is counted among the principal Upanishads studied in Vedanta. It is treated as foundational because it asks a radical question at the root of spiritual inquiry: not merely "what exists," but "by whose power do mind, speech, sight, hearing, and life-force function?"

This first part (prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ) lays that foundation through direct questions and paradox-style answers. The movement is from instrument to source: from hearing to the hearer of hearing, from thinking to that by which thought itself is illumined.

Read these verses as a practice text, not only a philosophical text: hear (śravaṇa), reflect (manana), and internalize (nididhyāsana) until awareness is recognized as prior to every changing thought and perception.

॥ atha kēnōpaniṣat ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Now begins the Kena Upanishad, the inquiry into the ultimate source behind all faculties.

ōṃ sa@ha nā#vavatu । sa@ha nau# bhunaktu । sa@ha vī@rya#ṃ karavāvahai । tē@ja@svinā@vadhī#tamastu@ mā vi#dviṣā@vahai$ ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
May the Lord protect us both. May He nourish us both. May we strive together with strength. May our study be radiant and fruitful. May we never be hostile to one another.

ōṃ śānti@ḥ śānti@ḥ śānti#ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Om. Peace, peace, peace.

ōṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaśchakṣuḥ śrōtramathō balamindriyāṇi cha sarvāṇi । sarvaṃ brahmaupaniṣadaṃ mā'haṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma nirākarōdanirākaraṇamastvanirākaraṇaṃ mē'stu । tadātmani niratē ya upaniṣatsu dharmāstē mayi santu tē mayi santu ।

Translation (bhāvārtha):
May my limbs, speech, life-force, eyes, ears, strength, and all faculties be nourished. May I recognize everything as Brahman as taught in the Upanishads. May I never reject Brahman, and may Brahman never be hidden from me. May the disciplines taught in the Upanishads abide in me who is devoted to the Self.

ōṃ śānti@ḥ śānti@ḥ śānti#ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Om. Peace, peace, peace.

kēnēṣitaṃ patati prēṣitaṃ manaḥ
kēna prāṇaḥ prathamaḥ praiti yuktaḥ ।
kēnēṣitāṃ vāchamimāṃ vadanti
chakṣuḥ śrōtraṃ ka u dēvō yunakti ॥ 1 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
By whose will does the mind go toward its objects? Directed by whom does the life-force function? By whose power do people speak, and what divinity connects the eye and ear to their functions?

śrōtrasya śrōtraṃ manasō manō yad
vāchō ha vāchaṃ sa u prāṇasya prāṇaḥ ।
chakṣuṣaśchakṣuratimuchya dhīrāḥ
prētyāsmāllōkādamṛtā bhavanti ॥ 2 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
That which is the hearing in hearing, the thinking in thought, the speech in speech, the life in life-force, and the seeing in sight - realizing that, the wise go beyond limited identification and attain immortality.

na tatra chakṣurgachChati na vāggachChati nō manaḥ ।
na vidmō na vijānīmō yathaitadanuśiṣyāt ॥ 3 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
There the eye does not reach, nor speech, nor mind. We do not know it in the usual way, nor how to instruct it as one instructs an object.

anyadēva tadviditādathō aviditādadhi ।
iti śuśruma pūrvēṣāṃ yē nastadvyāchachakṣirē ॥ 4 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
It is indeed other than the known, and beyond the unknown as well. So have we heard from the ancient teachers who explained this to us.

yadvāchā'nabhyuditaṃ yēna vāgabhyudyatē ।
tadēva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nēdaṃ yadidamupāsatē ॥ 5 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
That which speech cannot reveal, but by which speech itself is made possible - know that alone to be Brahman, not this limited object people take as ultimate.

yanmanasā na manutē yēnāhurmanō matam ।
tadēva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nēdaṃ yadidamupāsatē ॥ 6 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
That which the mind cannot grasp as an object, but by which the mind itself is illumined - know that alone as Brahman, not this limited object of worship.

yachchakṣuṣā na paśyati yēna chakṣūṃṣi paśyati ।
tadēva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nēdaṃ yadidamupāsatē ॥ 7 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
That which the eyes cannot see, but by which the eyes gain their power of seeing - know that alone as Brahman, not this limited object people treat as absolute.

yachChrōtrēṇa na śa‍ṛṇōti yēna śrōtramidaṃ śrutam ।
tadēva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nēdaṃ yadidamupāsatē ॥ 8 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
That which the ear cannot hear, but by which hearing itself takes place - know that alone as Brahman, not this limited object taken as ultimate.

yatprāṇēna na prāṇiti yēna prāṇaḥ praṇīyatē ।
tadēva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nēdaṃ yadidamupāsatē ॥ 9 ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
That which is not animated by the life-force, but by which the life-force itself is impelled - know that alone as Brahman, not this limited object taken as final reality.

॥ iti kēnōpaniṣadi prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Thus ends the first section of the Kena Upanishad.

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