Kena Upanishad - Part 1 - Grantha

𑌕𑍇𑌨𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌤𑍍, traditionally associated with the 𑌤𑌾𑌲𑌵𑌕𑌾𑌰 stream of the 𑌸𑌾𑌮𑌵𑍇𑌦, 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 (𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃) 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 (𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌣), reflect (𑌮𑌨𑌨), and internalize (𑌨𑌿𑌦𑌿𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌸𑌨) until awareness is recognized as prior to every changing thought and perception.

॥ 𑌅𑌥 𑌕𑍇𑌨𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌤𑍍 ॥

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

𑌓𑌂 𑌸@𑌹 𑌨𑌾#𑌵𑌵𑌤𑍁 । 𑌸@𑌹 𑌨𑍌# 𑌭𑍁𑌨𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍁 । 𑌸@𑌹 𑌵𑍀@𑌰𑍍𑌯#𑌂 𑌕𑌰𑌵𑌾𑌵𑌹𑍈 । 𑌤𑍇@𑌜@𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌨𑌾@𑌵𑌧𑍀#𑌤𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁@ 𑌮𑌾 𑌵𑌿#𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌷𑌾@𑌵𑌹𑍈$ ।

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

𑌓𑌂 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿@𑌃 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿@𑌃 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿#𑌃 ॥

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

𑌓𑌂 𑌆𑌪𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍁 𑌮𑌮𑌾𑌂𑌗𑌾𑌨𑌿 𑌵𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌃 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌥𑍋 𑌬𑌲𑌮𑌿𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌾𑌣𑌿 𑌚 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌣𑌿 । 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑍌𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑌂 𑌮𑌾𑌽𑌹𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑌾𑌕𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌮𑌾 𑌮𑌾 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑌾𑌕𑌰𑍋𑌦𑌨𑌿𑌰𑌾𑌕𑌰𑌣𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌨𑌿𑌰𑌾𑌕𑌰𑌣𑌂 𑌮𑍇𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 । 𑌤𑌦𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌨𑌿 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑌤𑍇 𑌯 𑌉𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌤𑍍𑌸𑍁 𑌧𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑌯𑌿 𑌸𑌂𑌤𑍁 𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑌯𑌿 𑌸𑌂𑌤𑍁 ।

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

𑌓𑌂 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿@𑌃 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿@𑌃 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿#𑌃 ॥

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

𑌕𑍇𑌨𑍇𑌷𑌿𑌤𑌂 𑌪𑌤𑌤𑌿 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌷𑌿𑌤𑌂 𑌮𑌨𑌃
𑌕𑍇𑌨 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑍈𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌃 ।
𑌕𑍇𑌨𑍇𑌷𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌂 𑌵𑌾𑌚𑌮𑌿𑌮𑌾𑌂 𑌵𑌦𑌂𑌤𑌿
𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌃 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌕 𑌉 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍋 𑌯𑍁𑌨𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿 ॥ 1 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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?

𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌮𑌨𑌸𑍋 𑌮𑌨𑍋 𑌯𑌦𑍍
𑌵𑌾𑌚𑍋 𑌹 𑌵𑌾𑌚𑌂 𑌸 𑌉 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌃 ।
𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌷𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌮𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌯 𑌧𑍀𑌰𑌾𑌃
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌲𑍍𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾𑌦𑌮𑍃𑌤𑌾 𑌭𑌵𑌂𑌤𑌿 ॥ 2 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

𑌨 𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌗𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌤𑌿 𑌨 𑌵𑌾𑌗𑍍𑌗𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌤𑌿 𑌨𑍋 𑌮𑌨𑌃 ।
𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌮𑍋 𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌾𑌨𑍀𑌮𑍋 𑌯𑌥𑍈𑌤𑌦𑌨𑍁𑌶𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍 ॥ 3 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

𑌅𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌦𑍇𑌵 𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌦𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌦𑌥𑍋 𑌅𑌵𑌿𑌦𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌦𑌧𑌿 ।
𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌶𑍁𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌮 𑌪𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌂 𑌯𑍇 𑌨𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌚𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌰𑍇 ॥ 4 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌚𑌾𑌽𑌨𑌭𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌦𑌿𑌤𑌂 𑌯𑍇𑌨 𑌵𑌾𑌗𑌭𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇 ।
𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌵 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌿 𑌨𑍇𑌦𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌿𑌦𑌮𑍁𑌪𑌾𑌸𑌤𑍇 ॥ 5 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌨𑌸𑌾 𑌨 𑌮𑌨𑍁𑌤𑍇 𑌯𑍇𑌨𑌾𑌹𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌨𑍋 𑌮𑌤𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌵 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌿 𑌨𑍇𑌦𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌿𑌦𑌮𑍁𑌪𑌾𑌸𑌤𑍇 ॥ 6 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

𑌯𑌚𑍍𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌷𑌾 𑌨 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑍇𑌨 𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍂𑌂𑌷𑌿 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌤𑌿 ।
𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌵 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌿 𑌨𑍇𑌦𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌿𑌦𑌮𑍁𑌪𑌾𑌸𑌤𑍇 ॥ 𑍭 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

𑌯𑌚𑍍𑌛𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌣 𑌨 𑌶‍𑌋𑌣𑍋𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑍇𑌨 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌤𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌵 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌿 𑌨𑍇𑌦𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌿𑌦𑌮𑍁𑌪𑌾𑌸𑌤𑍇 ॥ 𑍮 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍇𑌨 𑌨 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌿𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑍇𑌨 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌣𑍀𑌯𑌤𑍇 ।
𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌵 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌿 𑌨𑍇𑌦𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌿𑌦𑌮𑍁𑌪𑌾𑌸𑌤𑍇 ॥ 𑍯 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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.

॥ 𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑍇𑌨𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑌿 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

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

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