Kena Upanishad - Part 3 - Grantha

The third section of 𑌕𑍇𑌨𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌤𑍍 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 𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷 and quietly reveals the limits of even divine functions like fire and wind.

𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌹 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍇𑌭𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌿𑌗𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌹 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌣𑍋 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌯𑍇 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾 𑌅𑌮𑌹𑍀𑌯𑌂𑌤 ॥ 1॥

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

𑌤 𑌐𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌂𑌤𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌕𑌮𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌯𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌯𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌕𑌮𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌯𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌿 । 𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌧𑍈𑌷𑌾𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌜𑍍𑌞𑍌 𑌤𑍇𑌭𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌹 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌦𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌬𑌭𑍂𑌵 𑌤𑌨𑍍𑌨 𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌜𑌾𑌨𑌤 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 ॥ 2॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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?"

𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌗𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌮𑌬𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌵𑌂𑌜𑌾𑌤𑌵𑍇𑌦 𑌏𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌾𑌨𑍀𑌹𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌥𑍇𑌤𑌿 ॥ 3॥

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

𑌤𑌦𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌮𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌦𑌤𑍍𑌕𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍀𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌗𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌅𑌹𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌮𑍀𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌵𑍀𑌜𑍍𑌜𑌾𑌤𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌾 𑌵𑌾 𑌅𑌹𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌮𑍀𑌤𑌿 ॥ 4॥

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

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌯𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌵𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌪𑍀𑌦ꣳ 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌦𑌹𑍇𑌯𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 ॥ 5॥

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

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑍈 𑌤𑍃𑌣𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌵𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌦𑌹𑍇𑌤𑌿 । 𑌤𑌦𑍁𑌪𑌪𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌯𑌾𑌯 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌜𑌵𑍇𑌨 𑌤𑌨𑍍𑌨 𑌶𑌶𑌾𑌕 𑌦𑌗𑍍𑌧𑍁𑌂 𑌸 𑌤𑌤 𑌏𑌵 𑌨𑌿𑌵𑌵𑍃𑌤𑍇 𑌨𑍈𑌤𑌦𑌶𑌕𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌤𑍁𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 ॥ 6॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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."

𑌅𑌥 𑌵𑌾𑌯𑍁𑌮𑌬𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌯𑌵𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌾𑌨𑍀𑌹𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌥𑍇𑌤𑌿 ॥ 𑍭॥

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

𑌤𑌦𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌮𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌦𑌤𑍍𑌕𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍀𑌤𑌿 𑌵𑌾𑌯𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌅𑌹𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌮𑍀𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌵𑍀𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌤𑌰𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌵𑌾 𑌅𑌹𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌮𑍀𑌤𑌿 ॥ 𑍮॥

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

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌯𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌵𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌪𑍀𑌦𑌂 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌮𑌾𑌦𑌦𑍀𑌯 𑌯𑌦𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 ॥ 𑍯॥

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

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑍈 𑌤𑍃𑌣𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌵𑍇𑌤𑌦𑌾𑌦𑌤𑍍𑌸𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌦𑍁𑌪𑌪𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌯𑌾𑌯 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌜𑌵𑍇𑌨 𑌤𑌨𑍍𑌨 𑌶𑌶𑌾𑌕𑌾𑌦𑌾𑌤𑍁𑌂 𑌸 𑌤𑌤 𑌏𑌵 𑌨𑌿𑌵𑌵𑍃𑌤𑍇 𑌨𑍈𑌤𑌦𑌶𑌕𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌤𑍁𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 ॥ 10॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
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."

𑌅𑌥𑍇𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌬𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌘𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌾𑌨𑍀𑌹𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌥𑍇𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌦𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍋𑌦𑌧𑍇 ॥ 11॥

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

𑌸 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌕𑌾𑌶𑍇 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌜𑌗𑌾𑌮 𑌬𑌹𑍁𑌶𑍋𑌭𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌮𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌂 𑌹𑍈𑌮𑌵𑌤𑍀𑌂 𑌤𑌾𑌗𑌂𑌹𑍋𑌵𑌾𑌚 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 ॥ 12॥

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

॥ 𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑍇𑌨𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑌿 𑌤𑍃𑌤𑍀𑌯𑌃 𑌖𑌂𑌡𑌃 ॥

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

Browse Related Categories: