Context: Kena Upnishad is part of Sama Veda. It is the ninth chapter. The first eight chapters describe many Vedic rites and the process of performing those rites. Kena is a philosophical treatise set in a manner of questions of an aspirant to a teacher about the ultimate reality.

Invocation: (I like this tradition of focusing your mind in a particular way before going to the main text.)

Give strength to all my limbs, speech, breath, sight, hearing, and all other faculties.

Everything is Brahman as described in Upnishad.  May I never deny Brahman and may Brahman never deny me.  May all virtues described in Upnishads manifest themselves in me.  Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

Kena Upanishad Chapter 1

1. By whom is the mind made to think? By whom is the breath made to move? By whom are we made to speak? What god commands eyes and ears to see and hear.

Kena literally means “In what way.”  The first verse of Chapter 1, opens with the question at the heart of this Upanishad.  What is the prime mover of all thoughts?  This question also comes to the fundamental question of free will. Who (or what) causes thoughts to arise in our minds?

The guru in the next seven verses tries his best to answer the question within the limitations of verbal (written) communication.

2. The listener behind listening, attention behind the mind, speaker behind speech, life behind the breath, and seer behind the sight [is Self]. The wise [who have understood this]  when departing from this world become immortal.

He states that the “experiencer” of all these–thought, breath, speech, sight, and hearing–is the same (Brahman). One may say, that the sensory organs generate stimulation in the brain and the brain is the experiencer of all these sensory input. But we can experience the thinking process as an object as well. So there has to be a subject behind the brain, as well as all the sensory input.

3. This (Brahman) can’t be seen, described, or even conceptualized. We can’t know it or discriminate it, so how can we teach it.  It is beyond the knowable and also different from the unknowable. This is what the ancient wise sages have taught us.

When we perceive something as an object (even an idea) then there is a difference between the perceiver and the perceived. How does one describe the perceiver?

4. That which can’t be described [spoken of] but which makes speech happen, is Brahman. You must know this, not what is worshipped here.

5. That which can’t be conceived [thought of] but which makes thought happen, is Brahman. You must know this, not what is worshipped here.

6. That which can’t be seen but which makes sight happen, is Brahman. You must know this, not what is worshipped here.

7. That which can’t be heard but which makes hearing happen, is Brahman. You must know this, not what is worshipped here.

8. That which can’t be given life force [prana] through breathing but which makes breathing happen, is Brahman. You must know this, not what is worshipped here.

The Guru further explains that such a Brahman is not like the deities being worshiped here (presumably in the ashram or the society).  He reiterates that such a Brhaman can’t be described by the speech, conceptualized by the mind, seen by the eye, heard through the ear, or breathed through the breath but is the very essence of all the faculties.

Chapter 2

1. [Guru says] If you think you know Brahman well, then you know very little of the Brahman form. [Only] Which of this [Brahman] in yourself and which is in the gods (devas). [Pupil says] I know.

2. Brahman is not known to me but it is also not unknown to me (since I am Brahman as well).Those among us who know that they don’t know fully, know the nature of Brahman.

3. Those who think they know, don’t know. Those who know they don’t know, know. Knower can’t distinguish [the knowledge of Brahman from Self], and the one who can distinguish does not know.

4. Thought [of Brahman] known by all levels of intellect leads to immortality. Through Self is known vigor, through knowledge is known immortality.

5. If one has realized this then there is eternal truth, if not then there is great destruction. The wise realizing the Brahman in all living beings, move away from this [selfish] world and become immortal.

Those who think of Brahman as an object or distinguish (vigya) it as a thought are not able to comprehend it fully.  Since Brahman is the subject or the thinker of the thought and is not distinguishable, such an exercise can’t fully comprehend Brahman.  It is somewhat like the concept of the infinite.  How does one comprehend the infinite?  As soon as you form an image of the infinite, the question is what is beyond that image?  Is that not part of the infinite….so our mind can never visualize the infinite.  Similarly, our mind can’t conceptualize Brahman since it is the subject which is experiencing the thought.  Also with causality–every thought has an object, thought itself, and the thinker.  Brahma is the thought about Brahma being thought by Brahma (in our pure consciousness).

One who understands Brahman gains self-knowledge which leads to immortality.  It also moves us beyond the material attachments to the world.

Chapter 3

In this chapter, the same message is conveyed as Chapters 1 and 2 through a story about devas.

1. Brahman won for Devas. And Devas rejoiced in the victory, believing it to be their greatness.

2. Brahman observed this, and appeared [in front of Devas]. Devas did not recognize Brahman and wondered who is that spirit?

3. Devas said to Agni, “O knower of origin [Jaatveda, a name for agni], you must discern this Yaksha.” Agni said, so be it.

4. Agni hurried over. That[Yaksha] said, “Who are you?” [Agni said], “I am Agni or Jaatveda.”

5. “In there, in you, what power do you have?” [Agni says], “Everything on this earth I can burn.”

6. For him [Agni], [Yaksha] laid down a straw [trin] and said, “Burn this.” [Agni] rushed with all his might, but could not burn it [the straw]. Agni turned back and said, “I could not discern that spirit.”

7. Then Devas turned to Vayu [wind] and said, “You must discern this spirit?” Vayu said, “So be it.”

8. Vayu hurried over. That[Yaksha] said, “Who are you?” [Vayu said], “I am Vayu or Maatrishva.”

9. “In there, in you, what power do you have?” [Vayu says], “Everything on this earth I can blow off.”

10. For him [Vayu], [Yaksha] laid down a straw [trin] and said, “Blow this.” [Vayu] rushed with all his might, but could not blow it [the straw]. Vayu turned back and said, “I could not discern that spirit.”

11. Then Devas turned to Indra and said, “O giver of gifts[Maghavan], You must discern this spirit?” Indra said, “So be it.”

12. Indra hurried over. That[Yaksha] disappeared and a beautiful woman, Uma, daughter of Himalaya, appeared. [Indra asked], “Who was that spirit?”

Chapter 4

1. [Uma says] That was Brahman. You Devas rejoiced in the victory that Brahman made possible. Indra deduced from all this, that it must be Brahman.

2. Indra, Vayu and Agni are therefore recognized as primary devas since they got nearest to Brahman.

3. Within these, Indra is considered primary, as he first understood Brahman.

4. That [Brahman is to be understood] as a flash of lightening.  As a wink of an eyelid.

The concept can be glimpsed very briefly. We can’t grasp and hold on to it. The enlightenment comes instantly.

5. Mind can attain this thought (very briefly) and then the strength of the will should hold this thought (of Brahman) to encompass everything.

Meditate on Brahman as “Tadvanam–That bliss.”  This is the bliss towards which all existence yearns.

Now guru closes the lecture.  He says, “You asked me about teachings of Upnishads, so this is it.

Tapas (constant perfection of mind, thought and body), damas (sensory control) and karma (performance of prescribed action) is the basis to reach Brahman.  This is the home of truth and all parts of Veda.

The one who knows this knowledge, overcomes evil and established firmly in immortality.”

Sources:

http://www.esamskriti.com/essay-chapters/Kena-Upanishad-1.aspx by T.N. Sethumadhavan, a good version for easy reading

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/kena.asp by Jayaram V, another good translation

https://shlokam.org/kena/ provides Sanskrit text

http://www.aurobindo.ru/workings/sa/12/kena_e.pdf provides translation and commentary by Aurobindo

http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=2058&chapter=154915&layout=html&Itemid=27 provides an online version of many books (global catalogue)