Sacred Text -1 - Kena Upanishad

केन
उपिनषद
(Kena Upanishad)

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Sacred Text -2 - Kena Upanishad

UPANISHADS: AN INTRODUCTION

The word 'Upanishad' in Sanskrit language means upa (near), ni (down) and shad (to
sit), which can be summed up as 'to sit down near' (and receive instructions). The teacher
and student or a spiritual master and his disciples setting were not always prevalent in strict
sense. In some cases, it was husband answering questions about immortality to his wife or
a teenage boy was being taught by Yama (God of Death). The teachers, in some cases were
women sages and the seekers of inspiration were kings. Besides dialogues, Upanishads also
contain narrations, similes, metaphors, illustrations and symbolism.
In the quietude of caves and monasteries or ashrams situated on the banks of holy
Ganges, this mystic knowledge was exchanged for centuries. It can be said that Upanishads
are collection of writings representing oral transmission of such knowledge.
Most of the Upanishads are either commentary on or are an extension of four Vedas
and in most cases constitute Vedanta (the end or an ultimate part of Veda). The
characteristics of the Upanishads are their universality and the total absence of any
dogmatism. Upanishads elaborate upon highest metaphysical state, beyond which is the
realm of Silence.
Upanishads are considered as the backbone of Hinduism. The thoughts expressed
inside Upanishadic cluster forms the core of Indian philosophy. One can find doctrines of
Karma (action), Yoga (union), Punarjanma (rebirth), moksha (liberation), atma (soul) and
brahman (super soul), inside these scriptures. Upanishads also gives valuable insight into
Hindu belief system behind the creation of universe and the reasons behind its sustenance.
According to Historians, Upanishads were composed between year 800-400 B.C.
Experts differ on total number of Upanishads, but most agree on 108. Major among them
are Chhandogya & Kena (Sam Veda); Aitareya & Kaushitaki (Rig Veda); Katha, Taittiriya,
Brihadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Isa & Prasna (Yajur Veda); Mundaka & Mandukya (Atharva
Veda). From various elaboration found inside Upanishadic verses, it can be said that, sages
like Yagnavalkya, Uddalaka, Aitareya, Pippalada, Sanat Kumar, Shwetaketu, Shandilya,
Manu and even Maharshi Narada disseminated Upanishadic knowledge and thus, can be said
to be their authors.
Upanishads are acknowledged as pinnacle of human wisdom. None other scripture
of that time can claim to contain such sublime and noble thoughts as found inside
Upanishads. Written almost at the time of the dawn of civilization, Upanishads continues to
evoke tremendous interest even today, among literates of both, East as well as West.

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Sacred Text -3 - Kena Upanishad

॥ अथ केनोपिनषद ॥

ॐ आ याय तु ममा गािन वा ूाण ुः

ौोऽमथो बलिम िया ण च सवार् ण ।
सव ॄ ौपिनषदं माऽहं ॄ िनराकुया मा
मा ॄ िनराकारोदिनराकरणमः विनराकरणं मेऽःतु ।
तदा मिन िनरते य उपिनष सु धमार्ःते मिय स तु ते मिय स तु ॥
ॐ शा तः । शा तः । शा तः ॥

॥ ूथमः खण्डः ॥

ॐ केने षतं पतित ूे षतं मनः केन ूाणः ूथमः ूैित यु ः ।

केने षतां वाचिममां वद त च ुः ौोऽं क उ दे वो युन ॥१॥
ौोऽःय ौोऽं मनसो मनो य वाचो ह वाचं स उ ूाणःय ूाणः ।
च ुष ुरितमु य धीराः ूे याःमा लोकादमृता भव त ॥२॥

न तऽ च ुगर् छित न वा ग छित नो मनः ।

न व ो न वजानीमो यथैतदनुिशंयात ् ॥३॥
अ यदे व त दतादथो अ व दतादिध ।
इित शुौम
ु पूवषां ये नःत याचच रे ॥४॥
य ाचाऽन यु दतं येन वाग यु ते ।
तदे व ॄ वं व नेदं य ददमुपासते ॥५॥
य मनसा न मनुते येनाहमर्
ु नो मतम ् ।
तदे व ॄ वं व नेदं य ददमुपासते ॥६॥
य च ुषा न पँयित येन च ूँ ष पँयित ।
तदे व ॄ वं व नेदं य ददमुपासते ॥७॥
य लोऽेण न शृणोित येन ौोऽिमदं ौुतम ् ।
तदे व ॄ वं व नेदं य ददमुपासते ॥८॥
य ूाणेन न ूा णित येन ूाणः ूणीयते ।
तदे व ॄ वं व नेदं य ददमुपासते ॥९॥

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॥ तीयः खण्डः ॥

यद म यसे सुवेदेित दहरमेवा प नूनं वं वे थ ॄ णो पम ् ।

यदःय वं यदःय दे वेंवथ नु मीमाँःयेमेव ते म ये व दतम ् ॥१॥

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Sacred Text -4 - Kena Upanishad

नाहं म ये सुवेदेित नो न वेदेित वेद च ।

यो नःत े द त ेद नो न वेदेित वेद च ॥२॥
यःयामतं तःय मतं मतं यःय न वेद सः ।
अ व ातं वजानतां व ातम वजानताम ् ॥३॥
ूितबोध व दतं मतममृत वं ह व दते ।
आ मना व दते वीय व या व दतेऽमृतम ् ॥४॥
इह चेदवेद दथ स यम ःत न चे दहावेद महती वन ः ।
भूतेषु भूतेषु विच य धीराः ूे याःमा लोकादमृता भव त ॥५॥

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॥ तृतीयः खण्डः ॥

ॄ ह दे वे यो व ज ये तःय ह ॄ णो वजये दे वा अमह य त ॥१॥

त ऐ ताःमाकमेवायं वजयोऽःमाकमेवायं म हमेित ।
त ै षां वज ौ ते यो ह ूादबर्
ु भूव त न यजानत किमदं य िमित ॥२॥
तेऽ नमॄुव जातवेद एत जानी ह किमदं य िमित तथेित ॥३॥
तद यिव म य वद कोऽसी य नवार् ।
अहमःमी यॄवी जातवेदा वा अहमःमीित ॥४॥
त ःमँः विय कं वीयर्िम यपीदँ सव दहे यं य ददं पृिथ यािमित ॥५॥
तःमै तृणं िनदधावेत हे ित । तदपूे
ु याय सवर्जवेन त न शशाक ।
द धुं स तत एव िनववृते नैतदशकं व ातुं यदे त िमित ॥६॥
अथ वायुमॄुव वायवेत जानी ह कमेत िमित तथेित ॥७॥
तद यिव म यवद कोऽसीित वायुवार् ।
अहमःमी यॄवी मात र ा वा अहमःमीित ॥८॥
त ःमँः विय कं वीयर्िम यपीदँ सवर्मादद य य ददं पृिथ यािमित ॥९॥
तःमै तृणं िनदधावेतदाद ःवेित तदपूे
ु याय सवर्जवेन त न ।
शशाकादतुं स तत एव िनववृते नैतदशकं व ातुं यदे त िमित ॥१०॥
अथे िमॄुव मघव नेत जानी ह कमेत िमित ।
तथेित तद यिव ःमा रोदधे ॥११॥
स त ःम नेवाकाशे यमाजगाम बहशोभमानामु
ु माँ ।
है मवतीं ताँहोवाच कमेत िमित ॥१२॥

॥ तृतीयः खण्डः ॥

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Sacred Text -5 - Kena Upanishad

॥ चतुथःर् खण्डः ॥

सा ॄ ेित होवाच ॄ णो वा एत जये ।

मह य विमित ततो है व वदा चकार ॄ ेित ॥१॥
तःमा ा एते दे वा अिततरािमवा या दे वा यद नवार्यु र िःते ।
ेन ने द ं पःपशुः
र् ते ेन ूथमो वदा चकार ॄ ेित ॥२॥
तःमा ा इ िोऽिततरािमवा या दे वा स न
े ने द ं ।
पःपशर् स ेन ूथमो वदा चकार ॄ ेित ॥३॥
तःयैष आदे शो यदे त ुतो य ुतदाइतीन ् ।
यमीिमषवदा इ यिधदै वतम ् ॥४॥
अथा या मं य ेत छतीव च मनोऽनेन ।
चैतदपःमर
ु यभीआणँ स क पः ॥५॥
त त नं नाम त निम युपािसत यं स य ।
एतदे वं वेदािभ है नँ सवार् ण भूतािन संवा छ त ॥६॥

उपिनषदं भो ॄूह यु ा त उपिनष ॄा ं वाव त उपिनषदमॄूमेित ॥७॥

तसै तपो दमः कमित ूित ा वेदाः सवार् गािन स यमायतनम ् ॥८॥
यो वा एतामेवं वेदापह य पा मानमन ते ।
ःवग लोके येये ूितित ित ूितित ित ॥९॥

॥ इित केनोपिनषद ॥

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॥ शांित पाठ ॥

ॐ आ याय तु ममा गािन वा ूाण ुः

ौोऽमथो बलिम िया ण च सवार् ण ।
सव ॄ ौपिनषदं माऽहं ॄ िनराकुया मा
मा ॄ िनराकारोदिनराकरणमः विनराकरणं मेऽःतु ।
तदा मिन िनरते य उपिनष सु धमार्ःते मिय स तु ते मिय स तु ॥
ॐ शा तः । शा तः । शा तः ॥

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