KENA UPANISHAD
The `KENA UPANISHAD ‘ has been named so on the basis of the first word `kena’ ( meaning `why’ or ‘which way` etc. ). It has four parts, two in prose and the other two in poetry. Some scholars are of the opinion that the prose ones were much earlier than the poetry parts. The Isha upnishad has a graver implication in idealism. The Kena upanishad does not have deep edge of penetration as the Isha upanishad. But so far the aim is concerned, the Kena Upanishad is no less innovative than the Isha. It deals with matters as to how the stage of immortality could be achieved , how to connect the Brahma with the worldly life. It tried to find out the relation between this earthly life and Brahma. It starts with the questions ,such as, whose wishes indulge in the activities of mind, life, the senses like the eyes, the ears, and other sense organs. It urges to know who is the real architect at the root of each. The Kena upanishad derives the fact that these senses can not feel about themselves, such as, an eye cannot see itself, ear cannot hear itself, fire cannot burn itself, etc, They cannot reach Brahma. But Brahma can reach all of these senses and also Himself. Now let us try to place the verses on scientific footing which instilled the philosophical ideas in the concerning sages and inspired them in launching an analytical approach towards the final objective of life . I shall give first the simple meaning of the verses in English and then try to illustrate the scientific basis as far as practicable. One thing I like to clarify that the mystery of first appearance of life has remained a curiosity in the past as well as for the time to come . The same has remained the thing to exist after death. This mystery has been pricking the minds of men, great or small, about what happens to life after death. The life being an extra-ordinary event in the changing courses of matter and giving so much pleasure and sorrow, successes and adverses, hopes and despairs, has created a feeling that death is disastrous and the feeling of keeping ever alive is adventurous. The sages attempting to find the existence of man after death seemed to discover a hopeful future for him if he be honest and sincere in this earthly life and devotes himself to the welfare of mankind.
I am giving below firstly the key meaning of the verses in English though these are written in Sanskrit in the Upanishad .
PART I
Verse 1
By whom is mind instigated to proceed towards its own aimed object ? By whom has the life, having been grown before the appearances of all sense organs , been employed to proceed to its own mood of movement ?
Verse 2
The life can perform its job of accomplishing life-connected activities and the eyes can accomplish the activities of seeing things at the initiation of that very force by whose initiation the ear can hear, the mind can perform the job of thinking and the voice organ can perform the job of uttering sentences. Knowing this, the wise persons can separate the sense organs like ear, eye, etc, from life and mind and can achieve immortality.
Verse 3-4
The eyes cannot reach Brahma, the language cannot express Him, the mind also cannot know Him by the power of thinking. He is beyond the reach of sense organs and mind. We do not even know how the preceptor imparts lessons about Brahma. Brahma is away from all material existences and above all these sorts of perceptions to be conducted by sense organs and mind.
Verse 5
You must know such an entity as Brahma who cannot be expressed by means of language, on the contrary, who can make enable a language to express sentence. Do not consider as Brahma that object having no soul, but people regard it to be Brahma.
Verse 6
You should know him as Brahma who cannot be thought of by mind but who provides mind the capacity to think. Do not consider some entity without soul as Brahma about whom people cry out `this is Brahma’ and whom they worship as Brahma.
Verse 7-8
The eyes dot not see and the ears do not hear, but an unseen force makes their activities possible. That force manifests the performance of real execution of these organs. That force is regarded as Brahma.
Verse 9
The nose does not perform the job of smelling. But a force get the act of smelling done through nose. That force is the Brahma. It is not life that makes one a living entity. But some thing is behind these activities that makes life expose its feature. That someone is the Brahma. Do not get confused to treat some entity without soul as Brahma at whose earthly glamour people cry out `it is Brahma’.
The part of Kena Upanishad tries to illustrate the potential role of Brahma that should be assessed from the results of performance which id invisible. It makes us understand that Brahma is such an entity that is making all things possible to happen and all works possible to be got done. Now we should justify how the activities could be got accomplished behind everybody’s knowledge and practical performance.. It is highly appreciable that the Vedic sages could imagine that there might be a entity which had the property of getting the universe possible to function in its own course. The fact is that the universe is full of material quantity of whichever form applicable at a given point of time and a given situation of atmosphere.. Matter is having properties of functions of any nature at the call of situation. Now it is known that the emission of sound is the result of vibration of matter. The hearing technique is revealed by science and the service of ears and the corresponding role of the brain are known so far the knowledge permitted uptil now. The researches are on. All these features of knowledge have exposed the idea that the matter’s properties remain due for exposure keeping the pace at per with the advancement of the growth of knowledge. The more we are able to know, the more appears due to be known. So the material sources of excavation of knowledge extends to infinity. The idealist way of unearthing mysteries of nature declines to recognize matter to lead to unending arena. But the truth remains embedded in nature that matter is the ultimate destination of never ending source of information. The Brahma is the typical feature enshrined in the Upanishad, which represents the unending entity where matter find its destination. The realization of Brahma is a unique discovery of the Indian sages.
Second part of KENA UPANISHAD
Verse No. 1
The preceptor
Thou knowest indeed very little of Brahma’s form, if thou thinkest you have known it well. What thou knowest is very little in comparison to what gods know about Brahma. Therefore the nature of Brahman is still to be ascertained by thee.
Verse No 2
The Disciple continues :
I do not think that I know it well, nor do I think I know it not. He among us knows it truly, who knows this, viz., nor do I know that I know it not.
Verse -3
Brahman is truly comprehended by him who knows it as incomprehensible; he knows it not, who thinks it is comprehended by him. It is unknown to those who know and known to those who do not know.
Verse -4&5
Brahman becomes really known when it is realised in all states of consciousness. Through that knowledge man attains immortality. By the self man attains strength, by the knowledge immortality. If a man knows it here, then there is truth; if a man does not know this here, then there is great destruction for him. The wise having realised that Atman is in all beings, he becomes immortal, on departing from all this world. The significance of the other world comprises of visiting the world of miseries. The stage to get rid of re-birth will be to know what really the soul(Brahma) is in this world itself. That means, it will serve the purpose of being immortal.
Scientific sense behind this:–
After a feature of Brahma had been placed to exist beyond the natural courses of events, and after its characteristics had been assessed to be omni present every where, it was then struck to be difficult to convince one of the real image of Brahma. So it is said here that if anybody rises to say that he has known Him, it can not be true, as knowing Him is something extraordinary. If any body says that he has not known Brahma, he will be confessing the fact that He can not be known. Let me illustrate the real meaning. The scientists have firstly discovered that molecule was the smallest particle and that it can not be broken. Then later on it was discovered that it was not molecule, but atom, which could be treated as the smallest particle and unbreakable one. Now the science proceeded further to discover still a smaller part in the atom, termed as god partilce. Is the search for getting the smallest is over ? Definitely not. Time will say, there are still a smaller one a particle. So, I would say, it is the serial attempts to find out Brahma, the smallest particle with the greatest quantity of energy. If any one says that the end is achieved, it is wrong. Because the ultimate, defined to be infinity or Brahma , is always in the process. It is a dire truth that the knowledge achieved and new thing known is always appreciable, but is always a part of vast sea of the unknown. A wise man will agree to it without argument, but an unwise will be satisfied with the amazing feature of the newly discovered object and will be contented to have known the uncountable vast. The knowledge of Brahma(a symbol of infinity) remains due to be known to the learned and the knowledge achieved satisfies the ignorant. The idea of the `other world’ is discouraged in the 5th verse. The belief of this qualitatively richer this present life intensifies the reality of utilizing this life and of making it meaningful.
Part-3
Verse s: 1-6
Once Brahma, they say, obtained a victory for the gods. The gods became elate by that victory of Brahman, and they thought, ` Verily is the victory of ours, this glory is ours only.’
Brahman understood that false pride of theirs, and appeared before them. But they did not know who that adorable spirit was.
They said to Agni : `O, Jatavedas, find out who this adorable spirit is’. `Yes’ said Agni.
He ran to It and Brahman asked him : ` Who art thou ? ‘ `I am the famous Agni; the famous Jatavedas am I’.
`What power is in thee of such fame?’ the spirit asked. I can burn all whatever there are on earth,’ he replied.
Brahman put a straw before him saying : ` Burn this’’ He approached it with all his might, but he was unable to burn it. Then he returned thence and said : ` I was not able to know who this adorable spirit is’.
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Verses : 7-10
Then the gods said to Vayu: `O Vayu, find out who this adorable spirit is’. `Yes’ said Vayu.
He ran towards It and Brahman asked him : ` Who art thou?’ ` I am the famous Vayu, the famous Matariswan am I’ he replied.
`What power is in thee of such fame’, enquired the spirit. `I can take upward all whatever there is on earth’, he replied.
Brahman put a straw before him, saying: `Take it upward’.He approached it and could not take it upward with all its might.Thence he returned then and said : `I was not able to know who this adorable spirit is’.
Verses : 11-12
Then the gods said to Indra: `O Maghavan, find out who this adorable spirit is’. `Yes’ said he. Then He ran towards It, but it disappeared thence.
Then in the same quarter of the sky, he came towards a woman beholding her to be Uma of great beauty and well adorned with golden ornaments. He asked : `Who is this adorable spirit?
Fourth Part
Hymns 1-4
She replied : It is Brahman. It is through the victory of Brahman indeed, that you have attained the glory. From that he knew that It was Brahman.
So these gods, viz, Agni, Vayu,and Indra excelled all others, for they approached Brahman nearest and were the first to know that it was Brahman.
And so Indra excelled other gods, for he approached Brahman nearest and first knew It to be Brahman.
This is the instruction about Brahman: ` that it is like a flash of lightning — that It is like a wink of the eye. This is the illustration of Brahan used as regards the gods.
The significance of these shlokas lies in the fact that among so many entities in nature, Agni, Vayu and Indra were the mystery to human life and knowledge. The behavior of these three elements, regarded as gods, is such that they are in the feeling of mankind and at the same time these are beyond the control of the human being . Indra being considered to exist far away from the touch of human habitation, is deemed nearest to Brahma, the Supreme of gods, the almighty. The Brahma’s feelings are perceived by Indra for a moment like the flesh of a lightning. That means, the feeling of the Brahman is very rare a stage to achieve. It is , as if, His command according to which the lightning now flashes and now vanishes.
The scientific essence of the ideas reflected in these pieces may be ascribed to this meaning: By now the meaning of Agni and Vayu has been clear. The idea of Indra is a certain step of development towards most powerful entity, if it is achievable at all. That entity to which Indra appears to have advanced is represented by the word `Brahman’. The German philosopher Hegel, who appeared in the scene much later than the Upanishad, while deducing the theory of changes proceeding to a newer phase and making split with the existing stage, opined that the changes , stage after stage, reaches the absolute status that is radically different and stable.. That means, it is a stage already assumed to be existing where all the changing world is moving towards. If so, the motion, the activity of substances would come to a standstill, not practically, though theoretically. This is against the usual law of change. So Brahman has been defined to be an ever-existent entity, void of change. It is nothing but infinity that can be defined, but cannot be achieved. For example, let you write the greatest integer. You go on writing from big to bigger numbers, hours after hours, but you fail to have the greatest number. It is Brahman (or, Brahma). When the great Indra goes nearest to Brahman, but can not reach Him, how the worldly man can have contact with Him. It is the greatest and let It remain so ever and ever. Let Brahma be Brahma. In trying to get at It, enumerable theories and inventions have come to our hand. This a contradiction between the finites and the infinites.
Hymns 5-9
5 Now let us consider the instruction about Brahman with regard to the individual self. The mind, as it were, goes to Brahman. The seeker, by means of the mind, communes with It intimately again and again. This should be the volition of his mind.
6 That Brahman is called Tadbana, the Adorable of all; It should be worshipped by the name of Tadbana. All creatures desire him who worships Brahman this manner.
7 The disciple said; ‘Teach me, sir, the Upanishad.” The preceptor replied: “I have already told you the Upanishad. I have certainly told you the Upanishad about Brahman.
8 Austerities, self−restraint, and sacrificial rites are Its feet, and the Vedas are all Its limbs. Truth is Its abode.
9 He who thus knows this Upanishad shakes off all sins and becomes firmly established in the infinite and the highest Heaven, yea, the highest Heaven .
From the hymn 5 to 9, the development of virtues in an individual and the role of mind in enriching his divinity have been illustrated. If a man seeks Brahma, his mind approaches Him. A repeated attempt enables the worshiper person to develop a sense where he seems to have an absorption into Him. Man who worships and applies mind in meditation towards Brahma can develop in him the qualities like austerities, self-restraint, sacrificial rites. In the hymn No. 9, when it is said that by knowing Upanishad, one will shake off all sins, it advances the fact that the ideas in the Upanishad will impact one heavily in respect of height of the philosophy enshrined in it. By practicing the process he enriches himself, and rises high up from his original status and is said to have established firmly in the highest Heaven.
Now the question may arise whether there is any scientific reality in the statement. Man has immense strength in him. We can very little manifest the treasure of reserves we possess. If a man thinks pious, acts pious, shirks off ill ideas, he will definitely build in him the noble to nobler ingredients of thoughts and will heighten himself in the tune of discoveries and inventions. That means, a man can reach the status of uncommon height by dint of persevearance, prsued honestly and scientifically.