Upanishad Series - Ep. 3 (Kena Upanishad)
Did you know this guy has an Upanishad named after him? Here’s the tea!
Welcome to Episode 3 of our a series Vedanta Thursdays, in which I simplify Bharat’s most ancient & complicated philosophies in just 3 minutes for you!
In the last part, we met the Ishopanishad, which showed us that this entire world is covered by one special force.
The Kena Upanishad goes one step further with the student asking, “Who is this force? By whom, by what cause & power does the mind move, who makes this world goes round?”
The wise guru answers, “It is the ear behind the ear, the mind behind the mind, the eye behind the eye.”
Spread across 4 sections & 34 verses, the Kena gives us the most mind-boggling definition of God & the way to meet Him.
It is found in the Talavakara Brahmana section of the Samaveda. By combining poetry, prose and storytelling, it makes 3 interesting points.
Point 1 - The guru admits that we cannot fully explain, understand or know this all-covering Brahman, we can only experience its reality & power by going inward where we find that our Atman, the soul, is itself the Brahman.
The guru tells us that those who say or think they know God, don’t know it, and those who think they don’t know, know it - because that is the humility a true spiritual seeker needs.
Point 2 - The Kena has an interesting story about the demigods or Devtas, namely Indra, Agni & Vayu being taught a lesson about the supremacy of the Brahman - this is most probably just a visual narration to help us digest that we are not the owner or controller of our senses, but they are divine vessels of a Higher Power.
Point 3 - The Kena says that to reach this state of higher realisation, where we become one with this Brahman, we need the tools of discipline, restraint, concentration and hard work.
Combine those with hunger for knowledge & we reach the home of truth.
What makes the Kena so special is that it confirms our Oneness with the Nirguna Brahman i.e. the Formless Higher Truth, comforting us that while we can’t explain it, we can experience it through yoga.