The Kena Upanishad (केन उपनिषद) is a Vedic Sanskrit text classified as one of the primary or Mukhya Upanishads that is embedded inside the last section of the Talavakara Brahmana of the Samaveda. The Kena Upanishad was probably composed sometime around the middle of the 1st millennium BCE. This has made it a foundational scripture to the Vedanta school of Hinduism, both the theistic and monistic sub-schools after varying interpretations. The Kena Upanishad is also significant in asserting the idea of “Spiritual Man“, “Self is wonderful being that even Gods worship”, “Atman (Self) exists”, and “knowledge and spirituality are the goals and intense longing of all creatures”.

Kena Upanishad Meaning

The Kena Upanishad derives its name from the first word of the Upanishad, “Kena,” which means by whom. By whom is this world created? who has this existence become possible? Who are we alive and able to breathe? By whom do our minds and bodies work? Who is behind all this? Who makes the worlds and beings possible? These are valid questions. Since we are curious and inquisitive, we keep asking them.

Kena Upanishad Etymology

Kena (Sanskrit: केन) literally means, depending on the object-subject context, “by what, by whom, whence, how, why, from what cause”. The first verse of the Kena Upanishad as follows:

The Kena Upanishad belongs to the Talavakara Brahmana of Samaveda, giving the etymological roots of an alternate name of Talavakara Upanishad for it, in ancient and medieval era Indian texts. The Kena Upanishad is also referred to as the Kenopanishad (Sanskrit: केनोपनिषत्, Kenopaniṣat).

Kena Upanishad Chronology

The chronology of the Kena Upanishad, like other Vedic texts, is unclear and contested by scholars. All opinions rest on scanty evidence, an analysis of archaism, style, and repetitions across texts, driven by assumptions about the likely evolution of ideas, and on presumptions about which philosophy might have influenced which other Indian philosophies.

Ranade’s views

Ranade posits a view similar to Phillips, with slightly different ordering, placing Kena’s chronological composition in the third group of ancient Upanishads. Paul Deussen considers Kena Upanishad to be bridging a period of prose composition and fusion of poetic creativity with ideas. Winternitz considers the Kena Upanishad as pre-Buddhist, pre-Jaina literature.

The text is likely from about the middle of the 1st millennium BCE. Many of the ideas found in Kena Upanishads have more ancient roots. For example, the ideas in verse 2 of Kena Upanishad are found in the oldest Brihadaranyaka Upanishad‘s chapter 4.4, as well as the second oldest Chandogya Upanishad‘s chapter 8.12.

Structure of Kena Upanishad

Eight Khandas

Kena Upanishad has three parts: 13 verses in the first part, 15 paragraphs in the second part, and 6 paragraphs in the epilogue. These are distributed in four khaṇḍas (खण्ड, sections or volumes). The first Khanda has 8 verses, the second has 5 verses. The third Khanda has 12 paragraphs, while the fourth Khanda has the remaining 9 (3 paragraphs of the main text and 6 paragraphs of the epilogue).

First two Khandas

The first two Khandas of Kena Upanishad are poems, and the last two are prose, with one exception. Another odd structural feature of Kena Upanishad’s poetic Khandas is verse 3, which has 8 lines (typically marked as 3a and 3b), while all other poetic verses in the first two sections are only 4 lines of mathematical metric construction.

There are some differences in the positioning of Kena Upanishad in manuscripts discovered in different parts of India. It is, for example, the ninth chapter of Talavakara Brahmana in south Indian manuscripts and as mentioned in the Bhasya (commentary) by Shankara, while the Burnell manuscript of sections of Samaveda places it in the tenth Anuvaka of the fourth chapter (inside Jaiminia Brahmana).

Four sections

The difference between the two versions is minor and structural – in Samaveda manuscripts, the Kena Upanishad has four sections, while the Atharva manuscripts show no such division into sections.

Contents of Kena Upanishad

Nature of knowledge – First khanda

The Kena Upanishad opens by questioning the nature of man, the origins, the essence, and the relationship of him with knowledge and sensory perception. It then asserts that knowledge is of two types – (1) empirical and (2) conceptual. Empirical knowledge can be taught, described, and discussed. Conceptual axiomatic knowledge cannot, states Kena Upanishad. Pure, abstract concepts are learned and realized instead wherein it mentions that the highest reality is Brahman.

There the eye goes not,
speech goes not, nor the mind.
We know not, we understand not,
how one would teach it?

Other is it indeed than the known,
and more over above the unknown.
Thus from the forbearers,
the doctrine has been transmitted to us. — Kena Upanishad 1.3a and 1.3b, Translated by Woodburne

Brahman cannot be worshipped

In verse 4, Kena Upanishad asserts that Brahman cannot be worshipped, because it has no attributes and is unthinkable, indescribable, eternal, all present reality. That what man worships is neither Atman-Brahman nor the path to Atman-Brahman. It is that which “hears” the sound in ears, “sees” the view in eyes, “beholds” the words of speech, “smells” the aroma in breath, and “comprehends” the meaning in thought. The Atman-Brahman is in man, not that which one worships outside.

Woodburne interprets the first khanda of Kena Upanishad to be describing Brahman in a manner that “faith” is described in Christianity. In contrast, Shankara interprets the first khanda entirely as monistic.

Self-awakening is the source of inner strength – Second khanda

The second khanda of Kena Upanishad starts with prose paragraph 9 that inserts a theistic theme, asserting that the worshipping of Brahman, described in the first khanda, is deception because that is a phenomenal form of Brahman, one among Gods. Verses 10 to 13, return to the poetic form, and the theme of what knowing Brahman is and what knowing Brahman is not. 

State of self-realization

Verses 12 and 13 of Kena describe the state of self-realization (moksha), stating that those who are self-awakened gain inner strength, see the Spiritual Oneness in every being, and attain immortality. Charles Johnston refers to the state as the “Spiritual Man”.

He, in whom it [Atman-Brahman] awakes, knows it
and finds immortality
That he is itself, gives him strength
That he knows it, gives immortality.

He, who found it here below, possesses the truth,
For him who has not found it here, it is great destruction,
In every being, the wise being perceives it,
and departing out of this world, becomes immortal.

— Kena Upanishad 2.12 – 2.13, Translated by Paul Deussen

Allegory of three Gods and one Goddess – Third and Fourth Khandas 

The third section of Kena is a fable, set in prose, unlike the first two poetic sections. The fable is an allegory, states Paul Deussen. The allegory is, states the theosophist Charles Johnston, a “delicious piece of Sanskrit prose, fascinating in its simple style, and one of the deepest passages in all of Upanishads“.

Gods and demons

The fable begins by asserting that in a war between Gods and demons, Brahman won victory for the Gods. The Gods, however, praised themselves for the victory, saying, “Of us is this victory, of us is this might and glory”. The Brahman noticed this. It revealed itself before the Gods, who did not recognize and know it. 

I am able to burn whatever is on earth

Agni rushed to Brahman. The Brahman asked, “Who are you?”. Agni replied, “I am Agni, knower of beings”. Brahman asked, “If so, what is the source of your power”. Agni replied, “I am able to burn whatever is on earth.” The Brahman then laid a piece of grass before Agni, and said, “Burn this, then.”

Agni rushed to the grass and tried his best to burn it. He failed. He turned back and returned to the Gods. Agni told the Gods, “I am unable to discover what this wonderful being is”. The Gods then nominated God Vayu (air) to go, and “explore, O Vayu, what this wonderful being is”.

I am able to carry or pull whatever is on earth

Vayu rushed to Brahman. The Brahman asked, “Who are you?”. Vayu replied, “I am Vayu, I am Matarisvan (what fills the aerial space around mother earth, mover in space)”. Brahman asked, “If so, what is the source of your power”. Vayu replied, “I am able to carry or pull whatever is on earth.”

The Brahman then laid a piece of grass before Vayu, and said, “Carry this, then.” Vayu rushed to the grass and tried his best to lift and carry it away. He failed. He turned back and returned to the Gods. Vayu told his fellow Gods, “I am unable to discover what this wonderful being is”. The Gods then turned to God Indra (lightning, God of might) to go, and “explore, O mighty one, what this wonderful being is”. “So be it”, said Indra.

What is this wonderful being

Indra went to Brahman. There, in the place of Brahman, he found a beautiful woman with knowledge. Her name was Umã. Indra asked Uma, “What is this wonderful being?” Goddess Uma replied, “That is the Brahman; that is the one who obtained the victory, though Gods praise themselves for it”. 

Indra knew Brahman first

The tradition holds that Agni, Vayu, and Indra are elevated above all other Gods, and respected first in ceremonies and rituals because these three “met” and “experienced” the Brahman first. Indra is most celebrated because he “knew” Brahman first, among all Gods. 

Goddess Umã reveals spiritual knowledge about Brahman

Johnston states, as does the Hindu scholar Adi Shankara, that this simple story is loaded with symbolism. The Brahman, the three Gods selected from numerous Vedic Gods, and the choice of the one Goddess from many, the Goddess Umã reveals spiritual knowledge about Brahman rather than the Brahman itself, as well the phrasing of the type “the wonderful being”, are all allegorically referring to the spiritual themes of the Upanishads.

Agni embodies fire, and symbolizes the “natural self, with vital fire in all beings and everything”. Vayu embodies space that envelops empirical existence, and symbolizes the “mental self, akin to thoughts about everything”. Indra embodies lightning, light, and illumination, thus symbolizing the “causal conscious self, with the light of the truth that discerns correct knowledge from incorrect”.

Brahman is the Eternal

The Brahman is Atman, the Eternal. The war between Gods and demons is symbolism for the war between good and evil. Devas themselves are allegorical references to the sensory and intellectual capabilities of man, with the war symbolizing challenges a man faces in his journey through life.

Kena Upanishad’s allegory is suggesting that empirical actions, such as destruction by fire or moving a being from one place to another, do not lead to “knowing the essence of the subject, the wonderful being”. The Upanishad allegorically reminds us that a victory of good over evil is not of manifested self, but of the good, the eternal, the Atman-Brahman.

Epilogue – Fourth Khanda

The epilogue in Kena Upanishad is contained in the last six paragraphs of the text. It asserts the timelessness and awareness of Brahman to be similar to moments of wondrous “Ah!!” in life, such as the focussed exclamation one makes upon witnessing lightning flash in the sky, or the focussed “Ah!!” recollection of knowledge in one’s mind of memory from past.

The goal of spiritual knowledge, of self-awareness, is wonderful, characterized by an “intense longing” for it in all creatures, states Kena Upanishad. The knowledge of Atman-Brahman is Tadvanam (transcendental happiness, blissfulness).

Kena Upanishad Reception

Adi Shankara

Adi Shankara wrote two commentaries on Kenopanishad. One is called Kenopaniṣad Padabhāṣya and the other is Kenopaniṣad Vākyabhāṣya. In his commentary on the third khanda of Kena Upanishad, Shankara equates Atman-Brahman with Ishvara-Parameshvara. 

This equality is repeated by Shankara in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhasya in verses III.7.3 and IV.4.15, in the Bhasya on Chandogya Upanishad‘s verses I.1.1 and V.18.1, Katha Upanishad‘s Bhasya on hymn 11.2.13.

Anandagnana

Anandagnana also wrote a commentary on Kena Upanishad. Till the late 19th century, the commentary of Shankara and Anandagnana was the only implied source of the existence of Kena Upanishad, as original manuscripts of Upanishad were believed to have been lost after Dara Shikoh published a Persian translation of it. This changed in 1878 when Burnell found a manuscript and later published it. 

The French scholar Anquetil Duperron published a Latin translation from the Persian translated version with the title “Kin”, while Windischmann and others published a German translation of the Kena Upanishad. Colebrooke, Poley, Weber, Roer, and Gough are among the scholars who have discussed it.

George Haas

George Haas includes a reading of the Kena Upanishad, along with other primary Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, as essential to understanding the “wonderful old treasures of Hindu theosophic lore”.

Edward Washburn Hopkins

Edward Washburn Hopkins states that the aphoristic mention of “tapo dammah karma” in closing prose parts of Kena Upanishad suggests that ethical precepts of Yoga were well accepted in Indian spiritual traditions by the time Kena Upanishad was composed.

Similarly, Shrimali cites the Kena Upanishad, among other ancient Sanskrit texts, to state that the knowledge-seeking and education system was formalized by the 1st millennium BCE in India, highlighting among many examples, the question-answer structure of the first khanda of the Kena Upanishad.

Fred Dallmayr

Fred Dallmayr cites Kena Upanishad’s opening lines to state that Upanishads’ primary focus is Atman-Brahman (Self), in Hindu theosophy. These opening lines state,

सर्वं ब्रह्मौपनिषदं
Brahman is all of which the Upanishads speak. — Kena Upanishad Opening Lines

Evocation in non-religious arts

Classical music

David Stoll composed “Sonata for 2 Pianos” in 1990 inspired by the opening verses of Kena Upanishad.

Literature

Suprématie (Supremacy)

Victor Hugo, a French poet, and novelist wrote in the year 1870 a poem entitled Suprématie (Supremacy), part of La Légende des siècles (The Legend of the Ages), Nouvelle série (New Series), a collection of poems, conceived as a depiction of the history of humanity (published in 1877).

The title Supremacy refers to Brahman. He gives free rein to his imagination and uses a rich and colorful vocabulary to add more details, in the spirit of the Romantic movement. Consequently, the poem is longer than the third khanda.

Some examples

Thus, for example, he first brings in Vayu, then Agni, and finally Indra, which, from the Hindu point of view, is erroneous, because he should have started with Agni; Brahman is referred to by the words “light“, “appearance” and “clarity“.

He changed the ending (in form but not in substance): in the Upanishad, the Brahman avoids showing himself to Indra, so that he does not recognize him, but in the poem, the Goddess Umā being absent from the story, cannot, therefore, tell the God that he is in dialogue with Brahman.

The last line shows that he has lost his challenge. Here are the last verses of the poem, translated into English:

Indra addresses the Light (=Brahman), who answers him:

I know everything! I see everything! 
Do you see this strand of straw? 
Said the strange light from which came a voice. 
Indra lowered his head and shouted : 
I see it. Light, I tell you that I embrace the whole being; 
Thyself, do you hear, you cannot disappear 
From my gaze, never eclipsed nor faded! 

No sooner had he spoken than it (the light) had disappeared  — Victor Hugo, 8 April 1870.

Kena Upanishad Teachings on Brahman

Everything is Brahman – this is the great teaching. May I never deny Brahman? May Brahman never deny me. May there be no denial? May there be no denial of me? Let the great truths of the Upanishads live in me, who delights in the Self.

Brahman is wholeness

By who does the mind think? Through whom do the eyes see and the ears hear? By whose desire does life begin to move? By whose wish does a person begin to speak? – The answer is Brahman, which is wholeness. Brahman is the ear of the ear and the mind of the mind. It is the breath of the breath and the eye of the eye.

Conclusion

Because of the above, I am confident you have learned in-depth about Kena Upanishad, kena upanishad, etymology, chronology, structure, contents, reception, evocation, teachings, etc. Now, that you have become self-sufficient in knowing the importance of Kena Upanishad, henceforth, I believe that you will be adopting the values of such unique knowledge.

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Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kena_Upanishad