He then who reverences him thus, becomes the soul of all

these.

The universal creator in the covert of the heart
To him then Ajātaśatru

19. Thereupon Bālāki was silent.

said: 'So much only, Bālāki ?'

'So much only,' said Bālāki.

To him then Ajātaśatru said: 'In vain, verily, indeed, did you make me to converse, saying, "Let me declare Brahma to you." He, verily, O Bālāki, who is the maker of these persons [whom you have mentioned in succession], of whom, verily, this is the work-he, verily, should be known.'

Thereupon Bālāki, fuel in hand, approached, saying: 'Receive me as a pupil.'

3

To him then Ajātaśatru said: 'This I deem an appearance (rūpa) contrary to nature that a Kshatriya should receive a Brahman as pupil. But come! I will cause you to understand.' Then, taking him by the hand, he went forth. The two then came upon a person asleep. Him then Ajataśatru addressed: 'O great, white-robed King Soma!' But he just

lay silent. Thereupon he threw at him with a stick. Thereupon he arose.

To him then Ajātaśatru said: Where in this case, O Bālāki, has this person lain? What has become of him here? Whence has he returned here?'

Thereupon Bālāki understood not.

5

To him then Ajātaśatru said: 'Where in this case, O Bālāki, this person has lain, what has become of him here, whence he has returned here as I asked (iti)-is, the arteries of a person called hita (the Beneficent'). From the heart they spread forth to the pericardium. Now, they are as minute as a hair subdivided a thousandfold. They consist of a minute essence, reddish-brown, white, black, yellow, and red. In these one remains while, asleep, he sees no dream whatsoever.

1 The sign of suppliant pupilship.

2 So B: manye; but A has, instead, syat, 'would be.'
3 prati-loma, literally 'against the hair.'

4 This last word is lacking in B.

5 A has, instead, of the heart.'

The ultimate unity in the self-creative, pervasive,

supreme, universal

20. Then he becomes unitary in this Prāṇa.

Then speech together with all names goes to it;
the eye together with all forms goes to it;

the car together with all sounds goes to it;

the mind (manas) together with all thoughts goes to it. When he awakens-as from a blazing fire sparks would disperse in all directions, even so from this self (atman) the vital breaths (prāṇa) disperse to their respective stations; from the vital breaths, the sense-powers (deva); from the sense-powers, the worlds.

This selfsame breathing spirit (prāna), even the intelligential self (prajñātman), has entered this bodily self (śarīra·ātman) up to the hair and finger-nail tips.1 (20) Just as a razor might be hidden in a razor-case, or fire 2 in a fire-receptacle, even thus this intelligential self has entered this bodily self up to the hair and the finger-nail tips. Upon that self these selves depend, as upon a chief his own [men]. Just as a chief enjoys his own [men], or as his own [men] are of service to a chief, even thus this intelligential self enjoys these selves; even thus these selves are of service to that self.

Verily, as long as Indra understood not this self, so long the Asuras (demons) overcame him. When he understood, then, striking down and conquering the Asuras, he compassed (pari+ √i) the supremacy (śraiṣthya), independent sovereignty (svārājya), and overlordship (adhipatya) of all gods and of all beings.

Likewise also, he who knows this, striking off all evils (pāpman), compasses the supremacy, independent sovereignty, and overlordship of all beings-he who knows this, yea, he who knows this!

1 In A the previous sentence is lacking, and § 20 begins at this point.

2 For a discussion of the exact meaning of this phrase consult the foot-note to the parallel passage in Brih. 1. 4. 7.

KENA UPANISHAD 1

(FIRST KHANDA)

Query: The real agent in the individual?

[Question :]

1. By whom impelled soars forth the mind projected?

By whom enjoined goes forth the earliest breathing?
By whom impelled this speech do people utter?
The eye, the ear-what god, pray, them enjoineth?

The all-conditioning, yet inscrutable agent, Brahma [Answer :]

2. That which is the hearing of the ear, the thought of the mind,

The voice of speech, as also the breathing of the breath,

And the sight of the eye!2 Past these escaping, the wise,
On departing from this world, become immortal.

3. There the eye goes not;

Speech goes not, nor the mind.

We know not, we understand not
How one would teach It.

Other, indeed, is It than the known,

And moreover above the unknown.

-Thus have we heard of the ancients (pūrva)

Who to us have explained It.3

1 This name of the Upanishad is taken from its first word kena, by whom.' It is also known as the Talavakāra, the name of the Brāhmaṇa of the Sama-Veda to which the Upanishad in one of its recensions belongs.

6

2 The first two and a half lines of this second stanza seem to form a direct answer to the query of the first stanza. But their metrical structure is irregular; that would be improved by the omission of sa u, as also.' And--more seriouslythe grammatical structure of the phrases is apparently impossible; one phrase is certainly in the nominative, one certainly in the accusative, the other three might be construed as either. Moreover, in each of the five phrases it is the same word that is repeated (as in a similar passage at Bṛih. 4. 4. 18); accordingly, a strictly literal rendering of them would be, 'the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of speech, the breath of breath, the eye of the eye.' However, very frequently in the Upanishads these words for the five 'vital breaths' are used either for the abstract function or for the concrete instrument of the function. Here, more evidently than in many places, the connotation seems to be double. But at Chand. 8. 12. 4 and Ait. 2. 4 the distinction between the function and its sense organ is clearly conceived.

3 3 g and h recur, with slight variation, as Īsā 10 c and d, and Īsā 13 c and d.

4. That which is unexpressed with speech (vãe, voice),
That with which speech is expressed-

That indeed know as Brahma,

Not this that people worship as this.

5. That which one thinks not with thought (manas, mind), [or, That which thinks not with a mind,]'

That with which they say thought (manas, mind) is thought

That indeed know as Brahma,

Not this that people worship as this.

6. That which one sees not with sight (cakus, eye),
[or, That which sees not with an eye,]1

That with which one sees sights (cakṣums)2

That indeed know as Brahma,

Not this that people worship as this.

7. That which one hears not with hearing (śrotra, ear),
[or, That which hears not with an ear,]1

That with which hearing here is heard

That indeed know as Brahma,

Not this that people worship as this.

8. That which one breathes (prāṇiti) not with breathing (prāna, breath),

[or, That which breathes not with breath,]1

That with which breathing (prāna) is conducted (paniyate)

That indeed know as Brahma,

Not this that people worship as this.

(SECOND KHANDA)

The paradox of Its inscrutability

9 (1). [Teacher:] If you think I know well,' only very slightly now do you know!-a form of Brahma!-what thereof is yourself, and what thereof is among the gods! So then it is to be pondered upon (mīmāṁsyam) indeed by you. [Pupil:] I think it is known."

1 Both renderings of the verse are permissible, and both are in harmony with the theory which is being expounded.

2 Or, 'That with which one sees the eyes.'

3 What has been translated as two sentences might also be construed as one sentence, still a part of the teacher's reproof to the undiscerning pupil:- So then I think that what is "known" by you is [still] to be pondered upon indeed.'

10 (2). I think not 'I know well ';
Yet I know not I know not'!

He of us who knows It, knows It;
Yet he knows not 'I know not.'

11 (3). [Teacher:]

It is conceived of by him by whom It is not conceived of.
He by whom It is conceived of, knows It not.

It is not understood by those who [say they] understand It.
It is understood by those who [say they] understand It not.

The value of knowledge of It

12 (4). When known by an awakening, It is conceived of; Truly it is immortality one finds.

With the Soul (Atman) one finds power1;

With knowledge one finds the immortal.

13 (5). If one have known [It] here, then there is truth. If one have known [It] not here, great is the destruction (vinaști).

2

Discerning [It] in every single being, the wise,

On departing from this world, become immortal.

(THIRD KHANDA)3

Allegory of the Vedic gods' ignorance of Brahma

14 (1). Now, Brahma won a victory for the gods. Now, in the victory of this Brahma the gods were exulting. They bethought themselves: 'Ours indeed is this victory! Ours indeed is this greatness!'

15 (2). Now, It understood this of them. It appeared to them. They did not understand It. 'What wonderful being (yakṣa) is this?' they said.

1 Perhaps 'power [to know]; and with the knowledge [thus gained] one finds....'

2 With a slight variation this line is found also at Brih. 4. 4. 14 b.

The Kena Upanishad consists of two quite distinct parts. The prose portion, §§ 14-34, is evidently the simpler and earlier. The portion §§ 1-13 (all in verse, except § 9) contains much more elaborated doctrine and would seem to be later in date of composition.

* An account of the victory of the gods over the demons (Asuras) occurs at Bṛih. 1.3.1-7.