Kena Upanishad: Verse 3.5

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

तस्मिंस्त्वयि किं वीर्यमिति। अपि सर्वमिदं दहेयं यदिदं पृथिव्यामिति॥५॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

तस्मिन् । त्वयि । किम् । वीर्यम् । इति । अपि । सर्वम् । इदम् । दहेयम् । यत् । इदम् । पृथिव्याम् । इति ॥५॥

Recitation with translationKena Upanishad 3.5

IAST Transliteration

tasmiṃs tvayi kiṃ vīryam iti. api sarvam idaṃ daheyaṃ yad idaṃ pṛthivyām iti. ||5||

Translation

Da fragte man ihn: »Welche Kraft ist in dir?« Er sprach: »Ich könnte all dies verbrennen — alles, was auf Erden ist.«

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Academic Translation

In him (i.e., in you), what power is there? He said: “I could burn up all this—whatever is on the earth.”

Verse Context

• Brahman as the source/measure of all śakti; limitation of deva-śakti; dependence of karma-indriya powers on the Absolute
• Mahavakya: Indirect—underscores that empirical power is not ultimate; supports the Upaniṣadic movement toward Brahman as the real agent/ground (compatible with the purport of “प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म” and “तत्त्वमसि” as the ultimate identity beyond functions).
• Sama
• Talavakara (Jaiminiya) Shakha
• Chandas: Prose