Kena Upanishad 5 — Verse 5

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यन्मनसा न मनुते येनाहुर्मनो मतम् । तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥५॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

यत् । मनसा । न । मनुते । येन । आहुः । मनः । मतम् । तत् । एव । ब्रह्म । त्वम् । विद्धि । न । इदम् । यत् । इदम् । उपासते ॥

IAST Transliteration

yan manasā na manute yenāhur mano matam | tad eva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yad idam upāsate ||5||

Translation

Know as Brahman that which the mind cannot conceive, yet by whose light the mind itself is known and able to think; it is not the mental image people take as God.

Academic Translation

That which one does not think with the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is thought—know that alone to be Brahman, not this which people here worship (as an object).

Verse Context

• Ātman/Brahman as witness-consciousness (sākṣin) beyond mind (manas)
• Mahavakya: Closely aligns with 'अहं ब्रह्मास्मि' (Aham Brahmāsmi) in intent: the true 'I' is the consciousness that illumines mind, not the mind’s contents; also supports 'प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म' by identifying Brahman with the very principle of knowing.
• Sama
• Talavakara (Jaiminiya) Shakha
• Chandas: Prose (Upaniṣadic gadya)