Kena Upanishad 6 — Verse 6

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यच्चक्षुषा न पश्यति येन चक्षूँषि पश्यति । तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥६॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

यत् । चक्षुषा । न । पश्यति । येन । चक्षूँषि । पश्यति । तत् । एव । ब्रह्म । त्वम् । विद्धि । न । इदम् । यत् । इदम् । उपासते ॥

IAST Transliteration

yac cakṣuṣā na paśyati yena cakṣūṃṣi paśyati | tad eva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yad idam upāsate ||6||

Translation

Know as Brahman that which no eye can behold, yet by whose presence all seeing becomes possible; it is not the visible form the mind turns into an idol of the ultimate.

Academic Translation

That which one does not see with the eye, but by which the eyes see—know that alone to be Brahman, not this which people here worship (as an object).

Verse Context

• Brahman as the light of lights (jyotiṣām jyotiḥ) enabling perception; transcendence of sense-object knowledge
• Mahavakya: Reinforces 'प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म' by identifying Brahman with the enabling principle of perception/knowing rather than any perceived entity; indirectly supports identity-teachings by shifting from object to subject.
• Sama
• Talavakara (Jaiminiya) Shakha
• Chandas: Prose (Upaniṣadic gadya)