Kena Upanishad: Verse 3.10
तस्मै तृणं निदधौ—एतदादत्स्व इति। तत् उपप्रेयाय सर्वजवेन; तन्न शशाक आदातुम्। स तदेव निववृते—नैतदशकं विज्ञातुं यदेतद् यक्षम् इति॥१०॥
तस्मै । तृणम् । निदधौ । एतत् । आदत्स्व । इति । तत् । उपप्रेयाय । सर्व-जवेन । तत् । न । शशाक । आदातुम् । सः । तत् । एव । निववृते । न । एतत् । अशकम् । विज्ञातुम् । यत् । एतत् । यक्षम् । इति ॥१०॥
tasmai tṛṇaṁ nidadhau—etad ādatsva iti | tat upapreyāya sarvajavena; tan na śaśāka ādātum | sa tadeva nivavṛte—naitad aśakaṁ vijñātuṁ yad etad yakṣam iti ||10||
उसने एक घास की पुड़िया रख दी और बोला, यह उठा के दिखाओ। वो भाया, अपनी पूरी स्पीड से, पर वो घास भी नहीं हिल पायी। वो वापस आया, कुछ समझ में नहीं आया कि वो यक्ष आखिर कौन था।
To him it placed a blade of grass (saying), ‘Take this.’ He rushed at it with all speed; he was not able to take it up. He returned just so—he was not able to ascertain what that Yakṣa was.
- एतद् + आदत्स्व → एतदादत्स्व
- तत् + उपप्रेयाय → तदुपप्रेयाय
- तद् + न → तन्न
- आदातुम् = आ + दा + तुमुन्
- तद् + एव → तदेव
- न + एतत् → नैतत्
- यद् + एतत् → यदेतत्
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Dependence of all śakti on Brahman; collapse of egoic agency (kartṛtva)
- The mahavakyas
- Indirect—negates independent doership and supports the insight that the Self/Brahman alone is the true power (aligns with the purport of ‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’ by removing false identification with limited power).
- Veda
- Sama
- Shakha
- Talavakara (Jaiminiya)
- Chandas
- Prose
Yoga and practice
Meditation on the ‘straw’ as the subtlest obstacle: even the smallest object is immovable when ego claims agency; practice: surrender (īśvara-praṇidhāna) and discernment (viveka) between instrumentality and source; cultivate humility as a prerequisite for knowledge.
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