Kena Upanishad: Verse 2.3

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यस्यामतं तस्य मतं मतं यस्य न वेद सः । अविज्ञातं विजानतां विज्ञातमविजानताम् ॥३॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

यस्य । अमतम् । तस्य । मतम् । मतम् । यस्य । न । वेद । सः । अविज्ञातम् । विजानताम् । विज्ञातम् । अविजानताम् ॥

Recitation with translationKena Upanishad 2.3

IAST Transliteration

yasyāmataṃ tasya mataṃ mataṃ yasya na veda saḥ | avijñātaṃ vijānatāṃ vijñātam avijānatām ||3||

Translation

ആർക്കു അത് ചിന്തയുടെ വസ്തുവല്ലയോ, അവനു തന്നെയാണ് അത് യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ ‘അറിയപ്പെടുന്നത്’; ‘ഞാൻ അറിയുന്നു’ എന്നു കരുതുന്നവൻ അതിനെ അറിയുന്നില്ല. വസ്തുവായി അറിയുന്നവർക്കു അത് അജ്ഞാതം; വസ്തുവായി അറിയാത്തവർക്കു അത് ജ്ഞാതം.

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Academic Translation

For whom it is not thought (as an object), for him it is thought (truly); he who thinks he knows it not. It is unknown to those who know (it as an object), and known to those who do not know (it as an object).

Verse Context

• Aparokṣa realization vs. parokṣa/conceptual knowledge; inobjectifiability of Brahman
• Mahavakya: Clarifies the intent behind ‘तत् त्वम् असि’ and ‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’: Brahman is realized as one’s own Self, not as an external object of thought; also resonates with ‘प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म’ as consciousness itself, not a knowable thing.
• Sama
• Jaiminīya (Talavakāra) Shakha
• Chandas: Prose (Upaniṣadic gadya with rhythmic cadence)