Kena Upanishad: Verse 3.3
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
तेऽग्निमब्रुवन्—जातवेद एतद्विजानीहि किमिदं यक्षमिति। तथेति॥३॥
Padapatha (Word Split)
ते । अग्निम् । अब्रुवन् । जातवेदः । एतत् । विजानीहि । किम् । इदम् । यक्षम् । इति । तथा । इति ॥३॥
IAST Transliteration
te ’gnim abruvan—jātaveda etad vijānīhi kim idaṃ yakṣam iti. tatheti. ||3||
Translation
వారు అగ్నితో అన్నారు—“హే జాతవేదా! ఇది ఏ యక్షమో నిర్ణయించు.” అగ్ని అన్నాడు—“తథాస్తు.”
Academic Translation
They said to Agni: “O Jātavedas, ascertain this—what is this Yakṣa?” He replied, “So be it.”
Word by Word
tethey
te:
TypeNoun
Roottad (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
Formprathamā; bahuvacana; sarvanāma (‘they’)
agnimAgni (fire-deity)
agnim:
TypeNoun
Rootagni (prātipadika)
Formpuṃliṅga; dvitīyā; ekavacana
abruvansaid
abruvan:
TypeVerb
Root√brū (dhātu)
Formlaṅ (imperfect); parasmaipada; prathamaḥ puruṣaḥ; bahuvacana
jātavedaḥO Jātavedas (all-knowing Agni)
jātavedaḥ:
TypeNoun
Rootjātavedas (prātipadika)
Formpuṃliṅga; sambodhana/prathamā; ekavacana; epithet of Agni
etatthis
etat:
TypeNoun
Rootetad (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
Formnapuṃsaka; dvitīyā; ekavacana (‘this’)
vijānīhiknow/ascertain
vijānīhi:
TypeVerb
Root√jñā (dhātu)
Formloṭ (imperative); parasmaipada; madhyamaḥ puruṣaḥ; ekavacana; with vi- (‘know/ascertain’)
kimwhat
kim:
TypeNoun
Rootkim (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
Formnapuṃsaka; prathamā/ dvitīyā; ekavacana; interrogative
idamthis
idam:
TypeNoun
Rootidam (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
Formnapuṃsaka; prathamā/ dvitīyā; ekavacana
yakṣamyakṣa; mysterious divine being
yakṣam:
TypeNoun
Rootyakṣa (prātipadika)
Formnapuṃsaka; prathamā/ dvitīyā; ekavacana
itithus
iti:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (avyaya)
Formquotative particle
tathāso
tathā:
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (avyaya)
Formadverb (‘so/thus’)
itithus
iti:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (avyaya)
Formquotative particle
Sandhi Notes
- te ’gnim → te + agnim
- jātaveda etad → jātavedaḥ + etat (visarga sandhi)
- kimidaṃ → kim + idam
- yaksamiti → yakṣam + iti
- tatheti → tathā + iti
Verse Context
Brahman (as the mysterious Yakṣa) and the limitation of deva-knowledgeMahavakya: Indirect—prepares for recognition of Brahman beyond sense and deity; aligns with the thrust of “प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म” (Brahman as the ground of knowing) rather than stating a Mahāvākya explicitly.SamaTalavakara (Jaiminiya) ShakhaChandas: Prose
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