Kena Upanishad: Verse 1.6
यच्चक्षुषा न पश्यति येन चक्षूँषि पश्यति । तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥६॥
यत् । चक्षुषा । न । पश्यति । येन । चक्षूँषि । पश्यति । तत् । एव । ब्रह्म । त्वम् । विद्धि । न । इदम् । यत् । इदम् । उपासते ॥
yac cakṣuṣā na paśyati yena cakṣūṃṣi paśyati | tad eva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yad idam upāsate ||6||
కంటితో చూడలేనిది, అయితే దేనివల్ల కళ్ళు చూస్తాయో, అది మాత్రమే బ్రహ్మమని తెలుసుకో, ఇక్కడ జనులు ఆరాధించే ఇది కాదు.
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).
- येन चक्षूँषि → येन + चक्षूँषि
- तत् एव → तत् + एव
- न इदम् → न + इदम्
- यत् इदम् → यत् + इदम्
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Brahman as the light of lights (jyotiṣām jyotiḥ) enabling perception; transcendence of sense-object knowledge
- The mahavakyas
- 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.
- Veda
- Sama
- Shakha
- Talavakara (Jaiminiya)
- Chandas
- Prose (Upaniṣadic gadya)
Yoga and practice
Sense-withdrawal (pratyāhāra) from visual objects; meditation on the seer (dṛk) distinct from the seen (dṛśya); practices like trataka can be used as a stepping-stone, culminating in awareness of the inner light rather than fixation on an external form.
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