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||
它在他面前放下一根草叶，说：“把这个拿起。”他以全速冲上前去，却不能将其举起。他就那样返回——无法确知那位夜叉究竟是什么。
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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