KENA UPANISHAD : “Know That Alone as Brahman” - 10. Swami Tejomayananda.

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Sunday, August 21, 2022. 07:00.
Chapter 2 -Subtlety of “KNOWING” Brahman (5 Mantras)
Mantram 2 : The Student Proclaims the Truth
Post -10.

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Mantram 2 :

The Disciple continues:

"Na aham manye suveda iti, nah na veda iti veda cha;

yah nah tat veda tad veda, nah na veda iti veda cha."

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Translation :

The Disciple continues:

1 na aham manye suveda iti,  = I do not think that I know It well enough;

2 nah na veda iti veda cha;  = Not that I do not know; I know, and I do not know.

3 yah nah tat veda tad veda, = He amongst us who knows It, knows It only as such:

4 nah na veda iti veda cha.  = Not that I do not know; I know, and I do not know.

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Commentary :

Guruji’s opinion of this Mantra was full of compliments for it. He said it was not just 

the most beautiful in the Kena Upanishad, but in the whole of Upanishadic literature! The 

poetic excellence and simplicity of the verse itself qualifies it perfectly for Guruji’s award! 

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The mantram brings out many of the finer points of Indian spiritual tradition:

i) the glory of the open relationship between the Guru and disciple;

ii) the determination of the student to succeed through obedience to his Master;

iii) the honesty of the disciple in his self-assessment;

iv) the strong fellow feeling and respect among the students themselves; and

v) the universal validity of spiritual experience.

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The Bhashya further praises the boldness of the student’s declaration, the strength 

he derives from following the traditional system of receiving knowledge from his Guru, and 

the strength he derives from reasoning and personal realization. It also acclaims his 

originality of expressing in his own words the same idea told to him by his Guru.

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What is the student proclaiming in such mystifying language?

1 Firstly, the student is very humble and honest about his experience. It is very 

different from anything he has known so far, i.e. knowledge of objects. Hence, his first 

reaction is to say he does not know it ‘well’.

2 But then, to say that belies his experience of the Truth. He has to ‘confess’ that he 

knows the Truth. The only thing he does not know is how to express that experience in 

words. So he says “I know, and I do not know.”

The fluctuations express his inability to put into words the inexpressible.

3 It is clear from this line that he has discussed his experience with the other 

students, and obtained a consensus on what he would report to the Teacher. They all agree 

that their experience, too, is the same as his.

Here we see the closeness between the disciples, how freely they discuss the Truth 

among themselves and thereby strengthen their understanding.

4 The repetition of line 2 is to indicate the same experience of all the other students.

Now, the Teacher himself confirms the same attitude expressed by the student, in 

the following mantram . . . 

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Next Mantram-3: The Teacher Confirms It

To be continued ....

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