KENA UPANISHAD : “Know That Alone as Brahman” - 14. Swami Tejomayananda.

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Tuesday, October 25, 2022. 06:00.

Chapter 3, 12 Mantras.

An Illustrative STORY

The Inner Essence

Post -14.

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THE HUMILIATION OF THE GODS :

THE STORY BELOW ILLUSTRATES how the sense of ‘Doership’ in us steals away our 

natural state of humility and fills us with a false pride. In the story, which is about a battle 

which the Gods won over the Demons (Devas vs Asuras), the strange thing is that it is the 

Gods who became filled with pride over their victory. They did not credit their victory to the 

Lord but ‘stole’ all the glory for themselves.

To teach them a lesson, the Lord, who is the Supreme Controller of every thought 

and action of ours, brought about an incident which humiliated the Gods, killed their pride 

and restored them to their divine status.

The Rishi writes it in very concise terms, which in its own way brings out the subtle 

humour of the events. Were it a Purana, the story would have run into 20-30 pages as every 

frown and feeling would have been included. Here, in the briefest manner, leaving much to 

be added by our own imagination, the Rishi presents his richly entertaining story.

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Mantram - 3.1: The Cause of All Pride

 The Preceptor said:

1 brahma ha devebhyah vijigye; tasya ha brahmanah vijaye = Brahman once won a victory for the

 Gods. That victory certainly belonged to Brahman.

2 devaah amaheeyanta, te aikshanta asmaakam eva ayam vijayah, asmaakam eva ayam mahimaa iti. =

 But the Gods became elated and thought:  “To us belongs this victory, us belongs all the glory and greatness.

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Mantram - 3.2: The Lord Appears as a “Spirit”

3 tat eshaam vijajnau, tebhyah ha praaduh babhoova; = Brahman, knowing their vanity, appeared before them.

4 tat na vyajaanata,kim idam yaksham iti. = But they did not understand  that Adorable Spirit was.

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AGNI GOES TO MEET BRAHMAN

Mantram - 3.3: Agni is Sent on a Mission

1 te agnim abruvan, jaataveda = They said to Agni thus: “O All-knowing One!

2 etad vijaaneehi kim etad yaksham iti, tathaa iti. = Find out for us who this adorable Spirit is.” Agni agreed

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Mantram - 3.4: Agni Meets the “Spirit”

3 tat abhyadravat, tam abhyavadat, kah asi iti;  tam abhyavadat, kah asi iti; = Agni hastened to the Spirit.  The Spirit asked him, “Who are you?”

4 agnih vaa aham asmi iti abraveet, jaatavedaa vaa aham asmi iti. = Agni replied: “Don’t you know who I am?  I am verily the Omniscient.”

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Mantram - 3.5: Agni Proudly Proclaims His Powers

5 tasmin twayi kim veeryam iti; = The Spirit asked him, “What power resides in thee?”

6 api idam sarvam daheyam, yat idam prithivyaam iti. = Though (a Deity), Agni replied: “I can burn whatsoever there is here on Earth.”

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To be continued 

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