KENA UPANISHAD : “Know That Alone as Brahman” - 20. Swami Tejomayananda.

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Sunday, February 05, 2023. 06:20.

Chapter 4, 9 Mantras.The Story Interpreted

An Illustrative STORY

The Inner Essence

Post -20.

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The Upanishad now teaches us about the glory of Brahman with two illustrations. 

The first one is an example from the Macrocosm (the Samashti or cosmos), and the second 

is an example from the Microcosm (the Vyashti or individual) :

Mantram - 4.4: Macrocosm – The “Flash of Lighning

With Translation :

7 tasya esha aadeshah;  =  This is an illustration of Brahman:

8 yad etad vidyutah vyadyutada-aa-aa-aa (3);  =  He is like the splendour of lightning, which shines forth like a flash (elongated ‘aa’);

9 iti innyameemishada-aa-aa-aa (3);   =  Or, He appears within the twinkling of an eye;

10 iti adhidaivatam.   =  This is with reference to the Cosmic Powers.

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Bhashyam (Vyakyanam) :

Lightning is, indeed, one of Nature’s wonders. It reminded Guruji of a little boy.

Seeing a sudden flash of lightning, the boy called out to his father, “Look, Daddy, God has 

just taken our photograph!”

One Simile or Two? 

7 The illustration taken from nature is from the macrocosmic aspect. 

Two similes are considered here, although some texts combine them and consider it 

as one simile. Since a flash of lightning happens in “the twinkling of an eye”, the two similes 

may be considered as one. It is unimportant whether they are taken separately or 

combined. Both similes convey the same message of the flashing appearance of Brahman.

Both are also examples to be interpreted at the macrocosmic level.

The Bhashya favours the two-simile interpretation. It cites the repetition of the 

extended ‘aa’ 3 times as indicating that the second is an independent simile.

8 i) Vyadyutada-aa-aa-aa, This is the first simile, like a “flash of lightning”. The 

flashing appearance of the Supreme Brahman has to be meditated upon. It is there now, 

and not there a split second later – just as Brahman. We see only glimpses of the lightning 

flash; at most times it remains unmanifest to us.

This beautifully illustrates the power and glory of Brahman. The extended ‘aa’ 3 

times, is a Vedic tradition used whenever Brahman is experienced. The aspect emphasized 

by the simile is the flashing appearance of Brahman before the Gods in the above story.

9 ii) Nyameemishada-aa-aa-aa, This is the second simile, like a “single wink of the 

eyelids”. Considered as a simile on its own, the winking of the eye carries a special message 

which the lightning does not. A wink can be a deliberate action to convey a message. When 

a person winks at another, an underlying secret message is conveyed. In this case, a wink 

from Brahman is perhaps hinting at the special mission He had of curbing the pride of the 

Gods, as if He were saying with a wink, “Now see, I’ll teach these Gods a good lesson!”

Guruji used these similes as an example of the poetic heights reached by the Rishi 

who composed the Upanishad. Earlier, we have already seen what Guruji regards as the 

best mantram (2.2) in the whole of Upanishadic literature. Guruji’s literary eye is indeed very 

acute to pick up such minute details which most of us are likely to pass by without notice.

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Next

Mantram - 4.5: Microcosm – the “Flash of Thoughts”

To be continued

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