Shrotasya shrotram manaso mano
Having asked “By whom?” in the previous verse (Kena Upanishad 1.1) concerning the mind, life-force, speech, eye, and ear, this verse delivers a concise and powerful answer. It asserts that the ultimate agent is not something that the senses or mind can grasp or describe. Instead, it is the fundamental power that enables the senses and mind to function. It declares Brahman to be the “Ear of the ear,” the “Mind of the mind,” the “Speech of speech,” the “Life of life,” and the “Eye of the eye,” thereby establishing Brahman as the substratum, the illuminator, and the ultimate controller of all faculties.
श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रं मनसो मनो यत् वाचो ह वाचं स उ प्राणस्य प्राणः
चक्षुषश्चक्षुरतिमुच्य धीराः प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भवन्ति ॥
केन उपनिषद १.२
Shrotrasya shrotraṁ manaso mano yat
vaacho ha vaacham sa u praaṇasya praaṇah.
Chakṣhuṣhash-chakṣhur-atimucya dheeraah
pretyaas-maa-llokaad-amṛitaa bhavanti
Kena Upanishad 1.2
That which is the sound that causes us to hear as well as the enabling power of hearing, the mind of our mind, the speech of our speech, that too is our life and life-breath as well as the sight of our sight. Those who are wise would realise this would find release (from the illusion of the world) and attain immortality.
श्रोत्रस्य of the ear/hearing श्रोत्रं The faculty of hearing मनसो (मनसः) of the mind मनो (मनः) mind; The faculty of thinking यत् that वाचो (वाचः) speech ह indeed वाचं speech; The faculty of speaking स: He उ indeed प्राणस्य Of the life-force / Of prana प्राणः life-breath, life-force चक्षुसः of the sight, चक्षुः eye; The faculty of sight अतिमुच्य released beyond, Having discarded / Having gone beyond / Having transcended. (gerund from ati-much, to release from, to transcend) धीराः The wise ones / The steadfast ones / The courageous ones (those with discrimination) प्रेत्य Having departed / Having gone forth (from this world, in the sense of transcending). अस्मात् from this, अमृताः immortal लोकात् World / Sphere of experience भवन्ति (They) become / Attain
Contemplations
This verse serves as the core answer to the Kena Upanishad’s foundational question, providing a profound insight into the nature of Brahman and the path to liberation.
Brahman as the Substratum and Enabler (The “Of the…”): The most striking feature of this verse is the repeated Śhrotrasya Śhrotraṁ (Ear of the ear), Manaso Mano (Mind of the mind), and so on. This isn’t a redundancy but a profound philosophical statement. It means:
Brahman is not an object of the senses or mind. It’s not something you can hear, see, or think about in the conventional way. If it were, it would be limited and perishable.
Brahman is the ultimate power or essence that enables the senses and mind to function. It is the “power behind the power,” the “light behind the light.” My eye sees, but what enables the eye to see? What gives sight its essence? That is Brahman. My mind thinks, but what is the very basis of consciousness that allows thought to occur? That is Brahman.
Brahman is the Subject, never the object. If Brahman is the very “ear of the ear,” then it is the ultimate Seer, Hearer, Thinker, and Speaker. It is the Witness-Consciousness that observes all experiences, but is never itself an object of observation. This directly counters dualistic notions of a separate observer and observed.
Transcending Dualities and Limitations (Atimuchya): The phrase Atimuchya Dheeraaḥ (Having transcended, the wise ones) is crucial. What are they transcending?
The false identification with the instruments: The wise ones understand that the “I” is not the body, not the senses, not even the mind, but the conscious principle that enlivens them all. They transcend the illusion that these faculties operate independently.
The phenomenal world: By recognizing Brahman as the ultimate reality, they go beyond the limited world of names and forms, which is merely a superimposition on Brahman.
The notion of a separate self: They transcend the idea of a limited individual self (jīva) that is distinct from the universal Self (Brahman). This is the core of Advaita Vedanta – the non-dual realization.
The Path to Immortality (Amṛitaa Bhavanti): The ultimate result of this realization is Amṛitaa Bhavanti (they become immortal). This “immortality” is not a prolongation of physical life or a survival of the individual ego after death. Instead, it signifies:
Freedom from the cycle of birth and death (saṁsāra): By realizing their true nature as Brahman, which is eternal and unchanging, they are no longer subject to the limitations of time, space, and causality, which govern the phenomenal world of birth and death.
Attainment of the eternal nature of Brahman: Brahman is inherently immortal (amṛita). When one realizes one’s identity with Brahman, one realizes this inherent immortality. It is a state of being, not a future acquisition.
Liberation (Mokṣha): This is the state of ultimate freedom, where all suffering caused by ignorance and identification with the impermanent is eradicated.
The Role of the “Dheeraaḥ” (The Wise Ones): The use of Dheeraaḥ (the wise, the steadfast) emphasizes that this realization is not for the faint of heart or the intellectually lazy. It requires:
Discrimination (Viveka): The ability to distinguish between the real (Brahman) and the unreal (the perishable world of senses and mind).
Steadfastness (Dhee): Perseverance in inquiry and meditation, even when the concepts are subtle and the path is challenging.
Inner courage: The courage to question deeply held assumptions about self and reality, and to confront the limitations of conventional knowledge.
Unique Positioning as the Initial Answer:
The immediate delivery of this answer in Kena 1.2, right after the questions in 1.1, is significant:
No Room for Speculation on Lesser Deities: The Upanishad doesn’t waste time on discussions about various gods or powers as the ultimate answer. It directly points to Brahman as the single, all-encompassing reality, cutting through any polytheistic interpretations.
Direct and Unambiguous Statement: It offers a clear, direct, and foundational statement about Brahman from the outset. This sets the definitive tone for the rest of the Upanishad, which will then elaborate on the implications of this core truth.
Immediate Shift to the Transcendent: By defining Brahman in terms of being “the Ear of the ear,” it immediately establishes its transcendent nature – it is beyond the grasp of ordinary perception, yet it is the very condition for perception.
Laying the Philosophical Foundation for Advaita: This verse is a cornerstone of Advaita Vedanta philosophy, explicitly stating the non-duality between the individual faculties and their ultimate source, pointing towards the identity of the individual Self (Ātman) with the universal Brahman.
In essence, Kena Upanishad 1.2 serves as the primary thesis statement of the Upanishad. It answers the fundamental questions of 1.1 by emphatically declaring Brahman as the ultimate conscious substratum of all existence and experience, and then outlines the path to liberation – that by realizing this truth and transcending the limitations of identification with the mind and senses, the wise attain eternal freedom.
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