I have included four translations of the cream of Kena Upanishad (1:1-5 & 2:1-5) here: Nikhilananda for its clarity; Chinmayananda for its detail; Easwaran for its currency; Dayananda for its articulation.
Nikhilananda:
One
1) THE DISCIPLE ASKED: Om. By whose will directed does the mind proceed to its object? At whose command does the prana, the foremost, do its duty? At whose will do men utter speech? Who is the god that directs the eyes and ears?
2) The teacher replied: It is the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the Speech of speech, the Life of life, and the Eye of the eye. Having detached the Self [from the sense-organs] and renounced the world, the wise attain to Immortality.
3-4) The eye does not go thither, nor speech, nor the mind. We do not know It; we do not understand how anyone can teach It. It is different from the known; It is above the unknown. Thus we have heard from the preceptors of old who taught It to us.
5) That which cannot be expressed by speech, but by which speech is expressed-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.
Two
1) THE TEACHER SAID: If you think: “I know Brahman well,” then surely you know but little of Its form; you know only Its form as conditioned by man or by the gods. Therefore Brahman, even now, is worthy of your inquiry. The disciple said: I think I know Brahman.
2) The disciple said: I do not think I know It well, nor do I think I do not know It. He among us who knows the meaning of “Neither do I not know, nor do I know”-knows Brahman.
3) He by whom Brahman is not known, knows It; he by whom It is known, knows It not. It is not known by those who know It; It is known by those who do not know It.
4) Brahman is known when It is realized in every state of mind; for by such Knowledge one attains Immortality. By Atman one obtains strength; by Knowledge, Immortality.
5) If a man knows Atman here, he then attains the true goal of life. If he does not know It here, a great destruction awaits him. Having realized the self in every being, the wise relinquish the world and become immortal.
Chinmayananda:
One
1) Disciple – By whom willed and directed does the mind light upon its objects? Commanded by whom does the main vital air (prāṇa) proceed to function? By whose will do the men utter speech? What intelligence directs the eyes and the ears (towards their respective objects)?
ॐ केनेषितं पतति प्रेषितं मनः। केन प्राणः प्रथमः प्रैति युक्तः। केनेषितां वाचमिमां वदन्ति चक्षुः श्रोत्रं क उ देवो युनक्ति॥ १॥
om keneṣitaṁ patati preṣitaṁ manaḥ kena prāṇaḥ prathamaḥ praiti yuktaḥ, keneṣitāṁ vācamimāṁ vadanti cakṣuḥ śrotraṁ ka u devo yunakti.
ॐ – Om; केन – by whom; इषितं – willed; पतति – falls; प्रेषितं – directed (sent); मनः – mind; केन – by whom; प्राणः – the vital -air; प्रथमः – at first; प्रैति – does proceed (to function); युक्तः – well equipped; केन – by whom; इषितां – commanded; वाचम् – word (speech); इमां – this; वदन्ति – do (they, men) utter; चक्षुः – eye; श्रोत्रं – ear; कः – who; उ – indeed; देवः – divine power; युनक्ति – directs (towards their respective objects)
2) Preceptor – it is the ‘ear’ of the ear, the ‘mind’ of the mind, the ‘tongue’ of the tongue (‘speech’ of the speech) and also the ‘life’ of the life and the ‘eye’ of the eye. Having abandoned the sense of Self or ‘I’-ness in these and rising above sense life, the wise become immortal.
श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रं मनसो मनो यद्वाचो ह वाचं स उ प्राणस्य प्राणश्चक्षुषश्चक्षुरतिमुच्य धीराः प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भवन्ति॥२॥
śrotrasya śrotraṁ manaso mano yadvāco ha vācaṁ sa u prāṇasya prāṇaścakṣuṣaścakṣuratimucya dhīrāḥ pretyāsmāllokādamṛtā bhavanti.
श्रोत्रस्य – of the ear; श्रोत्रं – the ear; मनसः – of the mind; मनः – the mind; यद् वाचः – of that speech; ह वाचं – this is the speech; स उ – the very same He is; प्राणस्य – of the life; प्राणः – the life; चक्षुषः – of the eye; चक्षुः – the very eye; अतिमुच्य – having abandoned (having transcended); धीराः – the bravely wise; प्रेत्य – having gone away; अस्मान् लोकात् – from this world (of senses); अमृता – immortal; भवन्ति – become
3) The eye does not go there, nor speech, nor mind. We do not know That. We do not know how to instruct one about It. It is distinct from the known and above the unknown. We have heard it, so stated the preceptors who taught us That.
न तत्र चक्षुर्गच्छति न वाग्गच्छति नो मनो न विद्मो न विजानीमो यथैतदनुशिष्यादन्यदेव तद्विदितादथो अविदितादधि। इति शुश्रुम पूर्वेषां ये नस्तद्वयाचचक्षिरे॥३॥
na tatra cakṣur-gacchati na vāggacchati no mano na vidmo na vijānīmo yathaitadanuśiṣyād anyadeva tadviditādatho aviditādadhi, iti śuśruma pūrveṣāṁ ye nastadvyācacakṣire.
न – never; तत्र – there; चक्षुः – eye; गच्छति – goes; नः – nor; वाक् – speech; गच्छति – goes; न – never; मनो – the mind; न – never; विद्मः – do we know; न – never; विजानीमः – do we know perfectly; यथा एतद् – how it; अनुशिष्यात् – can be instructed; अन्यत् एव – very distinct; तद् – that is; विदितात् – from the known; अथ – then; अविदितात् – from the unknown; अधि – extremely (distinct); इति – thus; शुश्रुम – we have heard; पूर्वेषां – from the ancestors; ये – who; नः – to us; तद् – that; व्याचचक्षिरे – perfectly stated (taught us)
4) What speech cannot reveal, but what reveals speech, know That alone as Brahman and not this, that people worship here.
यद्वाचानभ्युदितं येन वागभ्युद्यते। तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते॥४॥
yadvācānabhyuditaṁ yena vāgabhyudyate, tadeva brahma tvaṁ viddhi nedaṁ yadidamupāsate.
यद् – that which (was); वाचा – by the speech; अनभ्युदितं – not revealed; येन – by which; वाक् – speech; अभ्युद्यते – is revealed (itself); तद् एव – That alone; ब्रह्म – Brahman; त्वं – thou; विद्धि – know; न इदं – not this; यत् – that; इदम् – this (there); उपासते – worships
Two
1) The preceptor here hastens to warn his disciple, ‘If you think, ‘I knew well’, it is certainly but little – the form of the Brahman you have known is also the form of the devas. Therefore, I think that what thou thinkest is still to be ascertained.’
यदि मन्यसे सुवेदेति1 दहरमेवापि नूनम्। त्वं वेत्थ ब्रह्मणो रुपं यदस्य त्वं यदस्य देवेष्वथ नु मीमास्यमेव ते मन्ये विदितम्॥१॥
yadi manyase suvedeti daharamevāpi nūnam, tvaṁ vettha brahmaṇo rupaṁ yadasya tvaṁ yadasya deveṣvatha nu mīmā☐syameva te manye viditam.
यदि – if; मन्यसे – you think; सुवेद – very well I know; इति – thus; दहरमेवापि – even a little too; नूनम् – certainly; त्वं – you; वेत्थ – understand; ब्रह्मणः – of the Brahman; रुपं – form; यत् – that which is; अस्य – of that; त्वं – Thou; यत् – That which; अस्य – of that; देवेषु – in the devas; अथ नु – now then; मीमास्यम् एव – is to be ascertained; ते – to you; मन्ये – I think; विदितम् – that which is known (to you)
2) I do not think that ‘I know it well.’ But not that I do not know; I know too. Who amongst us comprehends It both as the not known and as the known – He comprehends It.
नाहं4 मन्ये सुवेदेति नो न वेदेति वेद च। यो नस्तद्वेद तद्वेद नो न वेदेति वेद च॥२॥
nāhaṁ manye suvedeti no na vedeti veda ca, yo nastadveda tadveda no na vedeti veda ca.
न – never; अहं – I; मन्ये – think; सुवेद – (that) I know very well; इति – thus; नो न वेद – not that I do not know; इति – thus; वेद च – I know too; यः – (he) who; नः – amongst us; तत् – that; वेद – know; तद् वेद – knows that; नो न वेद – not that I do not know; इति – thus; वेद च – (he) too understands
3) He understands It who comprehends It not; and he understands It not, who feels he has comprehended It. It is the unknown to the Master of true Knowledge but to the ignorant It is the known.
यस्यामतं तस्य मतं मतं यस्य न वेद सः। अविज्ञातं विजानतां विज्ञातमविजानताम्॥३॥
yasyāmataṁ tasya mataṁ mataṁ yasya na veda saḥ, avijñātaṁ vijānatāṁ vijñātamavijānatām.
यस्य – he to whom; अमतं – there is no comprehension (about the Brahman); तस्य मतं – his comprehension is real; मतं – (the real) comprehension; यस्य – to whom; न – is not; वेद – knows; सः – he; अविज्ञातं – (it is) unknown; विजानतां – to the real masters of true Knowledge (to those who know perfectly well); विज्ञातम् – perfectly known; अविजानताम् – to those who know not
4) Indeed, he convincingly attains immortality, who intuits It in and through every modification of the mind. Through the Ᾱtman he obtains real strength, and through knowledge, immortality.
प्रतिबोधविदितं मतममृतत्वं हि विन्दते। आत्मना विन्दते वीर्यं विद्यया विन्दतेऽमृतम्॥४॥
pratibodhaviditaṁ matamamṛtatvaṁ hi vindate, ātmanā vindate vīryaṁ vidyayā vindate'mṛtam.
प्रतिबोधविदितं – that intuits It in and through every modification (of the mind); मतम् – the conviction; अमृतत्वं हि – indeed immortality; विन्दते – attains; आत्मना – through the Ᾱtman; विन्दते – attains; वीर्यं – real strength (vigour); विद्यया – through knowledge; विन्दते – attains; अमृतम् – immortality
5) If one knows (that Brahman) here, in this world, then the true end of all human aspirations is gained. If one knows not (That) here, great is the destruction. The wise, seeing the one Ᾱtman in all beings, rise from sense life and become immortal.
इह चेदवेदीदथ सत्यमस्ति न चेदिहावेदीन्महती विनष्टिः। भूतेषु भूतेषु विचित्य धीराः प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भवन्ति॥५॥ ॥ इति द्वितीय खण्डः॥
iha cedavedīdatha satyamasti na cedihāvedīnmahatī vinaṣṭiḥ, bhūteṣu bhūteṣu vicitya dhīrāḥ pretyāsmāllokādamṛtā bhavanti.
इह – here; चेद् अवेदीत् – if (one) knows (that Brahman); अथ – then; सत्यम् – the true fulfilment (the very essence of human aspiration); अस्ति – is (acquired); न चेत् – if not; इह – here; अवेदीत् – knows; महती – very great (is the); विनष्टिः – destruction; भूतेषु भूतेषु – in all beings; विचित्य – seeing clearly (the Ᾱtman); धीराः – the subtle intellects (men); प्रेत्य – having gone (risen); अस्मात् – from this; लोकात् – world (of senses); अमृताः – immortals; भवन्ति – become
Easwaran:
One
THE STUDENT 1 Who makes my mind think? Who fills my body with vitality? Who causes my tongue to speak? Who is that Invisible one who sees through my eyes And hears through my ears?
THE TEACHER 2 The Self is the ear of the ear, The eye of the eye, the mind of the mind, The word of words, and the life of life. Rising above the senses and the mind And renouncing separate existence, The wise realize the deathless Self.
3 Him our eyes cannot see, nor words express; He cannot be grasped even by the mind. We do not know, we cannot understand,
4 Because he is different from the known And he is different from the unknown. Thus have we heard from the illumined ones.
5 That which makes the tongue speak but cannot be Spoken by the tongue, know that as the Self. This Self is not someone other than you.
Two
THE TEACHER 1 If you think, “I know the Self,” you know not. All you can see is his external form. Continue, therefore, your meditation.
THE STUDENT 2 I do not think I know the Self, nor can I say I know him not. THE TEACHER There is only one way to know the Self, And that is to realize him yourself.
3 The ignorant think the Self can be known By the intellect, but the illumined Know he is beyond the duality Of the knower and the known.
4 The Self is realized in a higher state Of consciousness when you have broken through The wrong identification that you are The body, subject to birth and death. To be the Self is to go beyond death.
5 Realize the Self, the shining goal of life! If you do not, there is only darkness. See the Self in all, and go beyond death.
Dayananda:
One
1. om keneṣitaṁ patati preṣitaṁ manaḥ kena prāṇaḥ prathamaḥ praiti yuktaḥ, keneṣitāṁ vācamimāṁ vadanti cakṣuḥ śrotraṁ ka u devo yunakti
om – om; kena – by what; iṣitam – willed; patati – lands upon; preṣitam – prompted; manaḥ – the mind; kena – by what; prāṇaḥ – the vital air; prathamaḥ – the foremost; praiti – goes in and out; yuktaḥ – united with; kena – by what; iṣitām – willed; vācam – words; imām – these; vadanti – speak; cakṣuḥ – eye; śrotram – ear; kaḥ – which; u – indeed; devaḥ – effulgent being; yunakti – unites
Willed by whom or prompted in whose presence does the mind land upon its objects? United with whom does the breath go in and out? Willed by whom do (people) speak these words? Which effulgent being unites the eyes and ears (with its functions)?
2. śrotrasya śrotraṁ manaso mano yad vāco ha vācaṁ sa u prāṇasya prāṇaḥ, cakṣuṣaścakṣuratimucya dhīrāḥ pretyāsmāllokād amṛtā bhavanti.
śrotrasya – of the ear; śrotram – ear; manasaḥ– of the mind; manaḥ – mind; yat – which; vācaḥ – of the organ of speech; ha – indeed; vācam– organ of speech; saḥ – he; u – indeed; prāṇasya – of the breath; prāṇaḥ – the breath; cakṣuṣaḥ– of the eye; cakṣuḥ – eye; atimucya – freeing themselves; dhīrāḥ – the discriminative people; pretya – after leaving; asmāt – from this; lokāt – world; amṛtāḥ – immortal; bhavanti – become
It is indeed the self that is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of the speech, the breath of the breath and the eye of the eye. Those discriminative people, (who know the self), freeing themselves from this world (being free while living) are no more subject to death after leaving the body.
3. na tatra cakṣurgacchati na vāggacchati no mano na vidmo na vijānīmo yathaitad anuśiṣyād, anyadeva tadviditād atho aviditād adhi iti śuśruma pūrveṣāṁ ye nastad vyācacakṣire.
na – not; tatra – there; cakṣuḥ – eye; gacchati – goes; na – not; vāk – organ of speech; gacchati– goes; na u – not indeed; manaḥ – mind; na – not; vidmaḥ – we know (Brahman) as an object; na – not; vijānīmaḥ – we know; yathā – how; etad – this; anuśiṣyāt – would be taught; anyat – different; eva – only; tad – that; viditāt – from the known; atha u – also; aviditāt – from the unknown; adhi – different; iti – thus; śuśruma– we heard; pūrveṣām – of the predecessors; ye– who; naḥ– to us; tat – that; vyācacakṣire– expounded
Eyes have no access there. The organ of speech (also) does not reach there, nor does the mind. We do not recognise it as an object. We do not (therefore) know how to impart this knowledge (in any other way). It is indeed different from the known and also from the unknown. Thus, we have heard from (our) predecessors who expounded it to us.
4. yad vācānabhyuditaṁ yena vāg abhyudyate, tad eva brahma tvaṁ viddhi nedaṁ yad idam upāsate.
yat – that; vācā – by speech; anabhyuditam– not revealed; yena – by which; vāk – the speech; abhyudyate – is revealed; tad – that; eva –alone; brahma – Brahman; tvam – you; viddhi – know; na – not; idam – this; yat – which; idam – (as) ‘this’; upāsate – (people) worship
May you know that alone to be Brahman, which is not revealed by speech (but) by which speech is revealed, and not this that people worship (as an object).
Two
1. yadi manyase suvedeti daharam evāpi nūnaṁ tvaṁ vettha brahmaṇo rūpam, yad asya tvaṁ yad asya deveṣvatha nu mīmām̐syam eva te, manye viditam.
yadi – suppose; manyase – you think; suveda – I know very well; iti – thus; daharam – little; eva – only; api – then; nūnam – certainly; tvam – you; vettha – know; brahmaṇah – of Brahman; rūpam – nature; yad – which; asya – of this; tvam – you; yad – which; asya – of this; deveṣu – in the gods; atha – therefore; nu – definitely; mīmāṁsyam – to be inquired into; eva – only; te – by you; manye – I consider; viditam – known
(Teacher): If you think, “I know Brahman very well,” then, you know only very little of Brahman’s nature (that is expressed) in the human beings and in the gods. Therefore, Brahman is still to be inquired into by you. (Disciple): I consider (Brahman) is known.
2. nāhaṁ manye suvedeti no na vedeti veda ca, yo nastad veda tad veda no na vedeti veda ca.
na – not; aham – I; manye – consider; suveda – I know well; iti – thus; na u – not; na – not; veda – know; iti – thus; veda – I know; ca – also; yaḥ – who; naḥ – among us; tad – that; veda – knows; tad – that; veda – he knows; na u – not; na – not; veda – knows; iti – thus; veda – knows; ca – also
I do not consider, “I know (Brahman) well.” Nor do I not know. I know and I do not know as well. Among us, whoever understands that statement ‘It is not that I do not know. I know and I do not know as well,’ he knows that (Brahman).
3. yasyāmataṁ tasya mataṁ mataṁ yasya na veda saḥ, avijñātaṁ vijānatāṁ vijñātam avijānatām.
yasya – for whom; amatam – not an object of knowledge; tasya – for him; matam – known; matam – known; yasya – for whom; na – not; veda – knows; saḥ – he; avijñātam – not known; vijānatām – for those who know; vijñātam – known; avijānatām – for those who do not know
Brahman is known to him for whom it is not an object of knowledge. He does not know (Brahman) for whom it is known (as an object). For those who (really) know, it is not known (as an object). For those who do not know, it is known (as an object).
4. pratibodhaviditaṁ matam amṛtatvaṁ hi vindate, ātmanā vindate vīryaṁ vidyayā vindate’mṛtam.
pratibodha-viditam – known through every cognition; matam – known; amṛtatvam – immortality; hi – indeed; vindate – gains; ātmanā – by oneself; vindate – gains; vīryam – capacity; vidyayā – by knowledge; vindate – gains; amṛtam – immortality
Brahman is known through every cognition. One, indeed, gains immortality (from that cognition). One gains the capacity (to know) by oneself. (Thereafter) one gains immortality by knowledge.
5. iha ced avedīd atha satyam asti na ced ihāvedīnmahatī vinaṣṭiḥ, bhūteṣu bhūteṣu vicitya dhīrāḥ pretyāsmāllokād amṛtā bhavanti.
iha – here; cet – if; avedīt – one were to know; atha – then; satyam – truth; asti – is; ced – if; iha – here; na avedīt – one were not to know; mahatī – great; vinaṣṭiḥ – loss; bhūteṣu bhūteṣu – in every being; vicitya – knowing; dhīrāḥ – the wise people; pretya – leaving; asmāt – from this; lokāt – body/world; amṛtāḥ – immortal; bhavanti – become If one where to know here, then there is truth (in one’s life).
If one were not to know here, then there is great loss. Knowing this (truth) in every being, the wise people become immortal leaving from this body/world.
New Aumdada:
One
1. Who wills the mind to land upon this phenomenal world? By what accord does the vital breath move in and out? By whose direction are these words now spoken? What intelligence unites these eyes and ears?
2. That is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of the speech, the breath of the breath, the eye of the eye. Thus those wise discerning ones who free themselves from this world become immortal.
3. The eye does not go there, nor speech, nor mind. That is not an object of knowledge so we can’t teach that this way. For that is different from both the known and the unknown. Thus we have heard from our predecessors who taught that to us.
4. That which cannot be revealed by speech but by which speech is revealed: know that alone as Brahman and not this which people worship here.
