Kenopanishad (Self: Different From Known and Beyond Unknown) English Swami Chinmayananda

by Chinmayananda

The Kenopanishad derives its name from the first word Kena , meaning by whom . It belongs to the Talavakara Brahmana of Sama Veda and is therefore also referred to as Talavakara Upanishad. It has four kha as (sections), the first two in verse and the other two in prose. Adi Shankara who has written commentaries on 12 Upanishads, chose to write two commentaries on Kenopanishad. One is called Kenopani ad Padabh ya and the other is Kenopani ad V kyabh ya.

Genres: Religion

200 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2007

About the author

Chinmayananda Saraswati, also known as Swami Chinmayananda and born Balakrishnan Menon, was an Indian spiritual leader and teacher who inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission in 1953 to spread the message of Vedanta. The organization, which was founded by his disciples and led by him, has over 300 centres in India and internationally.
He was a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati at Rishikesh, who founded the Divine Life Society. He was later advised by Sivananda to study under Tapovan Maharaj in Uttarkashi in the Himalayas.

Reviews

[Venkat Krishnan]

An illuminating and unparalleled exposition of our real self.

The Upaniṣads are the cream of human achievements in life. They are the various attempts made by different rishis to express the inexpressible. Kenopaniṣad is the second of the 10 major Upaniṣads. Its subject matter is an enquiry into the real self that is different from the known and beyond the unknown.

Kenopaniṣad consists of 35 verses, divided into four sections. The first section discusses who the real subject is, the real 'I' in a being. The second section deals with the paradox and value of knowledge of Brahman, the ultimate reality. The third section illustrates that all notions of being an agent or doer are false. The last section speaks about meditating on Brahman.

The book includes an extremely helpful introduction. It provides an outline of the basic presumptions and the equipment necessary for an experiment of truth.

Studying this book and reflecting on its contents will put an end to our false little 'I' ego, the root cause of most problems in our life.

[Madhur Sambhar]

Just completed the Kenopanishad with Swami Chinmayananda Ji's commentary.The Śruti raises a profound question: the mind thinks, feels and remembers, while the sense organs bring us knowledge of the external world but does the mind possess consciousness of its own?

According to Advaita Vedānta, the mind does not have independent consciousness. It appears conscious because it is illumined by Chaitanya, Pure Consciousness. The central inquiry of the Kena Upanishad is therefore:

*Who is the power behind the mind, the senses and all experiences?*

Advaita points towards the one infinite Reality; Brahman as that fundamental Consciousness.The Vedas and Upanishads are an extraordinarily rich philosophical tradition. The more one studies them, the more engaging and intriguing the questions become