उपनिषद् · Kena 3.3
॥
देवनागरी
ते ऽग्निम् अब्रुवञ् जातवेद एतद् विजानीहि किम् इदं यक्षम् इति तथेति ॥
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
te 'gnim abruvañ jātaveda etad vijānīhi kim idaṃ yakṣam iti tatheti ||
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
तेtethey; the gods
अग्निम्agnimto Agni; to the fire
अब्रुवन्abruvansaid; addressed
जातवेदःjātavedaḥO Jātavedas ('knower of all that is born' — a name of Agni); O knower of what is born; O all-knowing fire
एतत्etatthis; him
विजानीहिvijānīhifind out (imperative of vi-√jñā — 'to ascertain'); ascertain; identify
किम्kimwhat; which
इदम्idamthis; here
यक्षम्yakṣamwondrous being; mysterious apparition
इतिitithus; saying
तथाtathāso [be it]; very well
इतिitithus; having said
अनुवाद
They said to Agni: "O Jātavedas, find out what this yakṣa is." — "Very well."
संस्करण
6700cc5e16eb · प्रकाशित 26 जुल॰ 2026, 7:28:41 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Agni is sent first. He is addressed by his full title: jātavedas — "knower of all that is born" — fire is present at every birth and every sacrifice; all that has come into being is known to him. The Upaniṣad's irony is quiet and exact: "the knower of all that is born" is dispatched to identify the Unborn — and his all-embracing register will prove useless, for That One does not figure among the born.
The gods' method is telling too: faced with mystery they do not bow but appoint a commission — "find out" (vijānīhi). Pride even in perplexity remains itself: it does not ask, it delegates; it does not go itself, it sends. Agni's answer tatheti — "very well", "so be it" — is full of the confidence of an executive who does not yet know to Whom he is being sent.