उपनिषद् · Kena 4.2
॥
देवनागरी
तस्माद् वा एते देवा अतितराम् इवान्यान् देवान् यद् अग्निर् वायुर् इन्द्रस् ते ह्य् एनन् नेदिष्ठं पस्पर्शुस् ते ह्य् एनत् प्रथमो विदाञ्चकार ब्रह्मेति ॥
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
tasmād vā ete devā atitarām ivānyān devān yad agnir vāyur indras te hy enan nediṣṭhaṃ pasparśus te hy enat prathamo vidāñcakāra brahmeti ||
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
वैvaiverily; indeed
एते देवाःete devāḥthese gods; these deities
अतितराम् इवatitarām ivaas it were surpass (ati-tarām — 'in the highest degree'; iva — 'as it were'); seem to rise above; appear far to excel
अन्यान् देवान्anyān devānthe other gods; the remaining deities
यत्yatbecause; for
अग्निः वायुः इन्द्रःagniḥ vāyuḥ indraḥAgni, Vāyu and Indra; fire, wind and Indra
ते हिte hifor they; it is they who
एनत्enatHim; this Brahman
नेदिष्ठम्nediṣṭhammost closely (superlative of antika — 'near'); most intimately; at closest quarters
पस्पर्शुःpasparśuḥtouched (perfect of √spṛś — 'to touch'); came into contact with; laid hold of
ते हिte hifor they; it is they who
एनत्enatHim; this one
प्रथमःprathamaḥfirst; at the outset
विदाञ्चकारvidāñcakāraknew; understood
ब्रह्म इतिbrahma itithis is Brahman; Brahman, thus
अनुवाद
Therefore these gods — Agni, Vāyu and Indra — as it were surpass the other gods: they touched Him most closely, they were the first to know: "This is Brahman."
संस्करण
dc8dd2c43dd6 · प्रकाशित 26 जुल॰ 2026, 7:28:41 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
atitarām iva — "as it were surpass": the particle iva ("as though") is not there by accident. The superiority of these three lies not in their own nature but in the measure of their nearness: nediṣṭhaṁ pasparśuḥ — "they touched Him most closely". In the world of the spirit rank is measured not by power or office but by nearness to the Lord; every other hierarchy is "as it were".
It is striking what counts here as a touch: defeat. Agni and Vāyu "touched" Brahman by their failures — they were burnt against their own limit before Him. Yet even such a contact exalts: to be put to shame by His hand proved nearer to Him than all victories far from Him. For a heart turned towards God there are no failures — there are meetings; He touches us by refusal, by silence, by disappearance, and every touch of His leaves the mark of seniority.
So the parable returns to its beginning and corrects it: the gods wanted greatness from a victory — and received a true greatness from the touch that humbled them.