| The Kena
Upanishad derives its name from the first word Kena, by whom, and belongs to
the Sama Veda. It is also known as the Talavakara, the name of the Brahmana
of the Sama Veda to which the Upanishad belongs. It has four sections, the first two in verse and the other two in prose. The
metrical portion deals with the Supreme Unqualified Brahman, the absolute principle
underlying the world of phenomenon and the prose part of the Upanishad deals with the
Supreme as God, Isvara. The knowledge of the Absolute, para vidya, which
secures immediate liberation (sadyo-mukti) is possible only for those who are able
to withdraw their thoughts from worldly objects and concentrate on the ultimate fact of
the universe. The knowledge of Isvara, apara vidya, puts one on the pathway
that leads to deliverance eventually (karma-mukti). The worshipping soul gradually
acquires the higher wisdom which results in the consciousness of the identity with the
Supreme.
Source S. Radhakrishnan : The Principal Upanishads
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