Jewels From Upanishads: 2.3 Unlike Anything Known, Unknown Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

Unlike whatever is known
And all that is unknown,
This is what we have heard
From the bygone world
Of sages and seers of ken
Who, so to us did explain.
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The transliteration of the verse is given as under:

anyat eva tat viditāt atha a-viditāt adhi |
Iti shuśhruma pūrveśhām ye nah tat vyāchachakśhire ||Kena 1.04 ||

anyat eva: (it is)different/apart indeed; tat: that (Brahman/atman): viditāt: from the known (things): atha: again, at the same time; a-viditāt: from the unknown; adhi: above, beyond; iti shuśhruma: so/thus have we heard; pūrveśhām: from those that preceded (ancient gurus/teachers): ye: who; nah: to us; tat: that (the essence of Brahman): vyāchachakśhire: explained so well

None of the five human senses can perceive what Brahman is. They cannot reach there, it is beyond their ken. Hence, even so realised sages when explain what Brahman is, no one can in its true essence understand what is explained. It is of no help. The only way is to realise Brahman and experience its immensity. Yet, the guru tries to explain in the following five mantras what it is, if for nothing, for intellectual appreciation, to whet the curiosity of disciples.

Topic: soul