Chapter 13 of 15

Kena-Upanishad: Part Third

ケーナ・ウパニシャッド：第三部

The Brahman once won a victory for the Devas. Through that victory of the Brahman, the Devas became elated. They thought, "This victory is ours. This glory is ours."

かつてブラフマンがデーヴァたちのために勝利を得たもうた。かのブラフマンの勝利によりてデーヴァたちは栄光を受けた。彼らは思った、「この勝利は我らのものなり、この栄光は我らのものなり」と。

Brahman here does not mean a personal Deity. There is a Brahma, the first person of the Hindu Trinity; but Brahman is the Absolute, the One without a second, the essence of all. There are different names and forms which represent certain personal aspects of Divinity, such as Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Siva the Transformer; but no one of these can fully represent the Whole. Brahman is the vast ocean of being, on which rise numberless ripples and waves of manifestation. From the smallest atomic form to a Deva or an angel, all spring from that limitless ocean of Brahman, the inexhaustible Source of life. No manifested form of life can be independent of its source, just as no wave, however mighty, can be independent of the ocean. Nothing moves without that Power. He is the only Doer. But the Devas thought: "This victory is ours, this glory is ours."

ここでのブラフマンは人格神を意味しません。ヒンドゥー三神一体の第一者たるブラフマーは存在しますが、ブラフマンは至高の非人格的なる存在を指します。

The Brahman perceived this and appeared before them. They did not know what mysterious form it was.

ブラフマンはこれを察知し、彼らの前に現れたもうた。彼らはそれがいかなる神秘の形なるかを知らなかった。

They said to Fire: "O Jataveda (All-knowing)! Find out what mysterious spirit this is." He said: "Yes."

彼らは火に言った。「おおジャータヴェーダ（一切を知る者）よ！この神秘の霊が何なるかを見出したまえ。」彼は「然り」と言った。

He ran towards it and He (Brahman) said to him: "Who art thou?" "I am Agni, I am Jataveda," he (the Fire-god) replied.

彼はそれに向かって走った。彼（ブラフマン）は彼に言った。「汝は誰か。」「我はアグニなり、我はジャータヴェーダなり」と彼（火）は答えた。

Brahman asked: "What power resides in thee?" Agni replied: "I can burn up all whatsoever exists on earth."

ブラフマンは問うた。「いかなる力が汝に宿るか。」アグニは答えた。「地上に存する全てのものを我は焼き尽くすことができる。」

Brahman placed a straw before him and said: "Burn this." He (Agni) rushed towards it with all speed, but was not able to burn it. So he returned from there and said (to the Devas): "I was not able to find out what this great mystery is."

ブラフマンは一本の藁を彼の前に置きて言った。「これを焼きたまえ。」彼（アグニ）は全速力をもってそれに向かったが、焼くことあたわざりき。すなわち彼はかしこより退き、「我はそれが何なるかを見出すことあたわざりき」と言った。

Then they said to Vayu (the Air-god): "Vayu! Find out what this mystery is." He said: "Yes."

すると彼らはヴァーユ（風神）に言った。「ヴァーユよ！この神秘が何なるかを見出したまえ。」彼は「然り」と言った。

He ran towards it and He (Brahman) said to him: "Who art thou?" "I am Vayu, I am Matarisva (traveller of Heaven)," he (Vayu) said.

彼はそれに向かって走った。彼（ブラフマン）は彼に言った。「汝は誰か。」「我はヴァーユなり、我はマータリシュヴァン（天空の旅人）なり」と彼は答えた。

Then the Brahman said: "What power is in thee?" Vayu replied: "I can blow away all whatsoever exists on earth."

ブラフマンは言った。「いかなる力が汝に宿るか。」ヴァーユは答えた。「地上に存する全てのものを我は吹き去ることができる。」

Brahman placed a straw before him and said: "Blow this away." He (Vayu) rushed towards it with all speed, but was not able to blow it away. So he returned from there and said (to the Devas): "I was not able to find out what this great mystery is."

ブラフマンは一本の藁を彼の前に置きて言った。「これを吹き去りたまえ。」彼（ヴァーユ）は全速力をもってそれに向かったが、吹き去ることあたわざりき。すなわち彼はかしこより退き、「我はそれが何なるかを見出すことあたわざりき」と言った。

Then they said to Indra: "O Maghavan (Worshipful One)! Find out what this mystery is." He said: "Yes"; and ran towards it, but it disappeared before him.

すると彼らはインドラに言った。「おおマガヴァン（崇敬すべき者）よ！この神秘が何なるかを見出したまえ。」彼は「然り」と言った。彼はそれに向かって走った。それは彼の目の前より消えた。

Then he saw in that very space a woman beautifully adorned, Uma of golden hue, daughter of Haimavat (Himalaya). He asked: "What is this great mystery?"

すると彼はまさにその場所に、美しく飾られ、黄金の輝きを放つ女性を見た。ヒマヴァットの娘ウマーなり。彼は彼女に問うた。「この偉大なる霊は何なるか」と。

Here we see how the Absolute assumes concrete form to give knowledge of Himself to the earnest seeker. Brahman, the impenetrable mystery, disappeared and in His place appeared a personal form to represent Him. This is a subtle way of showing the difference between the Absolute and the personal aspects of Deity. The Absolute is declared to be unknowable and unthinkable, but He assumes deified personal aspects to make Himself known to His devotees. Thus Uma, daughter of the Himalaya, represents that personal aspect as the offspring of the Infinite Being; while the Himalaya stands as the symbol of the Eternal, Unchangeable One.

ここに我々は、絶対者がいかにして具体的な形をとり、真摯なる求道者に自らの知識を授けるかを見ます。