Madhva’s commentary of the Second Khaṇḍa

(Note: This page represents the commentary of the second Khaṇḍa of the Kena-upaniṣad:—an English translation of the bhāṣya called the Īśāvāsyopaniṣadbhāṣya or Īśopaniṣadbhāṣya written by Madhva or Madhvācārya from the 13th-centry. The commentary is largely an extract of the Brahma-Sāra.)

(The Brahma-Sāra—continued.)

“No one knows Him fully and completely in all His aspects and attributes. He who entertains the notion “I know Him fully,” does not know the Lord, He remains unknown to such a person. But he who never has this notion, knows the Lord always. Similarly, he who thinks that he has completely meditated upon Brahman, has not performed the true meditation, and the Highest Person is far beyond the scope of the meditation of such a person.

“Thus the Supreme Lord is neither completely unknown, nor one who can be known in all His entirety. This jīva-form is not that unchangeable Brahman, called Viṣṇu. But He is that who is constantly near thee, and controls all thy functions. Know Him as Brahman who is named Viṣṇu, the unchangeable. He is the highest and ruler of the Devas even, what to say of men. Without His Grace, there is no salvation, nor does the desire for it and effort to attain it, arise in the hearts of men, without such command on the part of the Lord. Thus the jīva should never think that he can ever become Brahman.