Course Content

1.  Textual Context: Study the Kēnōpaniṣad as the 9th chapter of the Tālavakra Śākhā of the Sāma Veda, marking a pivotal shift from ritual (karma) and meditation (upāsanā) to self-inquiry.
2.  Linguistic and Etymological Significance: Explore this upaniṣad’s central question “kena—by whom?”, initiating a radical inquiry into the source of perception and knowledge. This section introduces students to the Upaniṣad’s distinctive use of language that shifts attention from the known to the knower.
3.  Guided Commentary Study: Examine the original Sanskrit verses with Śaṅkara’s pada-bhāṣya bringing clarity to the language and depth to the philosophical vision.
4.  Methodology of Vedāntic Inquiry: Introduction to the classical jñāna-yoga framework involving Śruti, Yukti and Anubhava and helps cultivate the threefold practice of śravaṇa, manana, and nididhyāsana.
5.  Four Thematic Section – Inquiry into the source of cognition, Epistemological paradoxes dismantling objectification, Allegorical teaching through the humility of the gods, Final reflections on Self-knowledge and the qualifications required.