Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Kena Upanishad

ॐ

तस्मिँस्त्वयि किं वीर्यमित्यपीदँ सर्वम् दहॆयं यदिदं पृथिव्यामिति ॥ ३.५ ॥

तस्मै तृणं निदधावॆतद् दहॆति 
तदुपप्रॆयाय सर्वजवॆन तन्न शशाक दग्धुं 
स तत एव निववृतॆ 
नैतदशकं विज्ञातुं यदॆतद् यक्षमिति ॥ ३.६ ॥

ॐ

Hymn as Romanized text

 
Om

tasmi~Mstvayi kiM vIryamityapIda~M sarvam dahEyaM yadidaM pRuthivyAmiti || 3.5 ||

tasmai tRuNaM nidadhAvEtad dahEti 
tadupaprEyAya sarvajavEna tanna shashAka dagdhuM 
sa tata eva nivavRutE 
naitadashakaM vij~jAtuM yadEtad yakShamiti || 3.6 ||

(tasmin tvayi kiM vIryam iti 
api idam sarvam dahEyaM yat idaM pRuthivyAm iti || 

tasmai tRuNaM nidadhAva Etat daha iti 
tat upaprEyAya sarvajavEna tat na shashAka dagdhuM 
sa tata eva nivavRutE 
na etat ashakaM vij~jAtuM yat Etat yakSham iti || )

Om

Meaning of the Prayer Hymn:

 (The Spirit asked): What is your power?
(Agni replied) I can burn everything - whatever is on the earth.

Putting a straw (the Spirit said) "Burn this!"
In spite of rushing with full vigor on it, (agni) could not burn.
So, he returned saying, "I am unable to know, who this Yaksha is!"

 Notes: 

1. daha - burn. nidadhA - put; upaprEyAya - rush on; sarvajavena - in all speed;
shashAka - able; nivavRute - returned.

2. Agni said, he is capable of burning anything and everything on the earth.
However, in spite of his best efforts, he was not able to burn even a simple
straw. Agni failed to recognize that the power he has was bestowed by the God
and he is acting as the instrument. Hence he returned back with failure!