The powers of the body, life and mind are unable to fully grasp and understand the unknown, which is beyond all of them. Yet the unknown is not entirely unknowable, since the entire universe is One. When the mind falls silent, it has the capability of reflecting a higher truth of existence, and achieving a knowledge by identity. The mental power, in a state of silent reflective consciousness can come into contact with the power of the supreme creative force, the supreme Shakti. In the Vedic symbolism this Shakti, this manifesting force of the universe is given a feminine form and is considered to be unified with the male form of consciousness, Shiva. There is thus a consciousness, beyond the mental level, that holds within itself awareness of the oneness and the multiplicity and which provides the basis for the entire manifestation of the mental, vital and physical worlds of creation.
The third part, verse 12: “He in the same ether came upon the Woman, even upon Her who shines out in many forms, Uma daughter of the snowy summits. To her he said, ‘What was this mighty Daemon?’ ”
Sri Aurobindo notes: “But Indra does not turn back from the quest like Agni and Vayu; he pursues his way through the highest ether of the pure mentality and there he approaches the Woman, the many-shining, Uma Haimavati… Uma is the supreme Nature from whom the whole cosmic action takes its birth; she is the pure summit and highest power of the One who here shines out in many forms. From this supreme Nature which is also the supreme Consciousness the gods must learn their own truth; they must proceed by reflecting it in themselves instead of limiting themselves to their own lower movement. For she has the knowledge and consciousness of the One, while the lower nature of mind, life and body can only envisage the many.”
Sri Aurobindo, The Upanishads, Kena Upanishad and analysis, pp. 104-106, 171-176
Sri Aurobindo Studies 