Prashna Upanishad

तन् ह स ऋषिरुवच भूय एव तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया संवत्सरं संवत्स्यथ यथाकामं प्रश्नान् पृच्छत यदि विज्ञास्यामः सर्वं ह वो वक्ष्याम इति

To them the sage said: 'Dwell here for a year with austerity, celibacy, and faith. Then ask your questions as you wish. If we know, we shall tell you everything.'

अथ कबन्धी कत्यायन उपेत्य पप्रच्छ । भगवन् कुते ह वा इमाः प्रजाः प्रजायन्त इति

Then Kabandhī Kātyāyana approached and asked: 'Venerable sir, from where indeed are these beings born?'

तस्मै स होवाच प्रजाकामो वै प्रजापतिः स तपोऽतप्यत स तपस्तप्त्वा स मिथुनमुत्पादयते । रयिं च प्रणं चेत्येतौ मे बहुधा प्रजाः करिष्यत इति

To him he replied: 'Desiring offspring, Prajāpati practiced austerity. Having performed austerity, he created a pair: matter and life-breath, thinking, "By these two, in many forms, I will produce beings."'

आदित्यो ह वै प्राणो रयिरेव चन्द्रमा रयिर्वा एतत् सर्वं यन्मूर्तं चामूर्तं च तस्मान्मूर्तिरेव रयिः

The sun is indeed the life-breath; the moon is matter. All this, both with form and without form, is matter; therefore, what has form is called matter.

अथादित्य उदयन्यत्प्राचीं दिशं प्रविशति तेन प्राच्यान् प्राणान् रश्मिषु सन्निधत्ते । यद्दक्षिणां यत् प्रतीचीं यदुदीचीं यदधो यदूर्ध्वं यदन्तरा दिशो यत् सर्वं प्रकाशयति तेन सर्वान् प्राणान् रश्मिषु सन्निधत्ते

Now, as the sun rises and enters the eastern direction, by that he gathers the life-breaths of the east into his rays. Whatever is in the south, west, north, below, above, and in between directions—whatever he illumines—by that he gathers all life-breaths into his rays.

स एष वैश्वानरो विश्वरुपः प्राणोऽग्निरुदयते । तदेतदृचाऽभ्युक्तम्

He, the universal fire, the life-breath with all forms, arises. This is declared in the verse:

विश्वरूपं हरिणं जातवेदसं परायणं ज्योतिरेकं तपन्तम् । सहस्ररश्मिः शतधा वर्तमानः प्राणः प्रजानामुदयत्येष सूर्यः

The one of many forms, the golden, the knower of all births, the supreme goal, the one light shining—he, with a thousand rays, moving in a hundred ways, the life-breath of beings, rises as this sun.

संवत्सरो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्यायने दक्षिणं चोत्तरं च । तद्ये ह वै तदिष्टापूर्ते कृतमित्युपासते ते चान्द्रमसमेव लोकमभिजयन्ते । त एव पुनरावर्तन्ते तस्मादेत ऋषयः प्रजाकामा दक्षिणं प्रतिपद्यन्ते । एष ह वै रयिर्यः पितृयाणः

The year is indeed Prajāpati; of it, the southern and northern courses are the two paths. Those who perform sacrifices and good works, thinking them fulfilled, attain only the lunar world; they return again. Therefore, the seers who desire offspring take the southern path. This is matter, the path of the ancestors.

अथोत्तरेण तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया विद्ययाऽऽत्मानमन्विष्यादित्यमभिजयन्ते । एतद्वै प्राणानामायतनमेतदमृतमभयमेतत् परायणमेतस्मान्न पुनरावर्तन्त इत्येष निरोधस्तदेष श्लोकः

But by the northern path—through austerity, celibacy, faith, and knowledge—seeking the Self, they attain the sun. This is the abode of the life-breaths, this is immortal, fearless, the ultimate goal. From there, they do not return. This is the restraint. There is a verse about this:

पञ्चपादं पितरं द्वादशाकृतिं दिव आहुः परे अर्धे पुरीषिणम् । अथेमे अन्य उ परे विचक्षणं सप्तचक्रे षडर आहुरर्पितमिति

They say the father has five feet and twelve forms, and in the higher half he dwells in the city. These others, wise, say he is set in the seven-wheeled, six-spoked (chariot).

मासो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्य कृष्णपक्ष एव रयिः शुक्लः प्रणस्तस्मादेत ऋषयः शुक्ल इष्टं कुर्वन्तीतर इतरस्मिन्

The month is indeed Prajāpati; of it, the dark fortnight is matter, the bright fortnight is life-breath. Therefore, the seers perform sacrifices in the bright half, not in the other.

अहोरात्रो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्याहरेव प्राणो रात्रिरेव रयिः प्राणं वा एते प्रस्कन्दन्ति ये दिवा रत्या संयुज्यन्ते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्यद्रात्रौ रत्या संयुज्यन्ते

Day and night are indeed Prajāpati; of these, day is life-breath, night is matter. Those who unite in sexual intercourse by day waste the life-breath; but if they unite by night, it is celibacy.

अन्नं वै प्रजापतिस्ततो ह वै तद्रेतस्तस्मादिमाः प्रजाः प्रजायन्त इति

Food is indeed Prajāpati; from it comes semen; therefore, from semen are these beings born.

तद्ये ह वै तत् प्रजापतिव्रतं चरन्ति ते मिथुनमुत्पादयन्ते । तेषामेवैष ब्रह्मलोको येषां तपो ब्रह्मचर्यं येषु सत्यं प्रतिष्टितम्

Those who practice the vow of Prajāpati produce offspring. For them alone is the world of Brahman—those in whom austerity, celibacy, and truth are established.

तेषामसौ विरजो ब्रह्मलोको न येषु जिह्ममनृतं न माया चेति

For them is that pure, stainless world of Brahman, in whom there is no crookedness, falsehood, or deceit.

इति प्रश्नोपनिषदि प्रथमः प्रश्नः ॥ अथ हैनं भार्गवो वैदर्भिः पप्रच्छ । भगवन् कत्येव देवाः प्रचां दिधारयन्ते कतर एतत् प्रकशयन्ते कः पुनरेषां वरिष्ठ इति

Thus ends the first question in the Praśna Upaniṣad. Then Bhārgava, the son of Vaidarbhi, asked: 'Venerable sir, how many gods uphold the creation? Which of them illumine this? And who among them is the greatest?'

तस्मै स होवाचाकाशो ह वा एष देवो वायुरग्निरापः पृथिवी वाङ्मनश्चक्षुः श्रोत्रं च । ते प्रकाश्याभिवदन्ति वयमेतद्बाणमवष्टभ्य विधारयामः

To him he replied: 'Space, air, fire, water, earth, speech, mind, eye, and ear—these gods, manifesting their powers, declare: "We hold this body together, supporting it by our strength."'

तान् वरिष्ठः प्राण उवाच । मा मोहमापद्यथ अहमेवैतत् पञ्चधाऽऽत्मानं प्रविभज्यैतद्बाणमवष्टभ्य विधारयामीति तेऽश्रद्दधाना बभूवुः

Then the foremost, Prāṇa, spoke to them: 'Do not fall into delusion. It is I alone who, dividing myself fivefold, uphold and support this body, holding it together.' Yet they did not believe him.

सोऽभिमानादूर्ध्वमुत्क्रामत इव तस्मिन्नुत्क्रामत्यथेतरे सर्व एवोत्क्रामन्ते तस्मि/श्च प्रतिष्ठमाने सर्व एव प्रतिष्ठन्ते । तद्यथा मक्षिका मधुकरराजानमुत्क्रामन्तं सर्व एवोत्क्रमन्ते तस्मि/ष्च प्रत्ष्ठमाने सर्व एव प्रतिष्टन्त एवम् वाङ्मनष्चक्षुः श्रोत्रं च ते प्रीताः प्राणं स्तुन्वन्ति

Out of pride, he seemed to rise upward; and as he rose, all the others also rose. When he remained, all the others remained. Just as bees all follow their king when he rises, and settle when he settles, so too, speech, mind, sight, and hearing, pleased, praised Prāṇa.

एषोऽग्निस्तपत्येष सूर्य एष पर्जन्यो मघवानेष वायुः एष पृथिवी रयिर्देवः सदसच्चामृतं च यत्

He is Agni who burns; he is the Sun; he is Parjanya, the rain-giver; he is Vāyu; he is the Earth, the Lord of wealth, the true and untrue, and that which is immortal.

अरा इव रथनाभौ प्राणे सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् । ऋचो यजूँषि सामानि यज्ञः क्षत्रं ब्रह्म च

As the spokes are fixed in the hub of a wheel, so is everything established in Prāṇa: the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, sacrifice, kingship, and priesthood.

प्रजापतिश्चरसि गर्भे त्वमेव प्रतिजायसे । तुभ्यं प्राण प्रजास्त्विमा बलिं हरन्ति यः प्रणैः प्रतितिष्ठसि

You, Prāṇa, move as Prajāpati in the womb; you alone are born again. To you, Prāṇa, these creatures bring offerings, for you are established in the prāṇas.

देवानामसि वह्नितमः पितृणां प्रथमा स्वधा । ऋषीणां चरितं सत्यमथर्वाङ्गिरसामसि

Among the gods, you are the most radiant; among the ancestors, you are the first offering; among the seers, you are the truth of their conduct; you are Atharvan and Aṅgiras.

इन्द्रस्त्वं प्राण तेजसा रुद्रोऽसि परिरक्षिता । त्वमन्तरिक्षे चरसि सूर्यस्त्वं ज्योतिषां पतिः

You, Prāṇa, are Indra by your brilliance; you are Rudra, the protector; you move in the mid-region; you are the Sun, lord of lights.

यदा त्वमभिवर्षस्यथेमाः प्राण ते प्रजाः । आनन्दरूपास्तिष्ठन्ति कामायान्नं भविष्यतीति

When you shower down, Prāṇa, then these creatures rejoice in happiness, thinking, 'Food will come as we desire.'

व्रात्यस्त्वं प्राणैकर्षरत्ता विश्वस्य सत्पतिः । वयमाद्यस्य दातारः पिता त्वं मातरिश्व नः

You, Prāṇa, are the wanderer, the single charioteer, the lord of all that exists. We are the givers of the first portion; you are our father, O Mātariśvan.

या ते तनूर्वाचि प्रतिष्ठिता या श्रोत्रे या च चक्षुषि । या च मनसि सन्तता शिवां तां कुरू मोत्क्रमीः

The form of yours that is established in speech, in hearing, and in sight, and that which is spread in the mind—make that auspicious for us; do not depart.

प्राणस्येदं वशे सर्वं त्रिदिवे यत् प्रतिष्ठितम् । मातेव पुत्रान् रक्षस्व श्रीश्च प्रज्ञां च विधेहि न इति

All this, whatever is established in the three worlds, is under the control of Prāṇa. Protect us like a mother her children; grant us prosperity and wisdom.

इति प्रश्नोपनिषदि द्वितीयः प्रश्नः ॥ अथ हैनं कौशल्यष्चाश्वलायनः पप्रच्छ । भगवन् कुत एष प्राणो जायते कथमायात्यस्मिञ्शरीर आत्मानं वा प्रविभज्य कथं प्रतिष्ठते केनोत्क्रमते कथं बह्यमभिधते कथमध्यात्ममिति

Thus ends the second question in the Praśnopaniṣad. Then Kauśalya, son of Aśvalāyana, asked him: 'Venerable Sir, from where is this Prāṇa born? How does it enter this body? How does it divide itself and establish itself? By what does it depart? How does it support what is outside and within?'