Prashna Upanishad

आत्मन एष प्राणो जायते । यथैषा पुरुषे छायैतस्मिन्नेतदाततं मनोकृतेनायात्यस्मिञ्शरीरे

From the Self, this Prāṇa is born. As a shadow is cast by a person, so is this spread in it. By the mind's action, it enters this body.

यथा सम्रादेवाधिकृतान् विनियुङ्क्ते । एतन् ग्रामानोतान् ग्रामानधितिष्टस्वेत्येवमेवैष प्राण इतरान् प्राणान् पृथक् पृथगेव सन्निधत्ते पायूपस्थेऽपानं चक्षुःश्रोत्रे मुखनासिकाभ्यां प्राणः स्वयं प्रातिष्टते मध्ये तु समानः । एष ह्येतद्धुतमन्नं समं नयति तस्मादेताः सप्तार्चिषो भवन्ति

As a king appoints officers and commands them, 'Rule over these villages and those,' so does Prāṇa assign each function to the other prāṇas, arranging them separately. Apāna is placed in the organs of excretion and generation; Prāṇa itself is in the eyes, ears, mouth, and nostrils; Samāna is in the middle. It distributes the food that is offered equally. Therefore, these are the seven flames.

हृदि ह्येष आत्मा । अत्रैतदेकशतं नाडीनं तासां शतं शतमेकैकस्या द्वासप्ततिर्द्वासप्ततिः प्रतिशाखानाडीसहस्राणि भवन्त्यासु व्यानश्चरति

This Self is indeed in the heart. There, a hundred and one nāḍīs (channels) branch out; each of them has a hundred branches, and each branch has seventy-two thousand sub-branches. In these, Vyāna moves.

अथैकयोर्ध्व उदानः पुण्येन पुण्यं लोकं नयति पापेन पापमुभाभ्यामेव मनुष्यलोकम्

By one, Udāna rises upward; by virtue, it leads to the virtuous world; by vice, to the sinful world; and by both, to the human world.

आदित्यो ह वै बाह्यः प्राण उदयत्येष ह्येनं चाक्षुषं प्राणमनुगृह्णानः । पृथिव्यां या देवता सैषा पुरुषस्य अपानमवष्टभ्यान्तरा यदाकाशः स समानो वायुर्व्यानः

The sun is indeed the external Prāṇa; he rises and supports the Prāṇa related to the eyes. The deity on earth supports the Apāna in a person. The space between is Samāna; the air is Vyāna.

तेजो ह वा उदानस्तस्मादुपशान्ततेजाः । पुनर्भवमिन्द्रियैर्मनसि सम्पध्यमानैः

Indeed, the upward-moving energy is radiance; therefore, when the radiance is calmed, the senses, having merged into the mind, return again to rebirth.

यच्चित्तस्तेनैष प्राणमायाति । प्राणस्तेजसा युक्तः सहात्मना तथासङ्कल्पितं लोकं नयति

With whatever mind one departs, with that he goes to the life-breath; the life-breath, endowed with radiance and accompanied by the self, leads him to the world shaped by his intention.

य एवं विद्वान् प्राणं वेद न हास्य प्रजा हीयतेऽमृतो भवति तदेषः श्लोकः

Whoever thus knows the life-breath as described—his offspring do not perish; he becomes immortal. There is this verse.

उत्पत्तिमायतिं स्थानं विभुत्वं चैव पञ्चधा । अध्यात्मं चैव प्राणस्य विज्ञायामृतमश्नुते विज्ञायामृतमश्नुत इति

He who knows the origin, entry, place, pervasiveness, and the fivefold nature of the life-breath within himself attains immortality—having known, he attains immortality.

इति प्रश्नोपनिषदि तृतीयः प्रश्नः ॥ अथ हैनं सौर्यायणि गार्ग्यः पप्रच्छ । भगवन्नेतस्मिन् पुरुषे कानि स्वपन्ति कान्यस्मिञ्जाग्रति कतर एष देवः स्वप्नान् पश्यति कस्यैतत् सुखं भवति कस्मिन्नु सर्वे सम्प्रतिष्टिता भवन्तीति

Thus ends the third question in the Praśna Upaniṣad. Then Sauryāyaṇi Gārgya asked him: 'Venerable sir, in this person, what things sleep, what remain awake, who is it that sees dreams, whose happiness is this, and in whom do all these rest?'

तस्मै स होवच । यथ गार्ग्य मरीचयोऽर्कस्यास्तं गच्छतः सर्वा एतस्मिंस्तेजोमण्डल एकीभवन्ति । ताः पुनः पुनरुदयतः प्रचरन्त्येवं ह वै तत् सर्वं परे देवे मनस्येकीभवति तेन तर्ह्येष पुरुषो न शृणोति न पश्यति न जिघ्रति न रसयते न स्पृशते नाभिवदते नादत्ते नानन्दयते न विसृजते नेयायते स्वपितीत्याचक्षते

To him he replied: 'Gārgya, just as the rays of the sun, when it sets, all become one in its circle of light, and when it rises, they spread out again—so too, all this merges in the supreme deity, the mind. Therefore, at that time, this person neither hears, nor sees, nor smells, nor tastes, nor touches, nor speaks, nor grasps, nor enjoys, nor releases, nor moves; they say, "he sleeps."'

प्राणाग्रय एवैतस्मिन् पुरे जाग्रति । गार्हपत्यो ह वा एषोऽपानो व्यानोऽन्वाहार्यपचनो यद्गार्हपत्यात् प्रणीयते प्रणयनादाहवनीयः प्राणः

Only the foremost life-breath remains awake in this city. The downward-moving breath is like the household fire, the diffusive breath is like the fire for cooking, and from the household fire, the sacrificial fire is kindled, which is the upward-moving breath.

यदुच्छ्वासनिःश्वासावेतावाहुती समं नयतीति स समानः । मनो ह वाव यजमानः । इष्टफलमेवोदानः । स एनं यजमानमहरहर्ब्रह्म गमयति

The equalizing breath brings together the two offerings—exhalation and inhalation. The mind is indeed the sacrificer; the upward-moving breath is the fruit of the sacrifice. Day by day, it leads the sacrificer to Brahman.

अत्रैष देवः स्वप्ने महिमानमनुभवति । यद्दृष्टं दृष्टमनुपश्यति श्रुतं श्रुतमेवार्थमनुशृणोति देशदिगन्तरैश्च प्रत्यनुभूतं पुनः पुनः प्रत्यनुभवति दृष्टं चादृष्टं च श्रुतं चाश्रुतं चानुभूतं चाननुभूतं च स्च्चासच्च सर्वं पश्यति सर्वः पस्यति

In dreams, this deity experiences his greatness; what has been seen, he sees again; what has been heard, he hears again; and what has been experienced in different places and directions, he experiences again and again. He sees both the seen and the unseen, the heard and the unheard, the experienced and the unexperienced, the real and the unreal—he sees all, he sees everything.

स यदा तेजसाऽभिभूतो भवति । अत्रैष देवः स्वप्नान्न पश्यत्यथ यदैतस्मिञ्शरीर एतत्सुखं भवति

When he is overpowered by radiance, this deity does not see dreams; then, in this body, he experiences happiness.

स यथा सोभ्य वयांसि वसोवृक्षं संप्रतिष्ठन्ते । एवं ह वै तत् सर्वं पर आत्मनि संप्रतिष्ठते

Just as birds gather on a tree, so indeed all these rest in the supreme self.

पृथिवी च पृथिवीमात्रा चापश्चापोमात्रा च तेजश्च तेजोमात्रा च वायुश्च वायुमात्रा चाकाशश्चाकाशमात्रा च चक्षुश्च द्रष्टव्यं च श्रोत्रं च श्रोतव्यं च ग्राणं च घ्रातव्यं च रसश्च रसयितव्यं च त्वक्च स्पर्शयितव्यं च वाक्च वक्तव्यं च हस्तौ चादातव्यं चोपस्थश्चानन्दयितव्यं च पायुश्च विसर्जयितव्यं च यादौ च गन्तव्यं च मनश्च मन्तव्यं च बुद्धिश्च बोद्धिव्यं चाहङ्कारश्चाहङ्कर्तव्यं च चित्तं च चेतयितव्यं च तेजश्च विद्योतयितव्यं च प्राणश्च विद्यारयितव्यं च

Earth and the essence of earth, water and the essence of water, fire and the essence of fire, air and the essence of air, space and the essence of space; the eye and what is to be seen, the ear and what is to be heard, the nose and what is to be smelled, taste and what is to be tasted, skin and what is to be touched, speech and what is to be spoken, hands and what is to be grasped, the generative organ and what is to be enjoyed, the anus and what is to be excreted, the feet and what is to be moved, mind and what is to be thought, intellect and what is to be understood, ego and what is to be asserted, consciousness and what is to be contemplated, radiance and what is to be illuminated, life-breath and what is to be sustained—

एष हि द्रष्टा स्प्रष्टा श्रोता घ्राता रसयिता मन्ता बोद्धा कर्ता विज्ञानात्मा पुरुषः । स परेऽक्षर आत्मनि सम्प्रतिष्ठते

He is the seer, toucher, hearer, smeller, taster, thinker, knower, doer—the self of knowledge, the person. He rests in the supreme, imperishable self.

परमेवाक्षरं प्रतिपद्यते स यो ह वै तदच्छायमशरीरम्लोहितं शुभ्रमक्षरं वेदयते यस्तु सोम्य । स सर्वज्ञः सर्वो भवति । तदेष श्लोकः

He attains the highest imperishable who, O gentle one, knows that which is without shadow, without body, colorless, pure, and imperishable. He becomes all-knowing and all; there is this verse.

विज्ञानात्मा सह देवैश्च सर्वैः प्राणा भुतानि संप्रतिष्ठन्ति यत्र तदक्षरं वेदयते यस्तु सोम्य स सर्वज्ञः सर्वमेवाविवेशेति

The self of knowledge, together with all the deities, and the life-breaths and beings, are established where one knows that imperishable, O gentle one. He becomes all-knowing and enters into all.

इति प्रश्नोपनिषदि चतुर्थः प्रश्नः ॥ अथ हैनं शैब्यः सत्यकामः पप्रच्छ । स यो ह वै तद्भगवन्मनुष्येषु प्रायणान्तमोङ्कारमभिध्यायीत । कतमं वाव स तेन लोकं जयतीति । तस्मै स होवाच

Thus ends the fourth question in the Praśna Upaniṣad. Then Śaibya Satyakāma asked him: 'Venerable sir, if someone among men meditates on Om at the time of death, which world does he conquer by that?' To him he replied:

एतद्वै सत्यकाम परं चापरं च ब्रह्म यदोङ्कारः । तस्माद्विद्वानेतेनैवायतनेनैकतरमन्वेति

O Satyakāma, Om is both the higher and the lower Brahman. Therefore, the knower, by this means, attains one or the other.

स यध्येकमात्रमभिध्यायीत स तेनैव संवेदितस्तूर्णमेव जगत्याभिसंपध्यते । तमृचो मनुष्यलोकमुपनयन्ते स तत्र तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया संपन्नो महिमानमनुभवति

If he meditates on only one measure (of Om), by that alone he is quickly born again on earth. The hymns lead him to the world of men, and there, endowed with austerity, celibacy, and faith, he experiences greatness.

अथ यदि द्विमात्रेण मनसि संपद्यते सोऽन्तरिक्षं यजुर्भिरुन्नीयते सोमलोकम् । स सोमलोके विभुतिमनुभूय पुनरावर्तते

Now, if by means of two measures it is merged in the mind, then he is led to the world of the moon through the Yajur-veda; having experienced greatness in the world of the moon, he returns again.

यः पुनरेतं त्रिमात्रेणोमित्येतेनैवाक्षरेण परं पुरुषमभिध्यायीत स तेजसि सूर्ये संपन्नः । यथा पादोदरस्त्वचा विनिर्मुच्यत एवं ह वै स पाप्मना विनिर्मुक्तः स सामभिरुन्नीयते ब्रह्मलोकं स एतस्माज्जीवघनात् परात्परं पुरुशयं पुरुषमीक्षते । तदेतौ श्लोकौ भवतः

But whoever meditates upon that Supreme Person with this very syllable, Om, in its three measures, he is united with the brilliance of the sun; just as a snake sheds its skin through the opening of its body, so too is he freed from sin; he is led by the Sāma-veda to the world of Brahman, and from that mass of embodied souls, he beholds the Supreme Person, higher than the highest. Concerning this, these verses are recited:

तिस्रो मात्रा मृत्युमत्यः प्रयुक्ता अन्योन्यसक्ताः अनविप्रयुक्ताः । क्रियासु बाह्याभ्यन्तरमध्यमासु सम्यक् प्रयुक्तासु न कम्पते ज्ञः

The three measures, when applied to the mortal, are mutually connected, never separated; in actions—outer, inner, and intermediate—when rightly applied, the knower does not waver.

ऋग्भिरेतं यजुर्भिरन्तरिक्षं सामभिर्यत् तत् कवयो वेदयन्ते । तमोङ्कारेणैवायतनेनान्वेति विद्वान् यत्तच्छान्तमजरममृतमभयं परं चेति

With the Ṛg-veda, this is attained; with the Yajur-veda, the intermediate space; with the Sāma-veda, that which the wise discern; by Om alone as the means, the knower attains that which is peaceful, ageless, immortal, fearless, and supreme.

इति प्रश्नोपनिषदि पञ्चमः प्रश्नः ॥ अथ हैनं सुकेशा भारद्वाजः पप्रच्छ । भगवन् हिरण्यनाभः कौसल्यो राजपुत्रो मामुपेत्यैतं प्रश्नमपृच्छत । षोडशकलं भारद्वाज पुरुषं वेत्थ । तमहं कुमारम्ब्रुवं नाहमिमं वेद । यध्यहमिममवेदिषं कथं ते नावक्ष्यमिति । समूलो वा एष परिशुष्यति योऽनृतमभिवदति तस्मान्नार्हम्यनृतं वक्तुम् । स तूष्णीं रथमारुह्य प्रवव्राज । तं त्वा पृच्छामि क्वासौ पुरुष इति

Thus ends the fifth question in the Praśna Upaniṣad. Then Sukeśa Bhāradvāja asked him: 'Revered sir, Hiraṇyanābha, the prince of Kosala, approached me and asked this question: "O Bhāradvāja, do you know the person with sixteen parts?" I said to the youth, "I do not know this." For if I had known, how could I not have told you? Whoever speaks falsehood with its root dries up; therefore, I must not speak untruth. He mounted his chariot in silence and departed. Now I ask you: Where is that person?'

तस्मै स होवाच । इहैइवान्तःशरीरे सोभ्य स पुरुषो यस्मिन्नताः षोडशकलाः प्रभवन्तीति

To him he replied: 'Here itself, within the body, O good man, is that person in whom these sixteen parts arise.'