Prashna Upanishad – III – Origin and Nature of Prana – 9   «   »

Prashna Upanishad – III – Origin and Nature of Prana – 9   «   »

तेजो ह वा उदानस्तस्मादुपशान्ततेजाः । पुनर्भवमिन्द्रियैर्मनसि
सम्पद्यमानैः ॥ ३.९॥
tejo ha vā udānastasmādupaśāntatejāḥ . punarbhavamindriyairmanasi
sampadyamānaiḥ .. 3.9..
Translation by Swami Sivananda
9 Fire, verily, is udana; therefore he whose fire has been extinguished goes out for rebirth, with the senses absorbed in the mind.

Translation by Max Mueller
9. Light is the Udâna (out-breathing), and therefore he whose light has gone out comes to a new birth with his senses absorbed in the mind.

Word Meaning
तेजः (tejaḥ) – the external fire as energy
ह (ha) – indeed
वै (vai) – verily
उदानः (udānaḥ) – udāna
तस्मात् (tasmāt) – therefore
उपशान्ततेजाः (upaśāntatejāḥ) – the flames are gone out
पुनर्भवं (punarbhavaṃ) – enters again
इन्द्रियैः (indriyaiḥ) – with the senses
मनसि (manasi) – in the mind
सम्पद्यमानैः (sampadyamānaiḥ) – absorbed
deity_Prashna

Sri Shankara’s Commentary (Bhashya) translated by S. Sitarama Sastri

The general fire têjas, well-known and external, is the udâna in the body. The meaning is, that by its light, it favours the wind known as udâna as ‘udâna,’ fire in its nature, favoured by the external fire, causes the ascent from the body. Therefore, when a man’s natural fire is extinguished, then one should know that his life is spent, i.e., that he is dying; he enters another body. How? along with the senses such as speech, etc., clinging to the mind.

Prashna Upanishad – 9 – Prashna-3-9-tejo ha vā – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning and Commentary by Adi Shankaracharya (Sankara Bhashya) – Prashna-3-9