kathopanishad-2-3-2-yadidaṃ kiṃ

Commentary by Swami Krishnananda of the great Divine Life Society

Yad idaṁ kiñ ca jagat sarvam prāṇa ejati niḥsṛtam, mahad bhayaṁ vajram udyatam, ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanti (2.3.2): All this world, whatever be its form, is a manifestation of the cosmic Prana, Hiranyagarbha-tattva, or Sutratman. Prana is a traditional Sanskrit name for describing what we may call cosmic energy. The quantum of cosmic energy, which is equilibrated in its nature, with no high and low, and with no disbalance in the distribution of its parts, can be called Hiranyagarbha-tattva, cosmic power. Everything is controlled by this energy. It is like a terror to everybody. Mahad bhayaṁ vajram udyatam, ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanti: God is like a terror to all people. This Mahat-Brahma, this Sutratman, this Hiranyagarbha-tattva is like an uplifted thunderbolt causing fear to everyone. Due to fear of Him, the sun rises in the east. Due to fear of Him, the moon rises.