Prashna Upanishad – II – Discussion of Devas – 3   «   »

Prashna Upanishad – II – Discussion of Devas – 3   «   »

तान् वरिष्ठः प्राण उवाच । मा मोहमापद्यथ अहमेवैतत्
पञ्चधाऽऽत्मानं प्रविभज्यैतद्बाणमवष्टभ्य विधारयामीति
तेऽश्रद्दधाना बभूवुः ॥ २.३॥
tān variṣṭhaḥ prāṇa uvāca . mā mohamāpadyatha ahamevaitat
pañcadhā”tmānaṃ pravibhajyaitadbāṇamavaṣṭabhya vidhārayāmīti
te’śraddadhānā babhūvuḥ .. 2.3..
Translation by Swami Sivananda
3 To them prana, the chiefmost said: “Do not fall into delusion. I alone, dividing myself into five parts, support this body and uphold it.” But they were incredulous.

Translation by Max Mueller
3. Then Prâna (breath, spirit, life), as the best, said to them: Be not deceived, I alone, dividing myself fivefold, support this body and keep it.

Word Meaning
तान् (tān) – to them
वरिष्ठः (variṣṭhaḥ) – the greatest
प्राणः (prāṇaḥ) – prāṇa
उवाच (uvāca) – said
मा (mā) – do not
मोहं (mohaṃ) – delusion
आपद्यथ (āpadyatha) – fall into
अहम् (aham) – I
एव (eva) – alone
एतत् (etat) – this
पञ्चधा (pañcadhā) – fivefold
आत्मानं (ātmānaṃ) – myself
प्रविभज्य (pravibhajya) – dividing
एतत् (etat) – this
बाणं (bāṇaṃ) – body
अवष्टभ्य (avaṣṭabhya) – support
विधारयामि (vidhārayāmi) – sustain
इति (iti) – that
ते (te) – they
अश्रद्दधाना बभूवुः (aśraddadhānā babhūvuḥ) – did not believe
deity_Prashna

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

Com.—Prâna, pre-eminent, said to them who were thus vain, ‘do not from want of discernment cherish this vanity; for, I alone hold together and support this body, having divided myself into five distinct conditions such as prâna, etc.’; and when he said he supported it, they did not believe in him and thought how it could be thus.

Prashna Upanishad – 3 – Prashna-2-3-tān variṣṭhaḥ – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning and Commentary by Adi Shankaracharya (Sankara Bhashya) – Prashna-2-3