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.

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