Prashna Upanishad – IV – Mental States and Bliss – 2   «   »

Prashna Upanishad – IV – Mental States and Bliss – 2   «   »

तस्मै स होवाच यथा 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 ॥ ४.२॥
tasmai sa hovāca yathā gārgya marīcayo’rkasyāstaṃ gacchataḥ sarvā
etasmiṃstejomaṇḍala ekībhavanti tāḥ punaḥ punarudayataḥ pracarantyevaṃ
ha vai tat sarvaṃ pare deve manasyekībhavati tena tarhyeṣa puruṣo na
śṛṇoti na paśyati na jighrati na rasayate na spṛśate nābhivadate
nādatte nānandayate na visṛjate neyāyate svapitītyācakṣate .. 4.2..
Translation by Swami Sivananda
2 To him Pippalada replied: O Gargya, as the rays of the sun, when it sets, are gathered in that luminous orb and again go forth when it rises, even so, verily, all these the objects and the senses become one in the superior god, the mind. Therefore at that time a man hears not, sees not, smells not, tastes not, touches not, speaks not, grasps not, enjoys not, emits not and does not move about. He sleeps that is what people say. 

Translation by Max Mueller
2. He replied: O Gârgya, As all the rays of the sun, when it sets, are gathered up in that disc of light, and as they, when the sun rises again and again, come forth, so is all this (all the senses) gathered up in the highest faculty (deva) 1, the mind. Therefore at that time that man does not hear, see, smell, taste, touch, he does not speak, he does not take, does not enjoy, does not evacuate, does not move about. He sleeps, that is what people say.

deity_Prashna

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

Com.—To him, the preceptor said: ‘O Gârgya, hear what you ask for; just as the rays of the suit disappearing become all one in the orb of light, i.e., become one and indistinguishable, and when the same sun rises again and again become dispersed; as in this illustration, so all that crowd of objects and senses become one in the highest Dêvâ (having light) i.e., mind (as the eye and other senses are under the control of the mind, mind is said to be the highest sense), during sleep and become indistinguishable, like the rays in the orb of light, and when he wakes go out of the mind to perform their own functions, as the rays from the orb of light. As during sleep, the ear and other senses capable of knowing sound, etc., become, as it were, one in the mind, their activity as senses having ceased, therefore, during sleep this man called Dêvadatta, etc., hears not, sees not, smells not, tastes not, feels not, speaks not, takes not, delights not, abandons not, moves not; men of worldly understanding say ‘he sleeps.’

Links
Various resources on the Prashnopanishad
Upanishad Series – Kena Upanishad Commentary by Swami Chinmayananda

Prashna Upanishad – 2 – Prashna-4-2-tasmai sa – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning and Commentary by Adi Shankaracharya (Sankara Bhashya) – Prashna-4-2