Prashna Upanishad – IV – Mental States and Bliss – 4   «   »

Prashna Upanishad – IV – Mental States and Bliss – 4   «   »

यदुच्छ्वासनिःश्वासावेतावाहुती समं नयतीति स समानः । मनो ह
वाव यजमानः । इष्टफलमेवोदानः । स एनं यजमानमहरहर्ब्रह्म
गमयति ॥ ४.४॥
yaducchvāsaniḥśvāsāvetāvāhutī samaṃ nayatīti sa samānaḥ . mano ha
vāva yajamānaḥ . iṣṭaphalamevodānaḥ . sa enaṃ yajamānamaharaharbrahma
gamayati .. 4.4..
Translation by Swami Sivananda
4 Samana is so called because it distributes equally the two oblations, namely, the out breathing and the in breathing; it is the priest. The mind, verily, is the sacrificer. Udana is the fruit of the sacrifice, because it leads the sacrificer every day, in deep sleep, to Brahman. 

Translation by Max Mueller
4. Because it carries equally these two oblations, the out-breathing and the in-breathing, the Samâna is he (the Hotri priest). The mind is the sacrificer, the Udâna is the reward of the sacrifice, and it leads the sacrificer every day (in deep sleep) to Brahman.

deity_Prashna

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

Here also, there is the priest officiating at the agnihôtra. Because, he distributes inspiration and expiration (which are, as it were, the agnihôtra oblations which are always double) for the support of the body; he is the officiating priest, as the carrier of the oblations, though already said to occupy the position of the fire (also). Who is this? He is samâna; therefore, even the sleep of the knower is the giving of oblation in agnihôtra. The drift, therefore, is that the knower should not be regarded as one performing no karma; for, it is said in the Vâjasanêyakôpanishad ‘even of him sleeping, all the Bhûtas always perform sacrifices.’ Here, having thrown the external senses and objects as oblations into the wakeful Prânâ-fires and wishing to reach the Brahman, as one who would wish to reach heaven, the fruit of the performance of agnihôtra, the mind, as sacrificer, wakes. Being known like the sacrifices as the most important of the effects and instruments, and having set out towards Brahman, as sacrificer to heaven, the mind is made the sacrificer. The fruit of the sacrifice is udâna; because, the realization of the fruits of sacrifice is due to udâna. How? The udâna causing the mind, the sacrificer, to cease his own activity, conducts him every day during sleep to the undecaying Brahman, as to heaven. Therefore, udâna occupies the place of the fruits of sacrifices.

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

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