Prashna Upanishad – I – Spiritual paths of the Moon and Sun – 10   «   »

Prashna Upanishad – I – Spiritual paths of the Moon and Sun – 10   «   »

अथोत्तरेण तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया
विद्ययाऽऽत्मानमन्विष्यादित्यमभिजयन्ते । एतद्वै
प्राणानामायतनमेतदमृतमभयमेतत् परायणमेतस्मान्न पुनरावर्तन्त
इत्येष निरोधस्तदेष श्लोकः ॥ १.१०॥
athottareṇa tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śraddhayā
vidyayā”tmānamanviṣyādityamabhijayante . etadvai
prāṇānāmāyatanametadamṛtamabhayametat parāyaṇametasmānna punarāvartanta
ityeṣa nirodhastadeṣa ślokaḥ .. 1.10..
Translation by Swami Sivananda
10 But those who seek the Self through austerity, chastity, faith and knowledge travel by the Northern Path and win the Sun. The Sun, verily, is the support of all lives. He is immortal and fearless; He is the final goal. Thence they do not return. This path is blocked for the ignorant. Concerning it there is the following verse:

Translation by Max Mueller
10. But those who have sought the Self by penance, abstinence, faith, and knowledge, gain by the Northern path Âditya, the sun. This is the home of the spirits, the immortal, free from danger, the highest. From thence they do not return, for it is the end. Thus says the Sloka 1:

Word Meaning
अथ (atha) – then
उत्तरेण (uttareṇa) – through the northern route
तपसा (tapasā) – by penance
ब्रह्मचर्येण (brahmacaryeṇa) – by celibacy
श्रद्धया (śraddhayā) – by faith
विद्यया (vidyayā) – by Knowledge
आत्मानं अन्विष्य (ātmānaṃ anviṣya) – those who have sought the Ᾱtman
आदित्यं (ādityaṃ) – the sun
अभिजयन्ते (abhijayante) – gain
एतत् (etat) – this
वै (vai) – verily
प्राणानां (prāṇānāṃ) – of all living creatures
आयतनं (āyatanaṃ) – the home
एतत् (etat) – this
अमृतं (amṛtaṃ) – immortal
अभयं (abhayaṃ) – fearless
एतत् (etat) – this
परायणं (parāyaṇaṃ) – ṭhe highest goal
एतस्मात् (etasmāt) – from there
नपुनरावर्तन्त (napunarāvartanta) – do not return
इति (iti) – thus
एष (eṣa) – this
निरोधः (nirodhaḥ) – end
तत् (tat) – that
एष (eṣa) – this
श्लोकः (ślokaḥ) – mantra
deity_Prashna

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

By the northern route, they reach the sun, a part of the lord of creation, the prana, the eater. By what? by tapas, i.e., by control over the senses, more particularly by Brahmacharya, by faith and by knowledge regarding the self of the lord of creation, i.e., worship of Prajâpati; seeking after the self, i.e., the prana, the sun, the stay of the universe, i.e., realising the sun in the form ‘I am he,’ they gain, i.e., reach the sun. This is certainly the common abode of all lives, their support; this is immortal, i.e., indestructible and, therefore, fearless, not full of fear of increase or diminution like the moon. This is the highest goal of those who resort to mere worship and of those who combine karma and worship. They da not return from hence, as followers of mere karma do: Hence, this is, the obstacle of the ignorant; for, the ignorant obstructed by the sun do not attain the year, i.e., the sun, i.e., the prana. He, the year, in the nature of time, is an obstacle to the ignorant About that, is the following verse.

Prashna Upanishad – 10 – Prashna-1-10-athottareṇa – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning and Commentary by Adi Shankaracharya (Sankara Bhashya) – Prashna-1-10