Prashna Upanishad – I – Spiritual paths of the Moon and Sun – 13   «   »

Prashna Upanishad – I – Spiritual paths of the Moon and Sun – 13   «   »

अहोरात्रो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्याहरेव प्राणो रात्रिरेव रयिः प्राणं वा एते
प्रस्कन्दन्ति ये दिवा रत्या संयुज्यन्ते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्यद्रात्रौ
रत्या संयुज्यन्ते ॥ १.१३॥
ahorātro vai prajāpatistasyāhareva prāṇo rātrireva rayiḥ prāṇaṃ vā ete
praskandanti ye divā ratyā saṃyujyante brahmacaryameva tadyadrātrau
ratyā saṃyujyante .. 1.13..
Translation by Swami Sivananda
13 Day and night, verily, are Prajapati. Of these, day is the eater, prana and night, the food, rayi. Those who join in sexual enjoyment by day verily dissipate life; but to join in sexual enjoyment by night is, verily, chastity.

Translation by Max Mueller
13. Day and Night are Prajapati; its day is spirit, its night matter. Those who unite in love by day waste their spirit, but to unite in love by night is right.

deity_Prashna

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

Com.—And that lord of creation, i.e., the month, culminates in his component parts, the day and night as before explained. Of him, the day is, indeed, prâna; the eater, the fire; the night, indeed, is food, as before explained. Those spill their prâna, i.e., the day, that is, waste it by separating it from the selves. Who? Those ignorant men, who by day have carnal intercourse with woman, who is the cause of sexual pleasures. This being so, the prohibition that it should not be done is a rule laid down by the way. If they have intercourse by night, in season, that is Brahmacharyam indeed. That being praiseworthy, the mandate that one should approach his wife during rita, in season, is also, by the way, enjoined. What is relevant here is this, i.e., the lord of creation in the form of day and night becomes such as corn, grain, etc.

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

Prashna Upanishad – 13 – Prashna-1-13-ahorātro – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning and Commentary by Adi Shankaracharya (Sankara Bhashya) – Prashna-1-13