Prashna Upanishad – III – Origin and Nature of Prana – 1   «   »

Prashna Upanishad – III – Origin and Nature of Prana – 1   «   »

Prashna III – Origin and Nature of Prana
अथ हैनं कौशल्यश्चाश्वलायनः पप्रच्छ । भगवन् कुत
एष प्राणो जायते कथमायात्यस्मिञ्शरीर आत्मानं वा
प्रविभज्य कथं प्रतिष्ठते केनोत्क्रमते कथं बाह्यमभिधत्ते
कथमध्यात्ममिति ॥ ३.१॥
atha hainaṃ kauśalyaścāśvalāyanaḥ papraccha . bhagavan kuta
eṣa prāṇo jāyate kathamāyātyasmiñśarīra ātmānaṃ vā
pravibhajya kathaṃ pratiṣṭhate kenotkramate kathaṃ bāhyamabhidhatte
kathamadhyātmamiti .. 3.1..
Translation by Swami Sivananda
1 Then Kausalya, the son of Asvala, asked Pippalada: Sir, whence is this prana born? How does it come into this body? How does it abide in the body after it has divided itself? How does it depart? How does it support the external and how the internal?

Translation by Max Mueller
1. Then Kausalya Âsvalâyana asked: Sir, whence is that Prâna (spirit) born? How does it come into this body? And how does it abide, after it has divided itself? How does it go out? How does it support what is without, and how what is within?

Word Meaning
अथ (atha) – then
ह (ha) – verily
एनं (enaṃ) – him (Pippalāda)
कौसल्यः (kausalyaḥ) – Kausalya
च (ca) – also
आश्वलायनः (āśvalāyanaḥ) – son of Aśvala
पप्रच्छ (papraccha) – questioned
भगवन् (bhagavan) – O Bhagavān
कुतः (kutaḥ) – whence
एषः (eṣaḥ) – this
प्राणः (prāṇaḥ) – prāṇa
जायते (jāyate) – has come
कथम् (katham) – tell how
आयाति (āyāti) – enters
अस्मिन् (asmin) – this
शरीरे (śarīre) – in the body
आत्मानं (ātmānaṃ) – of itself
वा (vā) – or
प्रविभज्य (pravibhajya) – dividing into parts
कथं (kathaṃ) – tell how
प्रतिष्ठते (pratiṣṭhate) – abides
केन (kena) – which
उत्क्रमते (utkramate) – goes out
कथं (kathaṃ) – tell how
बाह्यम् (bāhyam) – outer
अभिधत्ते (abhidhatte) – supports
कथम् (katham) – tell how
अध्यात्मम् (adhyātmam) – the internal
इति (iti) – thus
deity_Prashna

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

Then, Kausalya, son of Âsvala questioned him. Though Prânas glory has been thus realized by the prânas, which had ascertained its real nature, it may still be that it is an effect, being a combination (samhata). Therefore, I ask, Oh Bhagavan! whence, i.e., from what cause, Prâna, thus determined, is produced and when produced, by what form of activity does he enter the body? The meaning is, what is the cause of his taking a body and when he has entered the body, how does he, dividing himself, stay? By what form of activity does he ascend from the body? How does he support what is external to the body, i.e., adhi bhûta and adhi daiva, i.e., the totality of elements and powers; and how, what is within the body.

Prashna Upanishad – 1 – Prashna-3-1-atha hainaṃ – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning and Commentary by Adi Shankaracharya (Sankara Bhashya) – Prashna-3-1