Prashnopanishad - Question 4 - English

The fourth question of praśnōpaniṣad asks what sleeps, what remains awake, who sees dreams, who experiences happiness, and in whom everything is finally established. Pippalada answers by analyzing sleep, dream, deep rest, and the return of all faculties into the supreme Self.

This question is closely related to the Mandukya Upanishad but uses its own imagery. The senses rest like rays withdrawing into the sun, while prana remains awake like sacred fires. Dream is the mind's field of remembered and recombined experience; deep sleep gives a taste of undivided rest when the mind is overpowered by light.

chaturthaḥ praśnaḥ

Translation (bhāvārtha):
This title announces the fourth question of the Prashna Upanishad.

atha hainaṃ sauryāyaṇi gārgyaḥ paprachCha।
bhagavannētasmin puruṣē kāni svapanti kānyasmiñjāgrati katara ēṣa dēvaḥ svapnān paśyati kasyaitatsukhaṃ bhavati kasminnu sarvē sampratiṣṭhitā bhavantīti ॥1॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Gargya asks which powers sleep, which remain awake, who sees dreams, whose happiness is experienced, and where all are established.

tasmai sa hōvācha। yatha gārgya marīchayō'rkasyāstaṃ gachChataḥ sarvā ētasmiṃstējōmaṇḍala ēkībhavanti।
tāḥ punaḥ punarudayataḥ pracharantyēvaṃ ha vai tat sarvaṃ parē dēvē manasyēkībhavati।
tēna tarhyēṣa puruṣō na śṛṇōti na paśyati na jighrati na rasayatē na spṛśatē nābhivadatē nādattē nānandayatē na visṛjatē nēyāyatē svapitītyāchakṣatē ॥2॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Pippalada says that as the sun's rays gather into the solar orb at sunset, the senses gather into the mind during sleep.

prāṇāgraya ēvaitasmin purē jāgrati।
gārhapatyō ha vā ēṣō'pānō vyānō'nvāhāryapachanō yad gārhapatyāt praṇīyatē praṇayanādāhavanīyaḥ prāṇaḥ ॥3॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
In the city of the body, the pranas remain awake like sacred fires.

yaduchChvāsaniḥśvāsāvētāvāhutī samaṃ nayatīti sa samānaḥ।
manō ha vāva yajamānaḥ iṣṭaphalamēvōdānaḥ sa ēnaṃ yajamānamaharaharbrahma gamayati ॥4॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Samana equalizes inhalation and exhalation, mind is the sacrificer, and udana leads the sacrificer day by day toward Brahman.

atraiṣa dēvaḥ svapnē mahimānamanubhavati।
yad dṛṣṭaṃ dṛṣṭamanupaśyati śrutaṃ śrutamēvārthamanuśṛṇōti dēśadigantaraiścha pratyanubhūtaṃ punaḥ punaḥ pratyanubhavati dṛṣṭaṃ chādṛṣṭaṃ cha śrutaṃ chāśrutaṃ chānubhūtaṃ chānanubhūtaṃ cha sachchāsachcha sarvaṃ paśyati sarvaḥ pasyati ॥5॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
In dream, the inner deity of mind experiences greatness by seeing again what was seen, hearing again what was heard, and recombining known and unknown experiences.

sa yadā tējasābhibhūtō bhavatyatraiṣa dēvaḥ svapnān na paśyatyatha yadaitasmiñśarīrē ētatsukhaṃ bhavati ॥6॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
When overcome by light, the mind does not see dreams; then happiness arises in the body.

sa yathā sōbhya vayāṃsi vasōvṛkṣaṃ sampratiṣṭhantē ēvaṃ ha vai tat sarvaṃ para ātmani sampratiṣṭhatē ॥7॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
As birds return to a tree, all this returns to the supreme Self.

pṛthivī cha pṛthivīmātrā chāpaśchāpōmātrā cha tējaścha tējōmātrā cha vāyuścha vāyumātrā chākāśaśchākāśamātrā cha chakṣuścha draṣṭavyaṃ cha śrōtraṃ cha śrōtavyaṃ cha ghrāṇaṃ cha ghrātavyaṃ cha rasaścha rasayitavyaṃ cha tvakcha sparśayitavyaṃ cha vākcha vaktavyaṃ cha hastau chādātavyaṃ chōpasthaśchānandayitavyaṃ cha pāyuścha visarjayitavyaṃ cha yādau cha gantavyaṃ cha manaścha mantavyaṃ cha buddhiścha bōddhavyaṃ chāhaṅkāraśchāhaṅkartavyaṃ cha chittaṃ cha chētayitavyaṃ cha tējaścha vidyōtayitavyaṃ cha prāṇaścha vidyārayitavyaṃ cha ॥8॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The elements, senses, organs, mind, intellect, ego, memory, light, and prana all settle in the supreme Self.

ēṣa hi draṣṭa spraṣṭā śrōtā ghrātā rasayitā mantā bōddhā kartā vijñānātmā puruṣaḥ।
sa parē'kṣara ātmani sampratiṣṭhatē ॥9॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The conscious person is the seer, toucher, hearer, smeller, taster, thinker, knower, and doer, and is established in the imperishable Self.

paramēvākṣaraṃ pratipadyatē sa yō ha vai tadachChāyamaśarīramlōhitaṃ śubhramakṣaraṃ vēdayatē yastu sōmya sa sarvajñaḥ sarvō bhavati tadēṣa ślōkaḥ ॥10॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
One who knows the shadowless, bodiless, colorless, pure, imperishable Self becomes all-knowing and enters all.

vijñānātmā saha dēvaiścha sarvaiḥ prāṇā bhutāni sampratiṣṭhanti yatra।
tadakṣaraṃ vēdayatē yastu sōmya sa sarvajñaḥ sarvamēvāvivēśēti ॥11॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The closing verse says that all faculties, deities, pranas, and beings rest in that imperishable which the knower realizes.

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