Prashnopanishad - Question 6 - English

The sixth question of praśnōpaniṣad asks about the purusha with sixteen parts. Pippalada answers that this purusha is within the body and that the sixteen parts arise from him and return to him, just as rivers lose name and form upon reaching the ocean.

This final question brings the Upanishad to completion. After teachings on creation, prana, the vital functions, sleep, and ōṃ, the sage now points to the inner purusha as the source and resting place of all differentiated powers. The sixteen parts include prana, faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, senses, mind, food, vigor, austerity, mantras, action, worlds, and name.

ṣaṣṭhaḥ praśnaḥ

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

atha hainaṃ sukēśā bhāradvājaḥ paprachCha -
bhagavan hiraṇyanābhaḥ kausalyō rājaputrō māmupētyaitaṃ praśnamapṛchChata -
ṣōḍaśakalaṃ bhāradvāja puruṣaṃ vēttha। tamahaṃ kumārambruvaṃ nāhamimaṃ vēda yadhyahamimamavēdiṣaṃ kathaṃ tē nāvakṣyamiti ।
samūlō vā ēṣa pariśuṣyati yō'nṛtamabhivadati। tasmānnārhamyanṛtaṃ vaktum। sa tūṣṇīṃ rathamāruhya pravavrāja। taṃ tvā pṛchChāmi kvāsau puruṣa iti ॥1॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Sukesha truthfully says he did not know the sixteen-part purusha when asked by prince Hiranyanabha, because falsehood dries a person up at the root.

tasmai sa hōvācha ।
ihaivāntaḥśarīrē sōbhya sa puruṣō yasminnatāḥ ṣōḍaśakalāḥ prabhavantīti ॥2॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Pippalada answers that the purusha from whom the sixteen parts arise is right here within the body.

sa īkṣāñchakrē। kasminnahamutkrānta utkrāntō bhaviṣyāmi kasmin vā pratiṣṭhitē pratiṣṭasyāmīti ॥3॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The purusha reflected: by whose departure shall I depart, and by whose establishment shall I remain established.

sa prāṇamasṛjata। prāṇāchChraddhāṃ khaṃ vāyurjyōtirāpaḥ pṛthivīndriyaṃ manō'nnamannādvīryaṃ tapō mantrāḥ karmalōkā lōkēṣu cha nāma cha ॥4॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
He created prana, faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, senses, mind, food, vigor, tapas, mantras, actions, worlds, and names.

sa yathēmā nadhyaḥ syandamānāḥ samudrāyaṇāḥ samudraṃ prāpyāstaṃ gachChanti bhidhyētē tāsāṃ nāmarupē samudra ityēvaṃ prōchyatē।
ēvamēvāsya paridraṣṭurimāḥ ṣōḍaśakalāḥ puruṣāyaṇāḥ puruṣaṃ prāpyāstaṃ gachChanti bhidhyētē chāsāṃ nāmarupē puruṣa ityēvaṃ prōchyatē sa ēṣō'kalō'mṛtō bhavati tadēṣa ślōkaḥ ॥5॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
As rivers flowing to the ocean lose name and form and are known as ocean alone, the sixteen parts return to the purusha and become known as purusha alone; he becomes partless and immortal.

arā iva rathanābhau kalā yasmin pratiṣṭhitāḥ।
taṃ vēdhyaṃ puruṣaṃ vēda yathā mā vō mṛtyuḥ parivyathā iti ॥6॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The verse says that the parts are fixed in the purusha like spokes in the hub of a wheel; know that purusha so death may not trouble you.

tān hōvāchaitāvadēvāhamētat paraṃ brahma vēda। nātaḥ paramastīti ॥7॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Pippalada concludes that this is all he knows of the supreme Brahman and that there is nothing higher.

tē tamarchayantastvaṃ hi naḥ pitā yō'smākamavidhyāyāḥ paraṃ pāraṃ tārayasīti।
namaḥ paramṛṣibhyō namaḥ paramṛṣibhyaḥ ॥8॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The students worship him as father because he carried them beyond ignorance, and they bow to the supreme seers.

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