Prashnopanishad - Question 1 - Grantha

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌨𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑍍 belongs to the Atharva Veda and is arranged as six questions asked by disciplined students to the sage Pippalada. The first question asks about the origin of beings and receives a teaching on Prajapati, prana and rayi, the year, the sun, the moon, food, and disciplined household life.

The Upanishad's method is important: the students do not demand instant answers. Pippalada asks them to live with 𑌤𑌪𑌸𑍍, 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌚𑌰𑍍𑌯, and 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌾 for a year, showing that subtle knowledge requires preparation. The first question then explains creation as the interplay of life-force and matter, energy and form.

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌨𑌃

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This title announces the first question of the Prashna Upanishad.

𑌓𑌂 𑌨𑌮𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌨𑍇 । 𑌹𑌰𑌿𑌃 𑌓𑌮𑍍 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The recitation opens with salutations to the supreme Self and the invocation of Hari and Om.

𑌸𑍁𑌕𑍇𑌶𑌾 𑌚 𑌭𑌾𑌰𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌜𑌃 𑌶𑍈𑌬𑍍𑌯𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌃 𑌸𑍌𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯𑌣𑍀 𑌚 𑌗𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌗𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌕𑍌𑌸𑌲𑍍𑌯𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌲𑌾𑌯𑌨𑍋 𑌭𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌗𑌵𑍋 𑌵𑍈𑌦𑌰𑍍𑌭𑌿𑌃 𑌕𑌬𑌂𑌧𑍀 𑌕𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯𑌨𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇 𑌹𑍈𑌤𑍇 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌪𑌰𑌾 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌨𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌷𑌮𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌃 𑌏𑌷 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍀𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑍇 𑌹 𑌸𑌮𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌾𑌣𑌯𑍋 𑌭𑌗𑌵𑌂𑌤𑌂 𑌪𑌿𑌪𑍍𑌪𑌲𑌾𑌦𑌮𑍁𑌪𑌸𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌾𑌃 ॥1॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Six seekers approach Pippalada with fuel in hand, dedicated to Brahman and seeking knowledge of the supreme reality.

𑌤𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌹 𑌸 𑌋𑌷𑌿𑌰𑍁𑌵𑌾𑌚 𑌭𑍂𑌯 𑌏𑌵 𑌤𑌪𑌸𑌾 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌚𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌣 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌯𑌾 𑌸𑌂𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌰𑌂 𑌸𑌂𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌥 𑌯𑌥𑌾𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌨𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍃𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌤 𑌯𑌦𑌿 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌹 𑌵𑍋 𑌵𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾𑌮 𑌇𑌤𑌿 ॥2॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Pippalada asks them to live for a year with austerity, celibacy, and faith before asking their questions.

𑌅𑌥 𑌕𑌬𑌂𑌧𑍀 𑌕𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯𑌨 𑌉𑌪𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌚𑍍𑌛 𑌭𑌗𑌵𑌨𑍍 𑌕𑍁𑌤𑍋 𑌹 𑌵𑌾 𑌇𑌮𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌂𑌤 𑌇𑌤𑌿 ॥3॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Kabandhi asks from where all beings are born.

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑍈 𑌸 𑌹𑍋𑌵𑌾𑌚-
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌕𑌾𑌮𑍋 𑌵𑍈 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌃 𑌸 𑌤𑌪𑍋𑌽𑌤𑌪𑍍𑌯𑌤 𑌸 𑌤𑌪𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌪𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌸 𑌮𑌿𑌥𑍁𑌨𑌮𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌯𑌤𑍇।
𑌰𑌯𑌿𑌂 𑌚 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌂𑌚𑍇𑌤𑌿 𑌏𑌤𑍌 𑌮𑍇 𑌬𑌹𑍁𑌧𑌾 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌃 𑌕𑌰𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌤 𑌇𑌤𑌿 ॥4॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Pippalada answers that Prajapati desired progeny and created prana and rayi, expecting them to produce beings.

𑌆𑌦𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍋 𑌰𑌯𑌿𑌰𑍇𑌵 𑌚𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌾𑌃 𑌰𑌯𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌏𑌤𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌚𑌾𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌚 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍇𑌵 𑌰𑌯𑌿𑌃 ॥5॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The sun is prana and the moon is rayi; all formed and formless existence is included in rayi as the field of manifestation.

𑌅𑌥𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯 𑌉𑌦𑌯𑌨𑍍 𑌯𑌤𑍍 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌚𑍀𑌂 𑌦𑌿𑌶𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌶𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑍇𑌨 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌚𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌷𑍁 𑌸𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌧𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍇।
𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌣𑌾𑌂 𑌯𑌤𑍍 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍀𑌚𑍀𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑍁𑌦𑍀𑌚𑍀𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌧𑍋 𑌯𑌦𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌧𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌂𑌤𑌰𑌾 𑌦𑌿𑌶𑍋 𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌕𑌾𑌶𑌯𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑍇𑌨 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌷𑍁 𑌸𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌧𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍇 ॥6॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The rising sun enters the directions with its rays and gathers life into itself.

𑌸 𑌏𑌷 𑌵𑍈𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌰𑍋 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍁𑌪𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍋𑌽𑌗𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍁𑌦𑌯𑌤𑍇।
𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍 𑌋𑌚𑌾𑌽𑌭𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍍 ॥𑍭॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The sun is described as the all-formed Vaishvanara, the cosmic fire and prana rising for beings.

𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌹𑌰𑌿𑌣𑌂 𑌜𑌾𑌤𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌸𑌂 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌂 𑌜𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍇𑌕𑌂 𑌤𑌪𑌂𑌤𑌮𑍍।
𑌸𑌹𑌸𑍍𑌰𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌃 𑌶𑌤𑌧𑌾 𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌮𑍁𑌦𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷 𑌸𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌃 ॥𑍮॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The solar prana is praised as the many-rayed, all-seeing, single light and refuge of beings.

𑌸𑌂𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌰𑍋 𑌵𑍈 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌃 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯𑌨𑍇 𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌣𑌂𑌚𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌰𑌂 𑌚।
𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌤𑌦𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌾𑌪𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑍇 𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌮𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌪𑌾𑌸𑌤𑍇 𑌤𑍇 𑌚𑌾𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌸𑌮𑍇𑌵 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌮𑌭𑌿𑌜𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇 𑌤 𑌏𑌵 𑌪𑍁𑌨𑌰𑌾𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌂𑌤𑍇।
𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌤 𑌋𑌷𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌾 𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌣𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇। 𑌏𑌷 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌰𑌯𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌿𑌤𑍃𑌯𑌾𑌣𑌃 ॥𑍯॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The year is Prajapati, with southern and northern paths corresponding to ritual-merit and knowledge-directed life.

𑌅𑌥𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌰𑍇𑌣 𑌤𑌪𑌸𑌾 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌚𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌣 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌯𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌭𑌿𑌜𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇।
𑌏𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍈 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌯𑌤𑌨𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌦𑌮𑍃𑌤𑌮𑌭𑌯𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌤𑍍 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌨 𑌪𑍁𑌨𑌰𑌾𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌂𑌤 𑌇𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍋𑌧𑌃। 𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌷 𑌶𑍍𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌃 ॥10॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Those who pursue austerity, celibacy, faith, and knowledge through the northern path reach the sun, the fearless support from which there is no return.

𑌪𑌂𑌚𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌂 𑌪𑌿𑌤𑌰𑌂 𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌦𑌶𑌾𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌿𑌂 𑌦𑌿𑌵 𑌆𑌹𑍁𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑍇 𑌅𑌰𑍍𑌧𑍇 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍀𑌷𑌿𑌣𑌮𑍍।
𑌅𑌥𑍇𑌮𑍇 𑌅𑌨𑍍𑌯 𑌉 𑌪𑌰𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌣𑌂 𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌰𑍇 𑌷𑌡𑌰 𑌆𑌹𑍁𑌰𑌰𑍍𑌪𑌿𑌤𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 ॥11॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The sun is praised as having five feet, twelve forms, seven wheels, and six spokes, the father and giver of rain.

𑌮𑌾𑌸𑍋 𑌵𑍈 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌪𑌕𑍍𑌶 𑌏𑌵 𑌰𑌯𑌿𑌃 𑌶𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌲𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌣𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌤 𑌋𑌷𑌯𑌃 𑌶𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌲 𑌇𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌂 𑌕𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂𑌤𑍀𑌤𑌰 𑌇𑌤𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍍 ॥12॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The month is Prajapati: the dark half is rayi and the bright half is prana, and ritual action follows this distinction.

𑌅𑌹𑍋𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍋 𑌵𑍈 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌹𑌰𑍇𑌵 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍋 𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌰𑍇𑌵 𑌰𑌯𑌿𑌃।
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌂 𑌵𑌾 𑌏𑌤𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌕𑌂𑌦𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑍇 𑌦𑌿𑌵𑌾 𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌸𑌂𑌯𑍁𑌜𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌚𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍇𑌵 𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍌 𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌸𑌂𑌯𑍁𑌜𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇 ॥13॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Day and night are Prajapati; day is prana and night is rayi, so conduct and union must be governed by sacred order.

𑌅𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌂 𑌵𑍈 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌤𑍋 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌮𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌂𑌤 𑌇𑌤𑌿 ॥14॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Food is Prajapati; from food comes seed and from seed beings are born.

𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌂 𑌚𑌰𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑌿𑌥𑍁𑌨𑌮𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇।
𑌤𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌮𑍇𑌵𑍈𑌷 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍋 𑌯𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌂 𑌤𑌪𑍋 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌚𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌯𑍇𑌷𑍁 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌿𑌤𑌮𑍍 ॥15॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Those who keep Prajapati's vow produce offspring, and the Brahma-world belongs to those in whom austerity, celibacy, and truth are established.

𑌤𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌮𑌸𑍌 𑌵𑌿𑌰𑌜𑍋 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍋 𑌨 𑌯𑍇𑌷𑍁 𑌜𑌿𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌮𑌨𑍃𑌤𑌂 𑌨 𑌮𑌾𑌯𑌾 𑌚𑍇𑌤𑌿 ॥16॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The pure Brahma-world belongs to those without crookedness, falsehood, or deceit.

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