Prashnopanishad - Question 3 - Grantha

The third question of 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌨𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑍍 asks where prana is born, how it enters the body, how it divides itself, how it supports the outer world, and how it departs. Pippalada answers by linking prana with the Self and explaining its fivefold functions.

This teaching is central for understanding the Upanishadic view of embodied life. 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣 is said to arise from 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾, enter through mind and karma, and distribute itself as 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣, 𑌅𑌪𑌾𑌨, 𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌨, 𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨, and 𑌉𑌦𑌾𑌨. These are not just breathing categories; they describe how life organizes perception, digestion, circulation, upward movement, and the journey after death.

𑌤𑍃𑌤𑍀𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌨𑌃

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

𑌅𑌥 𑌹𑍈𑌨𑌂 𑌕𑍌𑌶𑌲𑍍𑌯𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌲𑌾𑌯𑌨𑌃 𑌪𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌚𑍍𑌛।
𑌭𑌗𑌵𑌨𑍍 𑌕𑍁𑌤 𑌏𑌷 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍋 𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌕𑌥𑌮𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌞𑍍𑌶𑌰𑍀𑌰 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌵𑌾 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌭𑌜𑍍𑌯 𑌕𑌥𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌤𑍇 𑌕𑍇𑌨𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌤𑍇 𑌕𑌥𑌂 𑌬𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌭𑌿𑌧𑌤𑍇 𑌕𑌥𑌮𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌿 ॥1॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Kaushalya asks where prana arises, how it enters the body, how it divides itself, how it leaves, and how it supports the inner and outer worlds.

𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑍈 𑌸 𑌹𑍋𑌵𑌾𑌚𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍃𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌸𑌿 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍀𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌹𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌵𑍀𑌮𑌿 ॥2॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Pippalada says the question is advanced, but because the student is devoted to Brahman he will answer.

𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌨 𑌏𑌷 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍋 𑌜𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌯𑌥𑍈𑌷𑌾 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑍇 𑌛𑌾𑌯𑍈𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍇𑌤𑌦𑌾𑌤𑌤𑌂 𑌮𑌨𑍋𑌕𑍃𑌤𑍇𑌨𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌞𑍍𑌶𑌰𑍀𑌰𑍇 ॥3॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Prana is born from the Self, as a shadow from a person, and enters the body through the activity of mind.

𑌯𑌥𑌾 𑌸𑌮𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌧𑌿𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑌿𑌯𑍁𑌂𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍇।
𑌏𑌤𑌨𑍍 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍋𑌤𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌧𑌿𑌤𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌸𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌵𑌮𑍇𑌵𑍈𑌷 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣 𑌇𑌤𑌰𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌕𑍍𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌗𑍇𑌵 𑌸𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌧𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍇 ॥4॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
As a king assigns officials, prana assigns the other vital forces to their places.

𑌪𑌾𑌯𑍂𑌪𑌸𑍍𑌥𑍇𑌽𑌪𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌃𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇 𑌮𑍁𑌖𑌨𑌾𑌸𑌿𑌕𑌾𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌃 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌯𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑌧𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌤𑍁 𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌃।
𑌏𑌷 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌧𑍁𑌤𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌂 𑌸𑌮𑌂 𑌨𑌯𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌤𑌾𑌃 𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌷𑍋 𑌭𑌵𑌂𑌤𑌿 ॥5॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Apana works in the lower organs; prana abides in eye, ear, mouth, and nose; samana dwells in the middle and distributes food-offerings evenly.

𑌹𑍃𑌦𑌿 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾।
𑌅𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍈𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌕𑌶𑌤𑌂 𑌨𑌾𑌡𑍀𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌤𑌾𑌸𑌾𑌂 𑌶𑌤𑌂 𑌶𑌤𑌮𑍇𑌕𑍈𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌤𑌿𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌶𑌾𑌖𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌡𑍀𑌸𑌹𑌸𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌿 𑌭𑌵𑌂𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌸𑍁 𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌰𑌤𑌿 ॥6॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The Self dwells in the heart, where many channels branch into thousands; through them vyana moves.

𑌅𑌥𑍈𑌕𑌯𑍋𑌰𑍍𑌧𑍍𑌵 𑌉𑌦𑌾𑌨𑌃 𑌪𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌨 𑌪𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌂 𑌨𑌯𑌤𑌿।
𑌪𑌾𑌪𑍇𑌨 𑌪𑌾𑌪𑌮𑍁𑌭𑌾𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍇𑌵 𑌮𑌨𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌮𑍍 ॥𑍭॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Udana leads upward through one channel, carrying the virtuous to higher worlds, the sinful to lower worlds, and mixed karma back to human birth.

𑌆𑌦𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌬𑌾𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣 𑌉𑌦𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌨𑌂 𑌚𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌷𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌮𑌨𑍁𑌗𑍃𑌹𑍍𑌣𑌾𑌨𑌃।
𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌯𑌾 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌤𑌾 𑌸𑍈𑌷𑌾 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌪𑌾𑌨𑌮𑌵𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌰𑌾 𑌯𑌦𑌾𑌕𑌾𑌶𑌃 𑌸 𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍋 𑌵𑌾𑌯𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌃 ॥𑍮॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Externally, the sun is prana, earth supports apana, space is samana, air is vyana, and fire is udana.

𑌤𑍇𑌜𑍋 𑌹 𑌵𑌾𑌵 𑌉𑌦𑌾𑌨𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍁𑌪𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌤𑍇𑌜𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑍁𑌨𑌰𑍍𑌭𑌵𑌮𑌿𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑍈𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌨𑌸𑌿 𑌸𑌂𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍈𑌃 ॥𑍯॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
When a person's fire is weakened, senses merge in mind and rebirth follows according to thought.

𑌯𑌚𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌨𑍈𑌷 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌮𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌤𑌿 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌜𑌸𑌾 𑌯𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌃।
𑌸𑌹𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌨𑌾 𑌯𑌥𑌾𑌸𑌂𑌕𑌲𑍍𑌪𑌿𑌤𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌂 𑌨𑌯𑌤𑌿 ॥10॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
With the mind absorbed in prana, joined with udana and the Self, one is led to the intended world.

𑌯 𑌏𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌂 𑌵𑍇𑌦।
𑌨 𑌹𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑌾 𑌹𑍀𑌯𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍋 𑌭𑌵𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌷𑌃 𑌶𑍍𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌃 ॥11॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
One who knows prana in this way does not lose progeny and becomes immortal in the teaching's sense.

𑌉𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌮𑌾𑌯𑌤𑌿𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌭𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌚𑍈𑌵 𑌪𑌂𑌚𑌧𑌾।
𑌅𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌂 𑌚𑍈𑌵 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍃𑌤𑌮𑌶𑍍𑌨𑍁𑌤𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍃𑌤𑌮𑌶𑍍𑌨𑍁𑌤 𑌇𑌤𑌿 ॥12॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The closing verse says that knowing prana's origin, entry, place, fivefold rule, and inner relation leads to immortality.

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