Prashnopanishad - Question 3 - Samskritam

The third question of प्रश्नोपनिषद् 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. प्राण is said to arise from आत्मा, enter through mind and karma, and distribute itself as प्राण, अपान, समान, व्यान, and उदान. These are not just breathing categories; they describe how life organizes perception, digestion, circulation, upward movement, and the journey after death.

तृतीयः प्रश्नः

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

अथ हैनं कौशल्यश्चाश्वलायनः पप्रच्छ।
भगवन् कुत एष प्राणो जायते कथमायात्यस्मिञ्शरीर आत्मानं वा प्रविभज्य कथं प्रतिष्ठते केनोत्क्रमते कथं बह्यमभिधते कथमध्यात्ममिति ॥1॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
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.

तस्मै स होवाचातिप्रश्चान् पृच्छसि ब्रह्मिष्ठोऽसीति तस्मात्तेऽहं ब्रवीमि ॥2॥

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

आत्मन एष प्राणो जायते यथैषा पुरुषे छायैतस्मिन्नेतदाततं मनोकृतेनायात्यस्मिञ्शरीरे ॥3॥

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

यथा सम्रादेवाधिकृतान् विनियुङ्क्ते।
एतन् ग्रामानोतान् ग्रामानधितिष्ठस्वेत्येवमेवैष प्राण इतरान् प्राणान् पृथक्पृथगेव सन्निधत्ते ॥4॥

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

पायूपस्थेऽपानं चक्षुःश्रोत्रे मुखनासिकाभ्यां प्राणः स्वयं प्रातिष्ठते मध्ये तु समानः।
एष ह्येतद्धुतमन्नं समं नयति तस्मादेताः सप्तार्चिषो भवन्ति ॥5॥

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

हृदि ह्येष आत्मा।
अत्रैतदेकशतं नाडीनां तासां शतं शतमेकैकस्यां द्वासप्ततिर्द्वासप्ततिः प्रतिशाखानाडीसहस्राणि भवन्त्यासु व्यानश्चरति ॥6॥

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

अथैकयोर्ध्व उदानः पुण्येन पुण्यं लोकं नयति।
पापेन पापमुभाभ्यामेव मनुष्यलोकम् ॥7॥

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

आदित्यो ह वै बाह्यः प्राण उदयत्येष ह्येनं चाक्षुषं प्राणमनुगृह्णानः।
पृथिव्यां या देवता सैषा पुरुषस्यापानमवष्टभ्यान्तरा यदाकाशः स समानो वायुर्व्यानः ॥8॥

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

तेजो ह वाव उदानस्तस्मादुपशान्ततेजाः पुनर्भवमिन्द्रियैर्मनसि सम्पद्यमानैः ॥9॥

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

यच्चित्तस्तेनैष प्राणमायाति प्राणस्तेजसा युक्तः।
सहात्मना यथासङ्कल्पितं लोकं नयति ॥10॥

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

य एवं विद्वान् प्राणं वेद।
न हास्य प्रजा हीयतेऽमृतो भवति तदेषः श्लोकः ॥11॥

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

उत्पत्तिमायतिं स्थानं विभुत्वं चैव पञ्चधा।
अध्यात्मं चैव प्राणस्य विज्ञायामृतमश्नुते विज्ञायामृतमश्नुत इति ॥12॥

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

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