08 Prashna Upanishad

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PRASHNA
UPANISHAD
Questions from
Disciples
“THE SANDEEPANY EXPERIENCE”
TEXT Reflections by
SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA
08
Sandeepany’s Vedanta Course
List of All the Course Texts in Chronological Sequence:
Text Text
TITLE OF TEXT TITLE OF TEXT
No. No.
1 Sadhana Panchakam 24 Hanuman Chalisa
2 Tattwa Bodha 25 Vakya Vritti
3 Atma Bodha 26 Advaita Makaranda
4 Bhaja Govindam 27 Kaivalya Upanishad
5 Manisha Panchakam 28 Bhagavad Geeta (Discourse -- )
6 Forgive Me 29 Mundaka Upanishad
7 Upadesha Sara 30 Amritabindu Upanishad
8 Prashna Upanishad 31 Mukunda Mala (Bhakti Text)
9 Dhanyashtakam 32 Tapovan Shatkam
10 Bodha Sara 33 The Mahavakyas, Panchadasi 5
11 Viveka Choodamani 34 Aitareya Upanishad
12 Jnana Sara 35 Narada Bhakti Sutras
13 Drig-Drishya Viveka 36 Taittiriya Upanishad
14 “Tat Twam Asi” – Chand Up 6 37 Jivan Sutrani (Tips for Happy Living)
15 Dhyana Swaroopam 38 Kena Upanishad
16 “Bhoomaiva Sukham” Chand Up 7 39 Aparoksha Anubhuti (Meditation)
17 Manah Shodhanam 40 108 Names of Pujya Gurudev
18 “Nataka Deepa” – Panchadasi 10 41 Mandukya Upanishad
19 Isavasya Upanishad 42 Dakshinamurty Ashtakam
20 Katha Upanishad 43 Shad Darshanaah
21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sootras
22 Vedanta Sara 45 Jivanmuktananda Lahari
23 Mahabharata + Geeta Dhyanam 46 Chinmaya Pledge
A NOTE ABOUT SANDEEPANY

Sandeepany Sadhanalaya is an institution run by the Chinmaya Mission in Powai, Mumbai, teaching a
2-year Vedanta Course. It has a very balanced daily programme of basic Samskrit, Vedic chanting, Vedanta
study, Bhagavatam, Ramacharitmanas, Bhajans, meditation, sports and fitness exercises, team-building outings,
games and drama, celebration of all Hindu festivals, weekly Gayatri Havan and Guru Paduka Pooja, and Karma
Yoga activities.
This series is an effort to promote the learning of Vedanta; it does not replace Course, but hopes to
inspire young people to spend two years of their life for an experience that is sure to make a far-reaching
spiritual impact on their personal lives. Sandeepany is an all-round spiritual course that gives proper direction
to the youth and to those approaching retirement. Hinduism is in dire need of a band of systematically trained
teachers or Acharyas who can serve this Eternal Religion.
– The Editor, 1st June 2017, Sannyasa Day of Sri Swami Sivananda
Om Namah Shivaaya!
Text
08
PRASHNA UPANISHAD
Questions from Disciples Answered
by Rishi Pippalada
Reflections
by Swami Gurubhaktananda
on the 18 Lectures delivered by Swami Tejomayananda,
Guruji, during the 15th Batch Vedanta Course at
at the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai
February 21st – March 2nd, 2012
Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda
SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE

Copyright & Author’s Details
Author: Swami Gurubhaktananda, ex Krishna Chaitanya, born Bipin R. Kapitan
of Durban, South Africa.
Residence: Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
Email: gurubhakta.dls@gmail.com
© 2017 All Rights Reserved. Copyright held by Chinmaya International Foundation, Kerala.
About This Edition:

Web Edition: 1st June 2017 Sannyasa Day of Sri Swami Sivananda
Website: Chinmaya International Foundation: www.chinfo.org
Series Title : The Sandeepany Experience
Series Subject: Vedanta & supportive subsidiary texts.
Declaration by the Author: The material in this series is under inspiration of the Sandeepany
Vedanta Course, but largely consists of the Author’s reflections on the Course. He is
deeply indebted to the Chinmaya Mission for its excellent presentation of the Course
by their renowned and dedicated Acharyas.
Personal Dedication
1. To my Parents, Smt Sharadaben & Sri Ratilalbhai Kapitan
who inspired me to study in life, to stick to the path of Dharma and pursue the
highest ideals; and swamped me with their abundant Love;
2. To Pujya Sri Swami Vimalanandaji Maharaj

the President of the Divine Life Society of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India, who
constantly encouraged and supported this effort;
3. To Pujya Sri Swami Tejomayanandaji (Guruji)

for his boundless vision and inspiration to create a vibrant organisation;
4. To Sri Swami Advayanandaji and Sri Swami Sharadanandaji

my Acharyaji and Upa-Acharyaji at Sandeepany, who imparted their bountiful
knowledge and wisdom with rare selfless Divine Love, just as the Rishis of yore
would wish to see them do.
*****
PRASHNA
UPANISHAD
“Questions from Disciples”
FOR SAMSKRIT TEXT WITH SANDHEES
Guide to Splitting Sandhees
Conventional Samskrit Format is used in the body of the book.
Split-Sandhee Samskrit Format is given at the end of the book, for the benefit of
beginners. Word-combinations (Sandhees) are highlighted in bold underline (as shown in
the table below) to help indicate the splitting of words. This is an original feature.
Purpose: To assist new students who are just finding their way in Samskrit to break
up the words (Pada Chheda). It is not intended for those already proficient in Samskrit.
How it Works: 1. Enables normal chanting. The bold underlined letters are Sandhees,
not words, and are needed only to join words for correct chanting.
2. Indicates splitting of words. To determine the words on either side of the
Sandhee, the following table may be used. [The table has been applied in the transliteration
within the body of the book, where individual words are used.]
Add to End Add to Front

SANDHEE
of Prior Word of Posterior Word
A (a) -AÉ- (aa) A (a)
C (i) -D- (ee) C (i)
E (u) -F- (oo) E (u)
elongated vowel -"x- short vowel
short vowel -x"- elongated vowel
elongated vowel -"x" - elongated vowel
A (a) -L- (e) C (i)

A (a) -Lå- (ai) L (e)
A (a) -AÉå- (o) E (u)
A (a) -AÉæ- (au) Lå (ai)
AÈ (ah) -AÉå (o) unaffected
C (i) -rÉç (y) unaffected
E (u) -uÉç (v) unaffected
È (h) -xÉç, -Uç, -zÉç unaffected
*****
PRASHNA UPANISHAD
“Questions from Disciples”
CONTENTS
Introduction: General to All Upanishads 4

Invocation: From the Atharva Veda 7
Query No 1: KABANDHI’S QUESTION: “Matter & Energy” 8
Verse 1.1: The Students Arrive With Firewood 8

Verse 1.2: The Guru’s Welcome 9
Verse 1.3 The First Question: by Kabandhi 10
Verse 1.4 The Reply: Twin Aspects of Creation 10
Verse 1.5 The Equality of Rayi & Prana - 1. All is Rayi 11
Verse 1.6 The Equality of Rayi & Prana – 2. All is Prana 12
Verse 1.7 Vaishwanara – The Immediate Source of Prana & Rayi 14
Verse 1.8 Sruti Quotation: “The Sun that Rises” 15
Verse 1.9 The Southern Path of “Return” 15
Verse 1.10 The Northern Path of “No Return” 16
Verse 1.11 Sruti Quotation: A. The Year as Time Cycle 18
Verse 1.12 B. The Month as Time Cycle 19
Verse 1.13 C. The Day as Time Cycle 20
Verse 1.14 D. Food as the Symbol of the Lord 21
Verse 1.15 The Fruit of Self-Restraint 21
Verse 1.16 The “Gate-Pass” for Spiritual Evolution 22
Query No 2: BHARGAVA’S QUESTION: “The Supremacy of Power” 24

Verse 2.1 The Second Question: by Bhargava 24
Verse 2.2 Each Deva (God) Claims Leadership 25
Verse 2.3 Prana Proclaims His Supremacy 26
Verse 2.4 Prana Goes on ‘Strike’! 27
GLORIFICATION OF PRANA
Verse 2.5 i) Prana as All the Elements 28
Verse 2.6 ii) Prana as All Knowledge & Administration 29
Verse 2.7 iii) Prana as All Living Creatures 30
Verse 2.8 iv) Prana as a “Courier Service” 31
1
Verse 2.9 v) Prana as Creator, Destroyer & Preserver 31
Verse 2.10 vi) Prana as the Giver of Rain 32
Verse 2.11 vii) Prana – the “Un-Baptised One” 33
Verse 2.12 Prayer to Prana – 1 34
Verse 2.13 Prayer to Prana – 2 35
Query No 3: KAUSALYA’S QUESTION: “The Management of Power” 37
Verse 3.1 The Third Question: by Kaushalya 37

Verse 3.2 “It’s a Transcendental Question!” 38
Verse 3.3A Q.3A Who is Prana’s Superior? 38
Verse 3.3B Q.3B How Prana Abides in the Body? 39
Verse 3.4 Q.3C How is Power Delegated – Overview 40
Verse 3.5 Q.3C The Apana, Prana and Samana Assistants 41
Verse 3.6 Q.3C The Vyana Assistant 42
Verse 3.7 Q.3C The Udana Assistant 42
Verses 3.8/9 Q.3E Coupling of Internal & External Upa-Pranas 44
Verse 3.10 Q.3D How Does Prana Go Out? 45
Verse 3.11 The Fruit of Knowledge on Prana 46
Verse 3.12 Sruti Quotation: A Summary 47
Query No 4: GAARGYA’S QUESTION: “The Experiencer of Power” 49
Verse 4.1 The Fourth Question: by Gargya 49

Verse 4.2 Q.4A Viswa – The Experiencer of Waking State 51
Verse 4.3 Q.4B The Prana & the Upa-Pranas 52
Verse 4.4 Q.4B The Upa-Pranas (Contd.) 54
Verse 4.5 Q.4C Taijasa: The Experiencer of Dream 55
Verse 4.6 Q.4D Prajna: The Experiencer of Deep Sleep 56
Verse 4.7 Q.4D Prajna: Always Heading Home 58
Verse 4.8 Q.4D Deep Sleep – 3. Full Details 58
Verse 4.9 Q.4E The Self Witnesses All States 60
Verse 4.10 Q.4E Attributeless & All-Knowing 61
Verse 4.11 Q.4E Sruti Quotation: Merging into the Supreme 62
Query No 5: SATYAKAAMA’S QUESTION: “Development of Power” 65
Verse 5.1 The Fifth Question: by Satyakama 65

Verse 5.2 Omkar – Both Higher & Lower Brahman 66
Verse 5.3 One Letter – Gift of Human Birth on Earth 68
Verse 5.4 Two Letters – Gift of the Heavenly Worlds 69
2
Verse 5.5 Three Letters (Separately) – Gift of Brahmaloka 71
Verse 5.6 Three Letters (Together) – Gift of “Unshakable Yoga” 72
Verse 5.7 Sruti Quotation: Summarising this Chapter 73
Query No 6: SUKESHAA’S QUESTION: “The Source of Power” 75

Verse 6.1 The Sixth Question: by Sukesha 76
Verse 6.2 The Kalas Are Inside the Body Itself! 77
Introduction to the 16 Kalas 78
Verse 6.3 What Determines Our Life or Death? 79
Verse 6.4 How the 16 Kalas Were Created 80
Verse 6.5 Transcending the 16 Kalas 81
Verse 6.6 Sruti Quotation: Knowledge Liberates 83
Verse 6.7 The Rishi Concludes in Humility 84
Verse 6.8 The Students Offer Filial Salutations! 84
Split-Sandhee Samskrit Format (for Beginners) 87

Split-Sandhee English Transliteration 97
TOTAL 67 verses
*****
LORD KRISHNA & RADHA-RANI
3
INTRODUCTION TO UPANISHADS
by Swami Tejomayananda
“The Treasury of Scriptures”
T HE FOLLOWING is a summary of the opening lecture of Guruji on the Upanishads in

general, since this text is the first Upanishad that we are studying.
The Vedas are the authoritative text for Vedanta. It is a treasury of knowledge, as
well as a means for direct knowledge of the Self or Brahman.
Dharma: The Individual & Social Domain

Dharma is a universal constitution that governs all life on earth, communal or
individual. If it is obeyed, communities can live in harmony; and individuals, too, can live in
harmony with the spiritual goal of life. If it is disobeyed, there is much sorrow and pain that
ensues, again for the individual as well as for the community.
Dharma’s main focus is on righteous conduct at both these levels, so that not only
we get what we need to live, but we do not deprive others their right to the same. At the
individual level, Dharma leads to purity; at the social level, Dharma leads to communal
peace, harmony, and order.
The Vedas are the Pramana or the source of knowledge on Dharma. The standards
set by the Vedas are beyond preferences, which is the main weakness of the human being.
True law and order are beyond this weakness that pervades human existence. The universal
laws do not favour any particular sect, race, or country in the world. Dharma refers to such
universal laws that are free from all bias, making them applicable to all communities across
the globe.
Within the umbrella of Dharma, are specially applicable rules which may be called
“customized Dharma” for particular groups within a geographic region. Under this category
comes Hinu Dharma, Christian Dharma, Islamic Dharma, etc. Hindu Dharma is largely
universal in nature. However, there are certain unique features in it which have in mind the
protection of harmony within the sub-continent of India.
The above lays down the foundation-stone for our outlook on Dharma and Hindu
Dharma. Constructive interpretations of ancient codes of Dharma have to be viewed with
this broad rule in mind. Otherwise, there is the danger of bigotry, fanaticism, and
fundamentalism creeping into present-day society.
The revelation means that Vedas are Apaurashaya – “not created by man”. It does
not have the limitation that the human intellect has. The knowledge is unchanging, for all
time. It is our sole firm standard for Truth. It is not conventional wisdom, but absolute,
divine wisdom. It has been corroborated by numerous sages and Rishis who have realized
their oneness with God.
The codes of Dharma are called the Dharma Shastras and are for the relative world.
In addition to these there are the Brahma Shastras, which apply to the Absolute Brahman.
4
The Absolute Domain
Unlike the individual or social domain, the Absolute domain is one for the whole
universe. Just as there is only one science of Mathematics or Physics for the whole world, so
also there is one science of Metaphysics for the whole world. That science is a major subject
covered in the Vedas. It is this science that is dealt with in the Upanishads portion of the
Vedas. It is with reference to this knowledge that the Vedas are said to be eternal and not
subject to any change.
Even modern researchers accept that they are the oldest texts in the world. They are
considered to be Anadi and Nitya, that is, beginningless and eternal. When the universe
dissolves, this knowledge also dissolves with it, and reappears at the next time cycle.
Classification of the Vedas

There are three different ways in which the Vedas may be classified:
i) Four Parts: In this age, the Vedas have been compiled into four books by the sage
Veda Vyasa, for the sake of giving some order to its contents. They are the Rig-, Yajur-,
Sama- and Atharva-Vedas.
Each of these 4 parts is further subdivided into four sections: the Mantra Samhitas,
Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and the Upanishads. These are respectively suitable for each of the
four Ashramas, namely, Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa. However,
this is not a hard and fast rule, as there are exceptions. There are some texts which contain
material for all the Ashramas, for example the Chandogya and Taittiriya Upanishads. These
texts have remained intact, and so they have to be applied with caution.
ii) Three Parts: The Vedas can also be classified into three parts as follows. The first
two parts above are put together as the Karma Kanda. The other two form the Upasana
Kanda and Jnana Kanda respectively.
iii) Two Parts: A further type of classification splits the Vedas into two parts: The first
three parts go together as Avidya Maya. The Upanishads remain on their own as the second
part, known as Vidya Maya. These are also termed as the Preyas (the pleasant) and Sreyas
(the good or preferred) paths respectively.
As three parts they tie up nicely with the three types of imperfections in man:
i) Mal – the impurities of the mind, made up of all the Vasanas or subconscious
impressions of tendencies, the desires, the likes and dislikes. These are dealt with through
the Karma Kanda.
ii) Vikshepa – the restlessness or tossing of the mind. These are the continuous
mental agitations which we observe in our mind. These are thinned out through the
Upasana Kanda or the section dealing with worship of the Lord.
iii) Avarana – the veil of Ignorance. This is the root cause of the other two imperfec-
tions. It can be dealt with only through knowledge of the Self. This is where Jnana Kanda
comes into the picture, that is, the Upanishads. The Upanishads are the portion which deals
directly with putting an end to the ignorance of our true nature, and bringing us to the point
of realization of the Self. The knowledge does not ‘DO’ anything. It just dispels ignorance.
The Number of Upanishads:

These deal with Brahma Vidya, but that does not define the Upanishads as there are
other texts like the Bhagavad Geeta which also deal with Brahma Vidya. The defining factor
5
is that the texts have to be ‘revealed’. These are termed Srutis. The Geeta is a Smriti, a text
that has been ‘remembered’.
How many Upanishads are there? Some say 108. Generally 10 are considered as the
major ones. Some sources quote it as 11, adding the Swetaswatara Upanishad to it. The
Isavasya Upanishad is usually the first to be studied.
How many Upanishads do we need to study to know the Truth? If the student is ripe,
one is sufficient to get firmly established in the knowledge. The different Upanishads merely
show the same truth from different perspectives.
Some Upanishads are named after the word with which they begin, e.g. Kena
Upanishad and Isavasya Upanishad.
THE PRASHNA UPANISHAD:
Prashna means “question”. In this Upanishad, there are six students who each ask a
question to the Guru, and the Guru answers them. Hence arises the name of the Upanishad.
Among the top 10 Upanishads, 3 are from the Atharva Veda. They are Mundaka,
Maandukya and Prashna Upanishads. This text is the Prashna Upanishad, also written as the
combined word, “Prashnopanishad”. (Note the a and the u combine to become o).
Upanishad literally means ‘to sit near” and listen to the Truth being expounded. That
is precisely what happens here in this Upanishad.
*****
OM
The Vedic Symbol for Brahman,
the Absolute, Non-Dual Reality.
6
THE PRASHNA UPANISHAD
6 Questions, 67 Verses
“Questions from Disciples Answered”
|| qÉ…¡ûsÉÉcÉUhÉç ||
INVOCATION
THE PEACE INVOCATION gives an auspicious start to our study. It invokes ‘Peace’
without which the mind is not in a fit state to be enlightened. A mind in turmoil cannot have
grasping power to understand the subtle truths.
Through an invocation to the Gods, we also tune our minds to them, and to the
teacher. There is a spirit of sanctity with which a scripture is studied. There has to be
complete harmony between teacher and student, for transfer of knowledge to take place.
Verse from the Atharva Veda:

Á pÉSìÇ MühÉåïÍpÉÈ zÉ×hÉÑrÉÉqÉ SåuÉÉÈ xuÉÎxiÉ lÉ ClSìÉå uÉ×®´ÉuÉÉÈ
pÉSìÇ mÉzrÉåqÉÉ¤ÉÍpÉrÉïeÉ§ÉÉÈ | xuÉÎxiÉ lÉÈ mÉÔwÉÉ ÌuÉµÉuÉåSÉÈ |
ÎxjÉUæU…¡æûxiÉÑÑ¹ÒuÉÉðxÉxiÉlÉÔÍpÉUç- xuÉÎxiÉ lÉxiÉÉ¤rÉÉåï AËU¹lÉåÍqÉÈ
urÉzÉåqÉ SåuÉÌWûiÉÇ rÉSÉrÉÑÈ || xuÉÎxiÉ lÉÉå oÉ×WûxmÉÌiÉSïkÉÉiÉÑ ||
Á zÉÉÎliÉÈ zÉÉÎliÉÈ zÉÉÎliÉÈ
1 Om bhadram karnebhih O ye Gods, may we hear with our ears

shrunuyaama devaah; (always) what is auspicious;
2 Bhadram pashye maakshabhih O worshipful Ones, may we with our eyes
yajatraah; see what is auspicious;
3 Sthiraih angaih tushtuvaagm May we live the entirety of our allotted life
sastanoobhih; hale and hearty,
4 Vyashema devahitam yad aayuh; offering our praises unto Thee;
5 Swasti nah indrah May Indra, the ancient and the famous,
vriddhashravaah; bless us;
6 Swasti nah pooshaa vishvavedaah; May Pooshan the all-knowing, bless us;
7 Swasti nah taarkshah May the Lord of swift motion who saves us
arishtanemih; from all harm, bless us;
8 Swasti nah brihaspatih dadhaatu; and may Brihaspati who protects the
spiritual wealth in us, bless us all!
*****
7
KABANDHI’S QUESTION
Query No 1:
“Matter & Energy”
WE ARE INTRODUCED to the six students. The order may have some significance:
They are presented to us in an order reverse to the order in which they present their
questions. In ordinary protocol, in the welcoming at public functions, we welcome the most
important guests first, e.g. the Guest of Honour, and then the rest of the visiting guests. But
when it comes to the speeches in the programmes, the chief guest is the last one to speak.
It seems this was the protocol even in Vedic times!
Verse 1.1: The Students Arrive With Firewood

Á xÉÑMåüzÉÉ cÉ pÉÉU²ÉeÉÈ |
zÉæorÉ¶É xÉirÉMüÉqÉÈ |
xÉÉærÉÉïrÉhÉÏ cÉ aÉÉarÉïÈ |
MüÉæxÉsrÉ¶ÉÉµÉsÉÉrÉlÉÉå |
pÉÉaÉïuÉÉå uÉæSÍpÉïÈ |
MüoÉlkÉÏ MüÉirÉÉrÉlÉxiÉå | ||1.1.1||
1 Om Sukeshaa cha Bhaaradhwaajah; Om. Sukesha, the son of Bharadvaja;

2 Shaibyah cha Satyakaamah; Satyakama, the son of Shibi;
3 Sauryaa-yaneeh cha Gaargyah; of Gargya gotra, the grandson of Surya;
4 Kaushalyah cha Aashwala-ayanah; Kaushalya, son of Ashwala;
5 Bhaargavah Vaidarbhih; of the Bhrigu gotra, the son of Vidarbha;
6 Kabandhee Kaatya-ayanah te; and Kabandhi, son of Katya –
WæûiÉå oÉë¼mÉUÉ oÉë¼ÌlÉ¸ÉÈ mÉUÇ oÉë¼ÉluÉåwÉqÉÉhÉÉ

LwÉ Wû uÉæ iÉixÉuÉïÇ uÉ¤rÉiÉÏÌiÉ iÉå Wû xÉÍqÉimÉÉhÉrÉÉå
pÉaÉuÉliÉÇ ÌmÉmmÉsÉÉSqÉÑmÉxÉ³ÉÉÈ ||1.1.2||
7 Hai te brahmaparaa, All of them very devoted to Brahman,
brahmanishthaah, and centred in Brahman,
param brahmaan-veshamaanaa; were seeking the highest Brahman.
8 Esha ha vai tat-sarvam Thinking that everything will be explained
vakshyateeti te ha samit-paanayo to them, they, with firewood in hand,
9 Bhagavantam Pippalaadam approached the revered and
upasannaah. accomplished Rishi Pippalaada.
8
1-6 What is noteworthy in this verse is that it establishes that the students are from
good homes, good families, with good spiritual Samskaras, with great respect for the
scriptures, and with strong spiritual inclinations.
7 They are all devoted to some form of Upasana or worship of God. They seem to be
worthy students; the Guru will not be wasting words of wisdom. Their description also gives
us some idea of the subject matter of the text. We know that it will deal with Brahma Vidya.
8 Samit Paani: “firewood in hand”. The tradition has it that students should carry
firewood to the Teacher. It is a symbol of their acceptance of the rigorous life they will lead;
it is also a sign of respecting the Guru’s household; and it shows their readiness to do any
form of service required of them. It says: “O Master, I am ready to serve you and to learn
from you.”
9 Guru Upasannah: “Approach to the Guru”. Their humble approach is exemplary,
which shows they are in a fit state of mind to benefit from the knowledge. Their minds are
open and receptive to the words from the Guru.
Verse 1.2: The Guru’s Welcome

iÉÉlWûû xÉ GÌwÉÂuÉcÉ
pÉÔrÉ LuÉ iÉmÉxÉÉ oÉë¼cÉrÉåïhÉ ´É®rÉÉ xÉÇuÉixÉUÇ
xÉÇuÉixrÉjÉ rÉjÉÉMüÉqÉÇ mÉëzlÉÉlÉç mÉ×cNûiÉ
rÉÌS ÌuÉ¥ÉÉxrÉÉqÉÈ xÉuÉïÇ Wû uÉÉå uÉ¤rÉÉqÉ CÌiÉ ||1.2||
1 Taanha sa rishih uvaacha: To them the Rishi said:

2 “Bhooya eva tapasaa brahmacharyena “Stay here with austerity, celibacy and
shraddhayaa samvatsaram; faith for yet a full year;
3 Samvatsyatha after the year is over,
yathaa kaamam prashnaan then you may ask whatever questions you
pricchhata wish to ask;
4 Yadi vijnaasyaamah, and if I know the answer,
sarvam ha vo vakshyaama” iti. I will surely explain everything to you.”
2-3 They stayed in obedience.

The wider definition of Brahmacharya is “dedication of life to a higher cause, and
submitting to certain key vows in order to achieve that, among them celibacy.”
Tapas or austerity is to do all duties properly without complaint. Shraddha or faith is
also Upasana, respect, obedience, alertness. The mind must revel in Brahman.
The genuine teacher always demands the genuine price for his ‘article’. In this
context the Guru asks his students to stay with him to practice austerity, celibacy and faith.
4 As though all that were not sufficient, the Guru tells them he will answer “if he
knows the answers”!
Seeing this, some of us may be inclined to think, “Let us get out from this place. Why
spend a whole year here. And at the end we are not even sure whether he will answer us.”
That is not how the genuine student thinks.
9
Guruji here told us a story of a doctor who was not genuine. He was known to make
serious errors. At one place, the family locked him up in a room because he had given the
wrong medicine. Somehow he got out through the window, swam across the river and
reached his home. There his son was busy with his studies in medicine. The man advised his
son, “Before you learn medicine, better learn swimming also! That saved me today.”
The point here is this: If we are serious about studies, forget comforts. If we want
comforts, forget about knowledge.
Verse 1.3 The First Question: by Kabandhi

AjÉ MüoÉlkÉÏ MüirÉÉrÉlÉ EmÉåirÉ mÉmÉëcNû |
pÉaÉuÉlÉç MÑüiÉå Wû uÉÉ CqÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉrÉliÉ CÌiÉ ||1.3||
1 Atha kabandhee kaatyaayana Then Kabandhi, the son of Katyayana,

upetya papracchha; approached Pippalada and asked:
2 Bhagavan, kutah ha “O Revered, venerable Master,
vaa imaah prajaah whence are all these creatures
prajaayanta iti. born?”
1 Atha: “then”, means ‘after the specified one year period’.

In philosophy, the subject matter discussed is usually classified into three categories:
God, the individual, and the world. Any point is taken up and the others follow in due
course. In this case the starting point is ‘The World’. From the outset, the attention is on the
outer world. But, given the background of the six students and their persistence to stay for a
full year just to tune up to the Master, one clearly senses something deeper in the question.
2 It is not about the physical cause of birth. That would be too trivial. For that they
need not have come to a Guru. Here the underlying question is: “What is the purpose of this
Universe? Why have we taken birth here? To what purpose should we dedicate our lives?”
Verse 1.4 The Reply: Twin Aspects of Creation

iÉxqÉæ xÉ WûÉåuÉÉcÉ mÉëeÉÉMüÉqÉÉå uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉÈ
xÉ iÉmÉÉåÅiÉmrÉiÉ xÉ iÉmÉxiÉmiuÉÉ |
xÉ ÍqÉjÉÑlÉqÉÑimÉÉSrÉiÉå UÌrÉÇ cÉ mÉëhÉÇ
cÉåirÉåiÉÉæ qÉå oÉWÒûkÉÉ mÉëeÉÉÈ MüËUwrÉiÉ CÌiÉ ||1.4||
1 Tasmai sah uvaacha: Then he (Pippalada) replied:

prajaa-kaamah vai prajaapatih; “Prajapati, the Lord of the creatures,
2 sah tapah tapyata; decided to perform penance;
sah tapahtaptvaa, and having performed penance,
3 sah mithunam utpaadayate He brought about the mutual union
rayim cha praanam of Matter and Spirit (Life-force),
4 chetyetau me bahudhaa prajaah thinking that by such union many creatures
karishyata iti. would be produced by them.”
10
The answer is pitched in such a manner that it opens a whole wide subject of
absorbing interest. The very origin of creation is traced, and the result is left limitlessly open
for further discussion.
1-2 This briefly introduces this verse. In Tattwa Bodha, we have the hierarchy from i)
Brahman downwards. From Brahman + Maya arises ii) Ishwara, the Supreme Creator.
Ishwara also stands for the consciousness in association with the causal body. A step below
that is consciousness with the subtle body, which we had termed iii) Hiranyagarbha (the
“Cosmic Womb”) in Tattwa Bodha and which is here termed as iii) Prajapati. This is
consciousness in association with the Total Mind. It is at the mind level that the “Tapas” or
austerity is performed. The thinking or willing with concentration is the austerity.
RAYI & PRANA: THE TERMINOLOGY
1 BRAHMAN = The Supreme Being, Non-Dual Reality

2 ISHWARA = The Causal Consciousness, The Unmanifest Seed
HIRANYAGARBHA = The Manifested, “The Cosmic Womb”
3 PRAJAPATI = “The Creator of Living Beings”
Also called PRANA itself sometimes
4 RAYI PRANA
Matter Energy, Power
Object, the “Eaten”, Food Subject, the “Eater”
5
Gross Elements Subtle Elements (Tanmatras),
Inert, insentient, visible to senses Dynamic, sentient, invisible to senses
3 From the point of view of Prajapati, both Matter and Energy are equal in status. It
does not matter that the first is the gross visible and the second is the subtle invisible. The
Samskrit terms Rayi and Prana for these two are preferred because they contain different
connotations to the above English equivalents, which are used in a different sense in
modern science.
4 Here, Prajapati places the responsibility on these two primary aspects of creation
to produce the endless stream of objects born from them. Rayi and Prana are the parents of
creation from Prajapati’s standpoint. Both have equal status, as we shall now see…
Verse 1.5 The Equality of Rayi & Prana – 1. All is Rayi

AÉÌSirÉÉå Wû uÉæ mÉëÉhÉÉå UÌrÉUåuÉ cÉlSìqÉÉ |
UÌrÉuÉÉï LiÉiÉç xÉuÉïÇ rÉlqÉÔiÉïÇ cÉÉqÉÔiÉïÇ cÉ |
iÉxqÉÉlqÉÔÌiÉïUåuÉ UÌrÉÈ ||1.5||
11
1 Aadityah ha vai praanah, The Sun is, verily, Energy (or life);
rayih eva chandramaa; and the Moon is, verily, Matter.
2 rayih vaa etat sarvam, Indeed, Matter is all this,
yanmoortam cha amoortam cha that which has form as well as the formless.
3 tasmaat moortih eva rayih. Therefore, form is indeed, Matter.
Rayi & Prana: Aspects of Creation

This verse gives the first hint of the difference between the Vedic concept of
Rayi/Prana and the western science concept of Matter/Energy. Rayi and Prana are
considered to be partners on equal terms. Both (the form and the formless) are considered
to be manifestations from the standpoint of Prajapati, their originator. Both arise from the
Tanmatras or subtle elements. Western science has only recently begun to see their
equality, after Einstein’s discovery of relativity, described by the equation E = mc 2, which
equates matter with energy. This was known to the Vedic Rishis thousands of years ago.
1a Aaditya: The student first meditates on the Sun as the symbol for the principle of
Prana. The Sun is only a symbol, not the orb in the sky.
1b Chandramaa: Then he meditates on the Moon as the symbol for the principle of
Rayi. The Moon is only a symbol, not the orb in the sky.
Prajapati invested these two with some of His power to create. Anything that has
power will assert itself to express that power. So it is with these two, which asserted
themselves to create the numerous objects in this vast universe.
2-3 Rayi Sarvam: The student now meditates on both the above as Matter, trying to
see no difference between the two. Although they may have different responsibilities, as
partners in Life they are to be considered as equal. They are two sides of the same coin. One
cannot exist without the other. Although Science sees Matter as being inert and Energy as
life-giving, that is not the Vedic view.
The Vedic Rishi saw them both as equal and inseparable partners operating at two
different levels. At the unmanifest level we see it as Prana; at the manifest level, we see it as
Rayi. This is a concept that is not easily digested today due to the different culture that has
overtaken our thinking.
As Guruji explained, “The whole idea here is to drive into us the Sarvatma Bhava –
the feeling that the Lord pervades this entire universe, whether manifest or not.”
From one angle, everything is Rayi (this verse); from another angle, everything is
Prana (next verse). This is the view the teacher is raising in his students.
Verse 1.6 The Equality of Rayi & Prana – 2. All is Prana

AjÉÉÌSirÉ ESrÉlrÉimÉëÉcÉÏÇ ÌSzÉÇ mÉëÌuÉzÉÌiÉ
iÉålÉ mÉëÉcrÉÉlÉç mÉëÉhÉÉlÉç UÎzqÉwÉÑ xÉÍ³ÉkÉ¨Éå | ||1.6.1||
rÉ¬Í¤ÉhÉÉÇ rÉiÉç mÉëiÉÏcÉÏÇ rÉSÒSÏcÉÏÇ rÉSkÉÉå ,
rÉSÕkuÉïÇ rÉSliÉUÉ | ||1.6.2||
ÌSzÉÉå rÉiÉç xÉuÉïÇ mÉëMüÉzÉrÉÌiÉ
iÉålÉ xÉuÉÉïlÉç mÉëÉhÉÉlÉç UÎzqÉwÉÑ xÉÍ³ÉkÉ¨Éå ||1.6.3||
12
1 Atha aadityah udayat yat First the Sun, rising,
praacheem disham pravishati; goes towards the East;
2 tena praachyaan praanaan and all the Pranas in the East
rashmishu sannidhatte. are embraced (thrilled) by its rays.
3 Yad dakshinaam yat prateecheem Then follow the southern, western

yad udeecheem yad adhah and northern quarters; then the above,
4 yad oordhwam yad antaraa; below and intermediary quarters;
5 dishah yat sarvam prakaashayati; - when all these directions are lit up;
6 tena sarvaan praanaan then all the Pranas (in those directions)
rashmishu sannidhatte. are embraced (thrilled) by its rays.
The Upasanas:
1-2 Step 1: Using the simile of the Sun to represent the source of all Prana that is
manifested, the imagery is set up by which the student meditates on the Sun as ‘embracing’
with its rays everything that is in the East.
3-4 Step 2: Once that is done, the student learns to see the Sun ‘embracing’ all other
directions as well. Gradually he sees that Prana is included in Rayi also. We start by seeing
God in one thing, but we should not stop there. It is easy to start seeing the Lord in a saint,
but we have to soon learn to see Him even in a sinner.
5-6 Step 3: When the student is able to do that, i.e. see God in all, irrespective of
what or who stands before our gaze, then “all the Pranas are embraced by the rays”; i.e. he
sees that both Prana and Rayi are Prana only. He trains his mind to be discriminative.
Some Notes on Seeing Prana & Rayi as One

Let us consider the following analogy: An architect has to envisage a building’s usage
in order to design it. He has to “live” in the building before it is even built. The formless
building is first “built” in his mind, and then the physical form of the building slowly
manifests. The former represents the Prana aspect; the latter the Rayi aspect.
The message out of this lesson is that it is the same life-principle in all creatures.
There is no longer the individualistic view of life, characterized by “each one for himself”.
The teacher is trying to show that all Life is one; that there is one universal Life-force, and it
manifests through all life-forms.
We are not just enjoyers of sense objects. This is a limited view, taking the objects of
the world as real. Such a view perpetuates the cycle of repeated births and deaths. The
students have themselves gone beyond such an ordinary vision. That is why they have come
to the spiritual Master, Pippalada. Now the teacher’s task is to slowly raise his students to
greater and greater heights of understanding.
The teacher hopes that by viewing the world with this knowledge, the students will
see the fallacy of living life selfishly, merely for our own personal gain. A broader outlook is
stimulated in the minds of the eager students sitting before him. As the subsequent
questions unfold, we shall see how important it is to come out of our narrow ego-shells.
Being locked in the ego is the most serious obstacle to one’s spiritual growth.
13
Verse 1.7 Vaishwanara – The Immediate Source of Prana & Rayi
xÉ LwÉ uÉæµÉÉlÉUÉå ÌuÉµÉÂmÉÈ mÉëÉhÉÉåÅÎalÉÂSrÉiÉå |
iÉSåiÉSØcÉÉÅprÉÑ£üqÉç ||1.7||
1 Sah eshah vaishwaanarah, He is this Vaishwanara (the sum total of all beings),
vishwaroopah; assuming all forms;
praanah agnih udayate; Prana is the fire that rises everyday.
2 tad etat rik abhi-uktam: This is supported by a Rig Veda Mantra:
By the Upasana done in the previous two verse, the student learns to behold the
Total Creation (Hiranyagarbha or Vaishvanara) in everything. This is the height that can be
achieved through the Apara Vidya or lower knowledge. Vaishwanara is the one who
possesses all forms and also all formless creation. Prana and Rayi together are Vaishvanara.
1 Vaishvaanara is the Consciousness that is associated with all creation, whether
visible or invisible, i.e. both gross and subtle, both Prana and Rayi. As a Deity, he is called
Hiranyagarbha (the “cosmic womb”) or Aditya (the Sun Deity). Vaishvaanara stands at the
apex of creation; it is from him that everything is created. Hence, he is also called the “First-
Born”. This explains why he is regarded as “the sum total of all living beings”.
The symbol of the Sun for such a Lord is very clear in this line. The strong suggestion
is that we should see ourselves as being the Sun, and live for the sake of others.
From an Absolute standpoint, in Vedantic philosophy there is no such person as “the
individual being”! He does not exist. He is a mysterious non-entity. In this context, our
thought that “we” are the enjoyers in our bodies is shattered to bits. We shall see later that
it is this Vaishwanara who is seen as the Enjoyer through all bodies.
From Individuality to Universality

The emphasis is on seeing unity within the diversity of creation. Only by such a broad
vision can one truly develop the right attitude towards the whole universe.
The students are being encouraged to see themselves not just as puny little egos,
but identified with the rest of creation in the universe. Coming out of narrow individuality
into a greater circle embracing all others, is the foundation of spiritual growth.
The symbolism of the Sun represents the energy or vitality that expresses itself
through matter. It is common in all living creatures.
Does this make Vaishvanara the Supreme Being? No, although in some religions the
concept of God ends at Vaishvanara. The highest Vedantic Truth is the all-pervading
Brahman who is beyond Vaishvanara. We have not come to that level in this text yet. Up to
this point we are still dealing with Consciousness in association with the Total Mind, not the
Pure Consciousness which is Brahman.
However, even without bringing in the highest level, the student’s outlook has been
substantially elevated just by seeing the universality of the Life-Principle. It is already a huge
step we have taken towards grasping the highest Reality. From individuality to universality is
a huge leap, indeed. It is the leap from Jiva to Ishwara. However, both these have
associations attached to them – the former is the microcosm and the latter the macrocosm.
When these attachments are dropped we see the unity of both these – as Brahman!
2 There is a Sruti quotation which supports the above vision.
14
Verse 1.8 Sruti Quotation: “The Sun That Rises”
ÌuÉµÉÃmÉÇ WûËUhÉÇ eÉÉiÉuÉåSxÉÇ
mÉUÉrÉhÉÇ erÉÉåÌiÉUåMÇü iÉmÉliÉqÉç |
xÉWûxÉëUÎzqÉÈ zÉiÉkÉÉ uÉiÉïqÉÉlÉÈ
mÉëÉhÉÈ mÉëeÉÉlÉÉqÉÑSrÉirÉåwÉ xÉÔrÉïÈ ||1.8||
1 Vishwaroopam harinam “Possessed of all forms, resplendent full of rays,

jaatavedasam endowed with enlightenment,
2 paraayanam jyotir-ekam the resort of all, the one Light (Eye),
tapantam; the radiator of heat,
3 sahas-rashmih possessed of a thousand-rays,
shatadhaa vartamaanah residing in a hundred (many) forms,
4 praanah prajaanaam the life of all creatures –
udayati eshah sooryah. That is the Sun that rises!”
A quotation from another part of the Vedas, the Rig Veda, is given by the teacher to
add authority to what he has just explained to them.
1-7 The Rising Sun: The resemblance to the previous verse is very distinct and needs
no further explanation. The verse is uttered by knowers who have had the vision that is
described in it. As we have already explained above, this is an interim vision of God, not the
Absolute one of the non-dual, ultimate Reality.
Guruji explained this with an analogy: A rich man was showing a Mahatma around
his property. He pointed out the full extent of his huge estate, which ran into several
hundreds of hectares. Then he came to his bungalow which he said was his home. The
Mahatma looked curiously at the rich man and said, “You have all this vast land; yet why do
you call only this bungalow as your home?” The point is that the bungalow represents one’s
narrow individuality, whilst the whole estate represents universality – of course, only in the
eyes of the rich man. To a sage, universality is the whole vast universe, let alone an estate!
It is our narrow vision that restricts us to our mind-made limitations which don’t
really exist. The Sun is the inspiring symbol of a vision beyond them.
UPASANAS ON PRAJAPATI (TIME)
Verse 1.9 The Southern Path of “Return”

xÉÇuÉixÉUÉå uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉxÉç-
iÉxrÉÉrÉlÉå SÍ¤ÉhÉÇ cÉÉå¨ÉUÇ cÉ | ||1.9.1||
iÉ±å Wû uÉæ iÉÌS¹ÉmÉÔiÉåï M×üiÉÍqÉirÉÑmÉÉxÉiÉå
iÉå cÉÉlSìqÉxÉqÉåuÉ sÉÉåMüqÉÍpÉeÉrÉliÉå |
iÉ LuÉ mÉÑlÉUÉuÉiÉïliÉå ||1.9.2||
iÉxqÉÉSåiÉ GwÉrÉÈ mÉëeÉÉMüÉqÉÉ SÍ¤ÉhÉÇ mÉëÌiÉmÉ±liÉå |
LwÉ Wû uÉæ UÌrÉrÉïÈ ÌmÉiÉ×rÉÉhÉÈ || 1.9.3||
15
1 Samvatsarah vai prajaapatih The YEAR is indeed Prajapati;
2 tasya aayane and there are two paths –
dakshinam cha uttaram cha. the southern and the northern;
3 Tadye ha vai tad ishtaa-poorte Those who follow the ‘Path of Desire’ alone
kritam iti upaasate; by the performance of sacrificial and pious acts,
4 Te chaandram asam eva lokam obtain only the world of the Moon, i.e. the realm
abhi-jayante of transmigration,
5 ta eva punah aavartante, and certainly they do return here (get reborn).
6 tasmaad ete rishayah Therefore, those worshippers
prajaakaamaa who desire to have offspring,
dakshinam pratipadyante; take this southern route.
7 Esha ha vai rayiryah For Matter (Rayi) is verily
pitruyaanah. the ‘Path of the Forefathers’, i.e. of rebirth.
1-2 The concept of Time is here itself used as a simile for the Creator Prajapati. One
year is taken to be Him, the Lord Prajapati. It is split into two portions, the northern and the
southern paths. [There is a similar reference in the Bhagavad Geeta, Chap 8.] We have to
remember that northern and southern directional paths are symbolic. The northern is also
represented by the Sun; the southern by the Moon.
3-4 If our life’s focus is on the external manifested world, we are travelling the
southern path. This is the path described in this verse. [The northern path is covered in the
next verse.]
On the southern path are those who work only for their own material prosperity,
and for the satisfaction of their desires. If they work for it, of course, they will get it. There is
no surprise in that. We see many western countries having very advanced material lifestyles
because they have worked hard for it. The gain is commensurate to the vision. The narrow
vision with which such people work restricts them to a gain that is of this world only.
5 A hint is given out in the verse that such a path leads to one’s return to this world.
The path trodden is not liberating, it is binding. There is no release from the bondage of
birth and death. That will be explained further down at the appropriate time. Here it is
hinted at only.
6-7 The southern path’s characteristic feature is described in these lines. Desire for
offspring is the primary motivation to remain stuck in this path. Hence another name for this
path is “Path of the Forefathers”. We see a stagnation of the spirit when man is restricted to
this path. The Grihasthashram is the only Ashram to which these words can apply.
Verse 1.10 The Northern Path of “No Return”

AjÉÉå¨ÉuåhÉ -
iÉmÉxÉÉ oÉë¼cÉrÉåïhÉ ´É®rÉÉ ÌuÉ±rÉÉ-
ÅÅiqÉÉlÉqÉÎluÉwrÉÉÌSirÉqÉÍpÉeÉrÉliÉå | ||1.10.1||
LiÉ²æ mÉëÉhÉÉlÉÉqÉÉrÉiÉlÉqÉåiÉSqÉ×iÉqÉpÉrÉqÉç-
LiÉimÉUÉrÉhÉqÉåiÉxqÉÉ³É mÉÑlÉUÉuÉiÉïliÉ | ||1.10.2||
CirÉåwÉ ÌlÉUÉåkÉxiÉSåwÉ zsÉÉåMüÈ ||1.10.3||
16
1 Atha uttarena However, by the northern route,
2 tapasaa, brahmacharyena, go those who practise austerity, celibacy,
shraddhayaa, vidyayaa who have faith and pursue knowledge;
3 aatmaanam anvishyaa for they seek the Atman (Self),
aadityam abhijayante. and obtain the world of the Sun.
4 etat vai praanaanaam aayatanam This is the “Home” of all living creatures,
etat amritam-abhayam It is Immortal, a place without Fear;
5 etat paraayanam, It is the highest goal;
etasmaan na punah aavartanta; from there they do not “Return” again.
6 iti esha nirodhah, For this is the END!
tad eshah shlokah: On this, there is the following Mantra:
1-3 The Solar Path (northern path) is for those who have recognized the illusory
nature of the world and are therefore already practicing penance, celibacy, faith and
knowledge to get liberated from it. Remaining steadfast to one’s duty is Tapas. Just through
that the mind becomes one-pointed.
Just as the southern or Lunar path applied to the Grihasthashram (householders), so
also the northern or Solar path applies to the Sannyasin or the one who is willing to
renounce all desire for progeny and practise Tapas and Brahmacharya. Through the
householder’s life one attains the highest fulfillment of all his desires; through Sannyasa,
one attains the highest realm beyond all worldly entanglements. Which world is that?
4-5 Paraayanam: this is the highest goal, namely Brahman, the Immortal (Amritam)
and the Fearless (Abhayam). The “Home” (Aayatanam) of all beings is the Source from
which we all arise. In this northern path, one goes to this very Source, by which total
liberation from worldly life is obtained.
Those (Sannyasins) striving towards such a goal but not able to attain it in this birth,
are said to go to Brahmaloka, which is called here as the world of the Sun. Although this is
not the final goal, it is an interim stage to it. Hence, in this verse, even going to Brahmaloka
is said to be realm of “No Return”. It is better than the southern path which takes one to
more and more entanglement with the world, the realm of “Endless Return”.
From Brahmaloka, these souls go further to the final realisation of Brahman by being
instructed along that path directly by Brahmaji Himself. This is technically called Krama
Mukti, or gradual or progressive liberation, or liberation in stages. There is no return to the
Earth-plane for these souls.
6 They are on the path which takes them to ultimate liberation. The cycle of births
and deaths ends once and for all for these striving souls.
Important Note: An important point of difference exists between the two paths
described here and the third path of Jnana Yoga which leads one to Jivanmukti, or liberation
while one is still living. The former paths deal with the route taken after death. The latter
deal with the path that takes one to freedom while one is still alive. The latter is the path
the Upanishad is hoping we would follow. But the Upanishadic sage is well aware that it is
not possible for all to pursue this path and succeed. Thus at this point it sticks to the two
paths mentioned above, which are easier to follow.
17
Verse 1.11 Sruti Quotation: A. The Year as Time Cycle
mÉgcÉmÉÉSÇ ÌmÉiÉUÇ ²ÉSzÉÉM×üÌiÉÇ
ÌSuÉ AÉWÒûÈ mÉUå AkÉåï mÉÑUÏÌwÉhÉqÉç |
AjÉåqÉå AlrÉ E mÉUå ÌuÉcÉ¤ÉhÉÇ
xÉmiÉcÉ¢åü wÉQûU AÉWÒûUÌmÉïiÉÍqÉÌiÉ || 1.11||
1 Pancha-paadam pitaram “As a Father having five feet (the 5 seasons),

dvaadashaa-kritim, and twelve forms (the months),”
2 diva aahuh says a seer of the Rig Veda,
pare ardhe pureeshinam; viewing from a higher zone, the zone of Rain.
3 atha ime anya Then there is another viewpoint –
u pare vichakshanam “ He, the all-wise Lord of Time, is seated
4 sapta-chakre, in a chariot drawn by seven horses (rainbow colours!);
shadara, mounted on a wheel with six spokes (seasons)” –
aahuh arpitam iti. this views Him upon which the whole world rests.
We now have the Sruti quotation which was announced in the last line of the
previous verse. This verse sums up verses 1.9 and 1.10, giving the symbolic view of seeing
one year as the representative form of Prajapati or God the Creator.
Two pictorial ideas are presented from different viewpoints:
A. Prajapati as the Supreme Above (in Heaven)

1-2 This is a good symbol for those of simple minds, namely, the peasantry. It is quite
common to have this symbol in many religions. The paternal God strides high above the
earth, producing the 5 seasons and the 12 months as He does so. The five seasons are
Vasant (spring), Grishma (summer), Varsha (Monsoonal rains), Sharat (autumn), and
Hemant/Shishira (the cool and the cold climate combined).
The vision is of Prajapati (God) seated up in the heavenly skies, beyond the clouds, as
the Lord of Rain. He is pictured as a benevolent father, having 5 feet (the seasons).
The picture changes every month, hence there are 12 forms for this depiction. It is
sufficient for the needs of most people to represent Prajapati as the Lord being above all
else and controlling everything from above. That suits the peasant’s level of understanding.
B. Prajapati as the Supreme Below (on Earth)

3-8 The second depiction is of one regally seated in a chariot pulled by 7 horses. This
is a symbol that will appeal to ruling or kingly class. They will quite happily accept such a
God as ruling the Earth.
The seven horses represent the seven colours that sunrays can be split into
(refracted) by a prism. The rays colourfully resemble the reins of the chariot, and convey the
idea of control. The six spokes on the wheel of the chariot represent the march of Time, six
being the six seasons as listed above, with Hemant and Shishira counting as two.
Whichever is more appealing to a worshipper may be selected, depending on the
relationship one wishes to have with the Lord. Hinduism has a form that suits all
temperaments. In fact there are hundreds of varieties to choose from, not just two!
18
Vedic Symbolism
The verse also provides us with a classic example of the literary style used in the
Vedas. Unless one is familiar with this as a style, the translation can appear ludicrous to the
untrained mind. Vedic symbols have a deep meaning, as seen in this verse.
Verse 1.12 B. The Month as Time Cycle

qÉÉxÉÉå uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉxiÉxrÉ M×üwhÉmÉ¤É LuÉ UÌrÉÈ
zÉÑYsÉÈ mÉëÉhÉxiÉxqÉÉSåiÉ GwÉrÉÈ zÉÑYsÉ C¹Ç
MÑüuÉïliÉÏiÉU CiÉUÎxqÉlÉç ||1. 12||
1 Maaso vai prajaapatih; The month is Prajapati;

tasya krishnapaksha eva rayih; its dark half is indeed Rayi or Matter;
2 shuklah praanah; tasmaat its bright half is Prana or Life-energy;
ete rishayah shukla ishtam thus, the great Rishis use this half,
3 kurvanti whereas, to perform their sacrifices,
itara itarasmin. the others use the dark half in order
1 Another representation considers one month as the time cycle. Prajapati or the
Lord is the month, and is split into the dark and the bright fortnights of the moon. As you
may guess, the bright fortnight stands for Prana and the dark fortnight for Rayi. These
represent the two main categories or types among men.
2 Those devoted to austerity, and meditational practices to attain the higher regions
are said to use the bright fortnight and go to Brahmaloka, as explained already (1.10).
3 As before, those devoted to enjoyment of sense pleasures through earning wealth
are said to use the dark half of the fortnight.
Time is a Symbol Here

There are people who take this representation literally, and try to ‘plan’ their death
accordingly or perform their sacrifices accordingly. They corrupt the meaning of the verse by
saying that the “dark fortnight” is auspicious for activity concerning sense pleasures! That is
certainly not how the verse is to be understood. One cannot plan one’s departure for a
particular fortnight or for a particular six-monthly period.
Time is used here as a symbol for distinguishing two distinct human types. The
symbolic meaning has to be taken, not the literal meaning.
The truth being conveyed is simply this: that if we seek Rayi we will go to the realms
of Rayi; and if we seek Prana, we will go to the realms of Prana.
From the Year and the Month, we now move to the next short representation of the
time cycle – and that is one Day. If there was a need, the Rishi would have continued with
this breakdown and had verses for the Hour, the Minute and the Second! But by now the
point is quite obvious, and it is hardly necessary to go any further.
19
Verse 1.13 C. The Day as Time Cycle
AWûÉåUÉ§ÉÉå uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉxiÉxrÉÉWûUåuÉ mÉëÉhÉÉå UÉÌ§ÉUåuÉ UÌrÉÈ |
mÉëÉhÉÇ uÉÉ LiÉå mÉëxMülSÎliÉ rÉå ÌSuÉÉ UirÉÉ xÉÇrÉÑerÉliÉå
oÉë¼cÉrÉïqÉåuÉ iÉ±SìÉ§ÉÉæ UirÉÉ xÉÇrÉÑerÉliÉå ||1. 13||
1 Ahah-raatrah vai prajaapatih; A full day-night cycle is Prajapati.

tasya ahah eva praanah; Its day-time is the “Energy” aspect,
raatrih eva rayih. while its night-time is the “Matter” aspect.
2 Praanam vaa ete pra-skandanti They, indeed, waste their energy
ye diva ratyaa samyujyante; who unite in love by day,
3 brahmacharyam eva tadyad whilst considered as Brahmacharis are those
raatrau ratyaa samyujyante. who unite in love by night.
1 By now the reader, knowing the trend in the above two verses, may well guess
which half of the 24-hour Day represents Prana (Energy) and which half Rayi (Matter).
2-3 Two symbols come to a confluence in these lines, which adds somewhat to their
misinterpretation.
i) The first symbol is Day, representing the two Paths open to each individual.
ii) The second is Love (or Sex), representing Devotion for one’s chosen path.
If symbolic meanings are used, then there is no new thing being said in this verse. As
per one’s choice of Path, so would be one’s devotion to it.
Brahmacharya for the Householder:

However, owing to the lower instincts in the majority of mankind, they have raised a
controversy here about the definition of Brahmacharya. Many people misinterpret it to suit
their own sensual inclinations. The sensual-minded take the meanings literally as approval
of their sexual instincts at night, which is a good example of how “the Devil can also quote
scriptures”. By doing so, they pervert both symbols and both rules at the same time:
i) The first rule applies to the one who is following the “Day” path. For him it would
be a waste of energy to indulge in sensual enjoyments, at any time in life, day or night (using
these words literally).
ii) The second rule applies to the one who is following the “Night” path, the path of
sense pleasures. For him, it is simply stated here as a fact that by his very nature, he is given
to indulgence at any time in life, be it day or night (again taken literally). It is already always
“Night” for him (symbolically), so there is no question of the verse giving consent or
withholding consent to his indulgence. He gives consent to it himself!
The point that a student should always remember is that Hindu scriptures never
advocate uncontrolled indulgence in sex for the householder; and for the other three stages
complete abstinence is advocated. It has a purpose in the maintenance of the life-cycle, and
applies only to the Grihastha Ashrama or the householder stage of life. Sex outside the
householder’s life is simply not permitted by the scriptures.
Swami Chinmayanandaji expresses this fact in the words: “The Rishi talks over the
shoulders of his (celibate) disciples to the world of the householders…”
20
Verse 1.14 D. Food as the Symbol of the Lord
A³ÉÇ uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉxiÉiÉÉå Wû uÉæ iÉSìåiÉxÉç-
iÉxqÉÉÌSqÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉrÉliÉ CÌiÉ ||1. 14||
1 Annam vai prajaapatih; Food is indeed Prajapati.
tatah ha vai tad retas; From which proceeds the semen in man.
2 tasmaat imaah prajaah From semen all these “desire-creatures”
prajaayanta iti. are brought forth.
This verse is a direct answer to Kabandhi’s question at the level of understanding of

the common man: “Venerable Sir, whence are these creatures born?”
1 After all the different representations of Prajapati, the sage Pippalada finally
converges on FOOD. If we recognize the presence of the Lord in food and the important role
food plays in the quality of our life, it would be sufficient justification for this verse.
What we eat is what we are. Food imparts its quality to our minds. We are Sattwic,
Rajasic or Tamasic according to the food we eat. And these three qualities determine
whether we are heedless, passionate or self-restrained; given to sloth, indulgence or
austerity; inclined towards lethargy, excitement, or peacefulness.
2 The essence of food is ultimately goes in the make-up of the semen produced by
the body. This precious fluid is what determines the quality of the human being to be born
from it. That puts all speculation aside and places the matter in the realm of one’s character.
3-4 How people manifest their desires is totally governed by their character. One’s
intentions at the time of conception are manifested in the new-born child. The mental state
of the uniting couple determines the predominant Gunas in the offspring produced. For this
reason, Hindu Dharma pays great attention to how the conceiving mother spends her time
during pregnancy. Reading of religious literature and singing Kirtans is recommended by
saints to attract a spiritual soul into the womb of the mother.
Verse 1.15 The Fruit of Self-Restraint

iÉ±å Wû uÉæ iÉiÉç mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉuÉëiÉÇ cÉUÎliÉ
iÉå ÍqÉjÉÑlÉqÉÑimÉÉSrÉliÉå |
iÉåwÉÉqÉåuÉæwÉ oÉë¼sÉÉåMüÉå
rÉåwÉÉÇ iÉmÉÉå oÉë¼cÉrÉïÇ rÉåwÉÑ xÉirÉÇ mÉëÌiÉÌ¹iÉqÉç ||1. 15||
1 Tadye ha vai tat prajaapati Thus, verily, those who observe this rule laid
vratam charanti, down by the Lord Himself,
2 te mithunam utpaadayante; and bring forth only a pair of children,
3 teshaam eva eshah brahma-lokah they alone are worthy of Brahma Loka
4 yeshaam tapah, brahmacharyam, due to their penance, restraint in sexual acts,
yeshu satyam pratishtitam. and their firm abidance in truth.
Vedic “Family Planning”

Two children are advised, not more. This is clear as crystal in this verse. It is the
“family-planning” prescribed by the Vedic Rishis.
21
1-2 Restraint is the keyword in the scriptural injunctions regarding sex. There is no
room for any compromise from the sage.
3 Brahmaloka is the highest plane to which a dutiful man and woman may rise.
4 The minimum qualification to enter the plane of Brahmaloka is to live by the ideals
of penance, celibacy and adherence to truth. These are absolutely essential to enter the
path that ultimately leads to emancipation or liberation from worldly life. As already
mentioned, this is not the highest spiritual attainment, but is en route to it.
In this first chapter, we do not deal with the topic of Jivanmukti or complete
liberation from the cycle of rebirths while living. Thus far, we have been concerned only
with the two options open to people after death. In Jivanmukti, there is no question of
death, as it can be attained while one is living. This path is only dealt with towards the end
of chapter 4, and then continues till the end.
For this reason, the definitions in this verse for restraint, Brahmacharya, austerity
and abidance in truth are pitched at a relatively low level. They are defined in terms of
relative existence as a householder in the world; not in terms of absolute existence as a
Sannyasin would be committed to.
It is not that the standard is dropped, but rather, the appropriate standard is being
upheld in accordance with the persons addressed. This happens many times in Vedic
literature, and can lead to confusion unless the scriptures are learnt from authoritative
people who are able to differentiate the different standards.
Verse 1.16 The “Gate-Pass” for Spiritual Evolution

iÉåwÉÉqÉxÉÉæ ÌuÉUeÉÉå oÉë¼sÉÉåMüÉå
lÉ rÉåwÉÑ ÎeÉ¼qÉlÉ×iÉÇ lÉ qÉÉrÉÉ cÉåÌiÉ ||1. 16||
1 Teshaam asau virajah Belonging only to the pure at heart

brahmalokah is the world of Brahma Loka;
2 na yeshu jihmam-anritam in whom there is no deceit or falsehood,
na maayaa cha iti. nor any pretence or dissimulation (Maya).
1 The “Gate-pass” for the path of Liberation is repeated in this concluding verse, so
that there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Liberation is a totally separate path from the
one which takes a man to heavenly worlds for further enjoyment, which is a path which still
ties one to the realm of births and deaths (Samsara).
This concluding verse clearly tells us that, from the next chapter onwards, the sage is
addressing the seeker who wishes to progress along the path of Liberation from worldly
existence. Those who still wish to pursue desires will find themselves in a strange land!
2-3 The pure, desireless life is valued because it is conducive to further spiritual
evolution towards attainment of Self-realisation. It forms the launching pad for further
progress in spiritual life. It is, one may say, the basic requirement for spiritual life.
The scriptures declare here that evolution can be really

progressive only in those who have given up all the negativities in
them, such as deceit, falsehood, pretence and dissimulation.
22
To the one who does not care to practice these basic principles of truth, celibacy and
penance; to one who opens himself to all the negativities of life by resorting to falsehood,
deceit and indulgence in sense pleasures, of what use will it be to speak to him of a higher
spiritual life?
Guruji was very clear: “There is no compromise if one is really serious about spiritual
life. Diplomacy is for those who still have hope in gaining something material.”
*****
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS mÉëjÉqÉÈ mÉëzlÉÈ ||

Thus ends the First Question in Prashna Upanishad.
SRI HANUMAN
the Symbol of Brahmacharya and Purity of Conduct
23
BHARGAVA’S QUESTION
Query No 2:
“The Supremacy of Power”
THE END OF THE last chapter sets the conditions one has to fulfil to enter this
chapter. It was, as we saw, the “gate-pass” to go forward. The conditions are repeated here:
“He in whom there is no deceit or falsehood, pretence or dissimulation, only he is fit for
Brahmaloka.”
From this point onward we are entering into a deeper discussion of Prana, or the
invisible Power by which material life is sustained. The subject of Power, or Prana, or the
Formless becomes meaningful only to the person who seeks to rise beyond the gross,
material level of existence. One who fulfils all the moral conditions of material life, is
qualified to enter into discussions about the spiritual aspects of life. He alone will truly
benefit from such discussions.
The second question turns our feet in the direction of the true spiritual path,
towards the realm of the Spirit, called Prana in this chapter. Subsequent chapters will
actually lead us along this path. The Rishi now begins to raise the level of understanding of
his students to greater and greater heights, until at the end of Chapter 4 he leaves us at the
threshold of the Supreme Brahman.
Verse 2.1 The Second Question: by Bhargava

AjÉ WæûlÉÇ pÉÉaÉïuÉÉå uÉæSÍpÉïÈ mÉmÉëcNû |
pÉaÉuÉlÉç MüirÉåuÉ SåuÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉ ÌuÉkÉÉUrÉliÉå |
MüiÉU LiÉiÉç mÉëMüzÉrÉliÉå |
MüÈ mÉÑlÉUåwÉÉÇ uÉËU¸ CÌiÉ ||2. 1 ||
1 Atha ha enam bhaargavah Then next came Bhargava

vaidarbhih papracchha: of Vidarbha who questioned the Master:
2 bhagavan, kati eva devaah “O Venerable Sir, how many Devas (or
prajaah vidhaayante? factors) support the living being?
3 katara etat prakaashayante? Which of them gives Life to this (body)?
4 kah punah eshaam varishtha? iti. Again, who among them is the greatest?
How is the Individual Being Administered?

This verse may be taken as a “Contents” for the chapter:
1 Our attention is shifting from the macrocosm of Question No 1 to the microcosm.
From the creation of the world and its living beings, the student moves on to ask about how
each individual is really governed. Who are the office bearers or Devas of the governing
24
Body? Who is the CEO amongst these Devas? What makes his role so crucial? What makes
him so powerful, praiseworthy and supreme? That is the theme covered by this chapter.
2 The student wants to know the administration set-up in this universe to govern
every tiny part of it, especially the living beings. If there are natural laws in place, there have
to be law-enforcing agents to ensure that they are followed. Who are these agents or Devas
who ensure that we follow the law and order? This is answered in verse 2.2.
3 The second part is, “Among them who actually is responsible for giving Life to this
human body?” This is answered in verse 2.3.
4 The third part is, “Who is the chief among them?” This is answered in verse 2.4.
The rest of the chapter, from verses 2.5 to 2.13, is the glorification of the Chief Deva,
Prana, by all the other Devas. They all sing the glory of Prana, lest it may go on strike!
An Example of Administration
Guruji gave a nice little example of how things can run smoothly. A man went to see
the CEO of a big company, but was told that he was not in and will not be in for the whole
day. He did not give up, but said he will just wait there. Now the boss was in a fix because he
wanted to come out of his office but could not do so without being seen by his visitor.
Eventually he asked the secretary to call him in.
The boss asked him, “Why did you wait when I told you I was not in?” The man said,
“I knew you were in.” The boss asked, “How did you know that?” The man replied, “Simple. I
saw everything was running smoothly. Everyone was busy at their desk. No one went for
small coffee breaks or smoking breaks. So I knew you must be in!”
That is precisely how the Universe also runs. The Boss need not be seen, but his very
presence is sufficient to make all the ministers do their duties. Under His nose, everything
runs smoothly. All the Devas take their orders from Him, and work in harmony.
Verse 2.2 Each Deva (God) Claims Leadership

iÉxqÉæ xÉ WûÉåuÉÉcÉ
AÉMüÉzÉÉå Wû uÉÉ LwÉ SåuÉÉå
uÉÉrÉÑUÎalÉUÉmÉÈ mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏ
uÉÉ‰lÉ¶É¤ÉÑÈ ´ÉÉå§ÉÇ cÉ |
iÉå mÉëMüÉzrÉÉÍpÉuÉSÎliÉ
uÉrÉqÉåiÉ¯ÉhÉqÉuÉ¹prÉ ÌuÉkÉÉUrÉÉqÉÈ ||2.2||
1 Tasmai sa ha uvaacha: To him the Master now replied:

2 aakaashah ha vaa eshah devah, Indeed Space is the foremost Deva;
3 vaayu agnih aapah prithivee, then come Air, Fire, Water and Earth;
4 Vaang manas, chakshuh, then come Speech, Mind, Eye and Ear, too.
shrotram cha; (the others are implied as included)
5 Te prakaashya Wanting to show their glory,
abhivadanti, they quarrelled among themselves:
6 vayam etat baanam avashtabhya “We hold this body together, and
vidhaarayaamah. give it the support needed by it.”
25
As in Tattva Bodha, the Devas who govern the various functions of the body are
being named, thereby answering the first part of the question. Their details are as follows:
2-3 The Five Great Elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth – from these all the
subtle and the gross elements are born.
4 The Five Organs of Action: “Speech” has to be taken as the tag for all the five
organs of action.
The Five Organs of Knowledge: “Eye and Ear” has to be taken as the tag for all the
five organs of perception or knowledge.
The Antahkarana: “Mind” has to be taken to stand for all the four inner instruments,
namely, mind, intellect, the ego-consciousness and the memory.
Who is the Boss Amongst All Devas?

5 As with humans in general, why not with the Devatas, too. With a little
imagination, selfish human qualities are superimposed on the Devas. Guruji sent the class
roaring with laughter as he impersonated these selfish Devas! Each one of them laid claim
to being responsible for making the whole body work well. Each Deva tried to take the
credit for himself. They quarreled among themselves, and could not reach an agreement.
6-7 The point that Guruji brought out was the folly of selfish thinking. We all think
that if we stop our work, everything will come to a standstill. In truth, the higher power is
controlling everything. If we stop, we will simply be replaced by someone from the infinite
cosmic resource. None of us is indispensable.
Does the same thing apply to the Devas as well? Not quite. Is there one Deva
without whom all the other Devas can no longer function? If so, then who is that Deva? He
must surely be their Chief. This is answered in the next verse…
Verse 2.3 Prana Proclaims His Supremacy

iÉÉlÉç uÉËU¸È mÉëÉhÉ EuÉÉcÉ |
qÉÉ qÉÉåWûqÉÉmÉ±jÉ AWûqÉåuÉæiÉiÉç mÉgcÉkÉÉÅÅiqÉÉlÉÇ
mÉëÌuÉpÉerÉæiÉ¯ÉhÉqÉuÉ¹prÉ ÌuÉkÉÉUrÉÉqÉÏÌiÉ |
iÉåÅ´É¬kÉÉlÉÉ oÉpÉÔuÉÑÈ ||2. 3 ||
1 Taan varishthah, praana uvaacha: Prana, the greatest of them, said:

2 “Maa moham aapadyatha, aham eva “Be not lost in delusion, it is I alone,
etat , panchadhaa aatmaanam, dividing myself fivefold,
3 pravibhajya etat baanam who keeps this body going,
avashtabhya vidhaarayaam” iti. and gives the support needed by it.”
4 te ashraddhaanaa babhoovah. They had no faith in Prana’s words.
1 The most significant thing about the previous verse is that no mention is made at
all of the Prana or the Life-force! Without Life what can all the ‘dead’ senses and the mind
do? Clearly the omission is a means used by the Rishi to highlight Prana’s special place.
2-3 In the midst of the quarrel amongst the other Devas, Prana, who had to silently
suffer the indignity of not even being mentioned above, walked in and said, “Don’t be so
foolish. It is I who keeps everything going on here.”
26
Prana is someone whom we may call, in colloquial English, a “back-room boy”. He
does not come out into the limelight. He says very little. But he is the one behind all the
work that goes on. When it comes to credits, a hundred others are there ready to claim it,
but they are not in the picture where the work has to be done.
Prana is, indeed, truly saintly when it comes to selflessness. He does not go for name
and fame – they come running to him!…
4 The others in their immense pride did not accept Prana’s claim. The Devas
grumbled to themselves: “That Prana has his own pride; let us all leave him. We’ll have
nothing to do with his words.” Thus did the rest of the Devas think.
Verse 2.4 Prana Goes on ‘Strike’!

xÉÉåÅÍpÉqÉÉlÉÉSÕkuÉïqÉÑi¢üÉqÉiÉ CuÉ |
iÉÎxqÉ³ÉÑi¢üÉqÉirÉjÉåiÉUå xÉuÉï LuÉÉåi¢üÉqÉliÉå |
iÉÎxqÉÇ¶É mÉëÌiÉ¸qÉÉlÉå xÉuÉï LuÉ mÉëÌiÉ¸liÉå | ||2.4.1||
iÉ±jÉÉ qÉÍ¤ÉMüÉ |
qÉkÉÑMüUUÉeÉÉlÉqÉÑi¢üÉqÉliÉÇ xÉuÉï LuÉÉåi¢üqÉliÉå |
iÉÎxqÉ/wcÉ mÉëi¸qÉÉlÉå xÉuÉï LuÉ mÉëÌiÉ¹liÉ | ||2.4.2||
LuÉqÉç uÉÉ‰lÉwcÉ¤ÉÑÈ ´ÉÉå§ÉÇ cÉ

iÉå mÉëÏiÉÉÈ mÉëÉhÉÇ xiÉÑluÉÎliÉ ||2.4.3||
1 Sah abhimaanaad, The Prana, from a sense of rectitude,

oordhvam utkramata iva, got up and made as if it was going to leave.
2 tasmin utkraamati atha itare, When it got up to go, then the others,
sarva eva utkraamante all of them, also had to get up to go;
3 tasmin cha pratishtamaane, and when it remained in its place,
sarve eva pratishtante; all of them also remained!
4 Tad yathaa makshikaa This is just what happens in the case of bees,
5 madhukara raajaanam when the Queen-bee
utkraamantam, gets up to leave the hive,
sarvaa eva utkraamante; all of them also have to get up to go;
6 tasmin cha pratishtamaane, and when she returns to it,
sarvaa eva praatishtanta; all of them also return!
7 evam vaang-manas-chakshuh In the same way, the speech, mind, eye

shrotram cha, and the ear, too,
8 te preetaa praanam stunvanti. had to please Prana and sing its praises!
1 Prana decided to down tools and go on strike! He made as if he was going to leave.
Of course, we know he wouldn’t do that, he is far too saintly to do such a thing.
27
A rather humorous scenario is being enacted – and all credit to the witty Rishi for
having expressed himself in such a simple, childlike manner, and in poetry that is so
symmetrical and appealing!
2 Prana threatened to quit. As he got up to leave, the others came to there senses
and pacified him. They knew that if he did leave, they too would have to depart from the
body, for they cannot survive without the presence of Life!
3 It is only when there is presence of Prana that all the other organs are able to
perform their respective functions. A computer may be able to do a hundred functions, but
only as long as it is plugged to an electricity supply. Prana is like the electricity supply for the
body’s functions.
4 Pippalada was quite happy to give the Queen Bee as his example, but Guruji had
his own modern example:
5-6 “It is like the politicians in our country. When the leader walks out of the Sabha,
all his chamchas (teaspoons) walk out with him, even if they don’t know why! He might have
just gone out for a cup of tea, or empty the previous cup – so they, too, all go out with him.
If he thumps his hands on the table, they all do the same! That is what was happening with
the Prana and the others.”
7-8 Continuing with Guruji’s example, the politicians behave in the same as the other
Devas behaved towards Prana. The politicians know that their survival depends on their
leader or Prime Minister. So, even if grudgingly, they praise him and sing his glories, just so
that they remain in his good books, and so that they can keep their jobs!
GLORIFICATION OF PRANA
From this point to the end of this chapter, we have 9 thrilling verses glorifying the
Prana – an aspect at a time. Seven aspects are covered from verses 2.5 to 2.11. The last two
verses (2.12-13) are a prayer for protection made to Prana in chorus by all the senses and
mind. They have all come to their senses at last!
As we go through these verses, we feel the very stature of Prana increasing in our
mind. This Prana is certainly no ordinary Deva; he begins to resemble none other than God
the Creator Himself. The sage is bringing home the truth about Prana as in a suspense movie
– episode by episode, verse by verse!
Verse 2.5 i) Prana as All the Elements

LwÉÉåÅÎalÉxiÉmÉirÉåwÉ xÉÔrÉï
LwÉ mÉeÉïlrÉÉå qÉbÉuÉÉlÉåwÉ uÉÉrÉÑÈ |
LwÉ mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏ UÌrÉSåïuÉÈ
xÉSxÉŠÉqÉ×iÉÇ cÉ rÉiÉç ||2. 5 ||
28
1 Eshah agnih tapati, eshah sooryah; As Fire, Prana burns – this is its Energy aspect.
2 eshah parjanyah maghavaan It is seen as rain and clouds,
eshah vaayuh, in its aspect as Air (and Water);
3 eshah prithivee, rayih devah; Earth is its Matter aspect, seen as the Moon; so
4 sad-asat cha, amritam cha yat. Prana is formless and has form; it is Immortal!
Prana literally comes to LIFE in this wonderful verse.

1 Guruji emphasized the poetic beauty of the sound of the word Tapati. The sun
represents the Energy aspect of Prana, appearing as Fire. 2 The formless Prana can be seen
manifesting as rain and clouds due to its aspect as Air and Water. 3 Formless Prana also
manifests itself as the Moon due to its aspect as Earth.
Who Then is This Prana?

4 We are shown how to recognise Prana in our environment. Its formlessness is
manifested in all forms. We see that Prana is behind everything in Nature. If he is all forms
and yet he is the formless as well, then who can this Prana be? Is he only a Deva or some
greater superior Lord? Surely he must be something much more. We pick up a hint here that
we are describing someone very special indeed. It sounds like he is none other than
Prajapati Himself! He must be the Immortal Lord, the Creator of the Universe!
Verse 2.6 ii) Prana as All Knowledge & Administration

AUÉ CuÉ UjÉlÉÉpÉÉæ mÉëÉhÉå xÉuÉïÇ mÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉqÉç |
GcÉÉå rÉeÉÔÇÌwÉ xÉÉqÉÉÌlÉ rÉ¥ÉÈ ¤É§ÉÇ oÉë¼ cÉ ||2. 6 ||
1 Araa iva ratha naabhau, As spokes attached to the hub of a wheel,

praane sarvam pratishthitam; everything is fixed in Prana.
2 Rik, yajumshi, saamaani, As the Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas, Prana is all
yajnah, kshatram, brahma cha. activities, administration, and knowledge.
1 Here the sage tells us that on Prana everything in the universe is pegged. All these
are like spokes in a wheel which are centred at the hub, and that hub is Prana. The entire
management of all living beings is centred in Prana.
What Are Fixed in Prana?

2 Firstly, the Rig, Yajur and Sama Veda Mantras represent respectively the metrical,
prose and musical compositions found in the Vedas. This implies the whole body of Vedic
knowledge has Prana as its source. The meaning of this is that the Vedas, which are Eternal
in nature, existing even when the worlds have dissolved, are manifested as sound when the
worlds re-manifest after dissolution. Prana plays the vital role in this manifestation of the
Vedas.
Yajnas represent the Vaishyas who perform all the actions (sacrifices or rituals) to
provide the fruits that man desires. Kshatram represents the Kshatriyas who protect human
society by administering laws and governing people. Brahma represents the Brahmanas
who possess the knowledge of the Vedas which is needed by the other two groups for
properly carrying out their respective functions. The Sudras are included under these three
29
categories of functions since they serve them. Thus the entire functioning of all sectors of
human society is possible only due to Prana.
The Concept of Prana Unfolds

From our study of Tattva Bodha, we know that Prana is born from the Rajasic aspect
of the total Tanmatras or all the subtle elements. By this definition, Prana would be
classified as “inert”, just as the mind and intellect are condsidered as being inert. Yet, it is
described to be so great that everything is “fixed in it”.
From our present knowledge in this text, we can thus only deduce that Prana must
be the dynamic Power or Shakti of the Supreme Brahman. Without Prana it would not be
possible to support Life in the universe. Prana is the essential ingredient without which
there can be no Life. The next verse takes this point further…
Verse 2.7 iii) Prana as All Living Creatures

mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉ¶ÉUÍxÉ aÉpÉåï iuÉqÉåuÉ mÉëÌiÉeÉÉrÉxÉå |
iÉÑprÉÇ mÉëÉhÉ mÉëeÉÉÎxiuÉqÉÉ oÉÍsÉÇ WûUÎliÉ
rÉÈ mÉëÉhÉæÈ mÉëÌiÉÌiÉ¸ÍxÉ ||2.7 ||
1 Prajaapatih charasi garbhe tvam, As Prajapati, thou movest in the womb,

eva pratijaayase; and art indeed born as the child.
2 tubhyam praana prajaah tu To thee, O Prana, do all these creatures
imaah balim haranti offer oblations.
3 yah praanaih pratitishthasi. By Prana are all senses and mind supported.
Here a large chunk of the truth about Prana is revealed at last.

1 Prajaapatih: Yes, he is none other than Prajapati, the Creator Himself. Garbhe:
From the very beginning, i.e. the “foetal” stage through to birth and beyond, every move of
ours is made possible only by Prana.
2 And so, it is perfectly befitting that all beings should offer oblations to You, who
holds such a high position in the Cosmic Government.
Balim Haranti: “they carry presents”. In what way do they carry presents to Prana?
The senses bring the sense objects as their presents; the mind brings its desires as its gift to
Prana; the intellect offers its power of determination and will. And so on, all creatures are
continually offering their special functions to Prana alone.
3 Praanaih: “for the creatures supported by Prana”. One could well interpret these
“creatures” to be the senses, mind, etc, since the essential characteristic of all creatures is
the possession of sense organs and mind. This would be in line with the development of
thought which Pippalada is trying to achieve in his students. He is raising them to a new,
vast, novel vision wherein there is no place for the puny little ego.
Acharyaji expressed this in the following words: Slowly, the sage Pippalada is leading
us to a broader view of life. He is telling us, “Come on, out of your narrow ego-centred life.
That is paltry stuff in comparison to what you really are capable of. Your full potential is
limitless. Cast out your narrow vision and embrace a broader one that would lead to your
greater wellbeing.”
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All Beings Are God’s Manifestations:
The attitude suggested by this verse is very educative. All beings are manifestations
of God alone. This is the vision of the great Indian scriptures, the Vedas. The worship
mentioned is also unusual. God in the form of each being is worshipping God in the
universal form! Life takes on a completely new meaning when lived in accordance to what
this verse implies. This vision creates the right feeling in us in all our daily activities. Every
act becomes an act of worship.
The fact that we do not feel in this way is due only to one single factor: Our Ego steps
in between and tries to snatch away all the glory for itself!
Verse 2.8 iv) Prana as a “Courier Service”

SåuÉÉlÉÉqÉÍxÉ uÉÌ»ûiÉqÉÈ ÌmÉiÉ×hÉÉÇ mÉëjÉqÉÉ xuÉkÉÉ |
GwÉÏhÉÉÇ cÉËUiÉÇ xÉirÉqÉjÉuÉÉïÌ…¡ûUxÉÉqÉÍxÉ ||2.8 ||
1 Devaanaam asi vanhitamah Thou art the best “courier” to the Gods;
pitrunaam prathamaa svadhaa; and carry the first oblations to the forefathers.
2 risheenaam charitam satyam Thou art the true, right conduct of the senses,
athah va-angirasaam asi. which are the essential factors of the body.
1 Vanhitamah: “the best carrier”. Now, yet another aspect of Prana is glorified – its
power to “deliver our messages” to the correct desk in the Higher Government.
In its form as fire, the Prana delivers our prayerful intentions to the respective Heads
(Devatas) of the Cosmic Government, which it is in overall charge of. This is the symbolism
of the havan which was an essential practice amongst the Indian community in Vedic times,
and still is among Hindus.
We can just picture the scene: As the ghee is poured into the fire and the word
“Swaha” is uttered, a flashing flame of fire leaps up from the havan kund and “delivers” the
message immediately to the right department. This is the super-efficient cosmic delivery
service, which never fails. Incidentally, the offerings to the forefathers are accompanied by
the word “Swadha” as mentioned in the verse, and not “Swaha”.
2 Charitam Satyam: “the true, righteous behaviour of the senses.” The Rishi is telling
us, “Why can’t we all work as our own sense organs do? Look how completely selfless they
are. They just carry on with their duties, not worrying about the results. They obediently
carry their ‘gifts’ to their Master, the Prana, whether it is success or failure, whether a thing
is likeable or disagreeable. They do not see Raga-Dwesha in anything.”
And Guruji added, “Look how they help us to maneuver safely in our Indian traffic!”
Angirasa: “the Juice of the Body.”The senses are the essential parts of the body.
Without them the body dries up (dies). What a vision the Vedic seer had of life!
Verse 2.9 v) Prana as Creator, Destroyer & Preserver

ClSìxiuÉÇ mÉëÉhÉ iÉåeÉxÉÉ ÂSìÉåÅÍxÉ mÉËUUÍ¤ÉiÉÉ |
iuÉqÉliÉËU¤Éå cÉUÍxÉ xÉÔrÉïxiuÉÇ erÉÉåÌiÉwÉÉÇ mÉÌiÉÈ ||2.9 ||
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1 Indrastvam praana tejasaa, O Prana, the Lord Indra of all Energy!
rudrah asi parirakshitaa; Thou art Rudra in prowess and protection.
2 Tvam antarikshe charasi Thou movest in the sky; You are the
sooryah tvam jyotishaam patih. orb of the Sun, the Lord of all lights.
The glorification of Prana continues; it is unending. Remember, Prana was not even
listed when we started this topic, and now it is being acknowledged to have all these unique
qualities. Its glory is being sung in lines going up and up in a crescendo!
The glorification is not just an idle chant. Every word of it is abosolutely true. The
Prana, as Prajapati Himself, deserves every one of these accolades. It is the Source of all life
in the universe.
The Creator, Destroyer & Preserver of the Universe

1 Indrastwam: “Thou art the Lord Himself,” i.e. the Creator of all beings.
Rudrah: “the Destroyer”.
Pari-Rakshitaa: “the Preserver”, or protector of all beings through His prowess.
The three functions in this universe – Sthiti, Srishti and Laya (creation, preservation
and destruction) – are a common description of the Lord’s functions. Every function is
attributed to the Lord.
This evoked Guruji’s signature remark:
Really, we think it is because of us that everything is going on in

this world; but the truth is that everything is going on in spite of us!
The Supreme Lord of Time and Awareness

2 Antarikshe Charise: “moving in the sky”. This refers to the Sun as a symbol of the
march of Time. The rising and setting sun signifies the march of Time.
Jyotishaam Patih: “Lord of Luminaries”. This refers to the Sun as a symbol of the all-
knowing, omniscient Lord. Nothing escapes the Lord’s knowledge. He is aware of everything
that goes on.
Verse 2.10 vi) Prana as the Giver of Rain

rÉSÉ iuÉqÉÍpÉuÉwÉïxrÉjÉåqÉÉÈ mÉëÉhÉ iÉå mÉëeÉÉÈ |
AÉlÉlSÃmÉÉÎxiÉ¸ÎliÉ MüÉqÉÉrÉÉ³ÉÇ pÉÌuÉwrÉiÉÏÌiÉ ||2.10 ||
1 Yadaa tvam abhivarshah, When you cause rain to shower down,

yatha imaah praana te prajaah; then, O Prana, these creatures of yours
2 Anandaroopaah tishthanti sit delighting in your glory, hoping that there
kaamaaya annam bhavishyateeti. will be as much food as they desire!
The glorification of Prana takes yet another turn: this time it is seen as the
benevolent Giver of all our needs. “Rain” symbolises everything needed by man to sustain
himself.
32
The Bestower of All Needs
1 Our good deeds please Him greatly and He sends down His blessing in a shower of
rain. “Rain” need not be taken literally. It can refer to all the bounties that Nature provides
us with to live a contented, happy life. The onset of the rainy season is marked by joyous
festivities in the community. It fills the hearts of people with much-needed enthusiasm to
work hard to sow the seeds that will bring fruit in its own time.
2 When the rains come down, it is a delight to all living beings. Everyone rejoices.
They are relieved of the oppressive heat of the sun. They give Him another round of
enthusiastic praise!
The pleasant showers also bring with it a great promise of rich rewards. All life
rejoices because there will now be plenty of food for everyone. Guruji was exuberant in
capturing this aspect of the verse:
1. The cooling, refreshing rain is welcomed by everyone. On that first day of the
Monsoons, children come out and play in the puddles of water. The birds are more vocal in
their songs. Elephants trumpet out their joy. All life is celebrating. Farmers are delighted and
look forward to a bumper crop – “as much food as they desire”! The picture painted is
awesome, touching on the common joy felt by all living beings.
2. The “Water of Life”, meaning the joy of life, depends on the rains sent by Prana.
The earth delights to ‘feel’ the flow of fresh heaven-sent rains. It does not feel the same joy
when ‘sterile’ dammed water flows through it in canals. There is a special feeling when it
comes directly from above!
3. The politicians especially express their joy. Now they can tell the people, “See how
much has been produced during our tenure in office!” So quick to snatch all the glory!
Verse 2.11 vii) Prana – the “Un-Baptised One”

uÉëÉirÉxiuÉÇ mÉëÉhÉæMüÌwÉïïU¨ÉÉ ÌuÉµÉxrÉ xÉimÉÌiÉÈ |
uÉrÉqÉÉ±xrÉ SÉiÉÉUÈ ÌmÉiÉÉ iuÉÇ qÉÉiÉËUµÉ lÉÈ ||2.11 ||
1 Vraatyah tvam praana, O Prana, thou art a Vratya (an un-baptised one);
ekarshih attaa, thou art the sacred fire (Ekarshi) that ‘eats’ everything;
vishvasya sat-patih; thou art the good Lord of the whole world;
2 Vayam aadyasya daataarah; We are only giving Thy own ‘food’ back to Thee.
pitaa tvam maatarishva nah. O Divine Being, thou indeed art our Father.
It is truly remarkable to just see how imaginative the Rishi is in finding an unending
string of aspects to pour out his glorification of Prana. There is no end to Prana’s glory!
Here, in the seventh and final aspect of Prana, we have an unusual addition to that family of
epithets.
The “Un-Baptised One”

1 Vraatya: “uncultured, raw, barbaric, uncouth”.
This is normally not a good word to use. It has bad connotations to it. It is like
referring to someone as a person without any good upbringing. To avoid this insulting
connotation, Pujya Gurudev euphemistically translates it as “the un-baptised one”.
33
When applied to the Prana, it actually turns out to be a compliment. How?
Prajapati is the first-born. If He is first born then who is there to train or baptize
Him? And if He is first born how can He have any impurity to be removed from Him by
baptism? Refinement is only needed for one who is impure, dirty. Prajapati is in no need of
that as He is Purity itself.
Therefore, only He can be called a Vraatya without it being an insult!
2 There is a fire called Ekarshi into which any oblations can be offered, and they get
consumed by it. Similarly, whatever we offer to Prana is accepted by Him, as it is His only.
Guruji gave the example of how, on Father’s Day, a child takes money from his father
only to buy him his own present.
Guruji also recounted how in Pujya Gurudev’s time people who came to visit him
used to pluck flowers from the Ashram itself to give to him as an offering. Gurudev,
obviously knowing the Ashram garden quite well, used to remark, “You have got this from
my garden only, is it not?”
Sat-Patih: “the Lord of all that exists”. Sat is what exists; and Patih means ‘father’.
Maatarishva Nah: (8th case, Vocative)“O Wind-God, you are our Father.”
Alternatively, it can be translated as:
Maatarishvanah: (6th case, Possessive) “of Wind” – You are the Father of Wind.
Verse 2.12 Prayer to Prana – 1

rÉÉ iÉå iÉlÉÔuÉÉïÍcÉ mÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉÉ rÉÉ ´ÉÉå§Éå rÉÉ cÉ cÉ¤ÉÑÌwÉ |
rÉÉ cÉ qÉlÉÍxÉ xÉliÉiÉÉ ÍzÉuÉÉÇ
iÉÉÇ MÑüÃ qÉÉåi¢üqÉÏÈ ||2.12 ||
1 Yaa te tanooh vaachi pratishthitaa That aspect of Yours which abides in

yaa shrotre, yaa cha chakshushi; speech, in the ear and in the eye;
2 yaa cha manasi santataa which prevails in the mind,
shivaam making them all auspicious;
3 taam kuru maa utkrameeh. please do not desert them!
1 Tanooh: “bodies”. This verse appears confusing if ‘bodies’ is not understood

correctly. Here, the word does not refer to the whole human body, but to the individual
‘bodies’ of the sense organs and the mind. Hence it can be translated as “aspects”. It is as if
the individual sense organs and the mind are little beings in themselves having their own
bodies. This idea was first established in verse 2.4, and has continued ever since.
2 These individual ‘bodies’ are making an appeal directly to their Master, the
universal Prana, whose obedient servants they are. They have for some reason by-passed
the ego-consciousness and are addressing their appeal directly to Prana for auspiciousness
to prevail in them. One senses that somehow they seem to know that the Ego is not
concerned of their real welfare and so they need to go directly to Prana.
They know that in the hands of the Ego, they are being ill-treated and misused for
things they are not supposed to do. The Ego is creating a lot of mischief with them, and so
34
they send out an S.O.S. to their Master to stop this from happening. When used properly,
they know that they can perform all their functions much better.
What a broad vision the Rishi has of the senses and the mind!
3 These words, “Please do not abandon them!” are uttered in anguish, reflecting
their plight of being misused.
Have we ever thought of putting ourselves in their shoes to understand how painful it
must be for them to live under the tyranny of a deluded ego! The very thought sends us into
complete detachment from the ego-consciousness.
Verse 2.13 Prayer to Prana – 2

mÉëÉhÉxrÉåSÇ uÉzÉå xÉuÉïÇ Ì§ÉÌSuÉå rÉiÉç mÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉqÉç |
qÉÉiÉåuÉ mÉÑ§ÉÉlÉç U¤ÉxuÉ |
´ÉÏ¶É mÉë¥ÉÉÇ cÉ ÌuÉkÉåÌWû lÉ CÌiÉ ||2.13 ||
1 Praanasya idam vashe sarvam All ‘this’ is within the control of Prana;
tridive yat pratishthitam; all ‘that’ , too, is under its control.
2 Maataa eva putraan rakshasva Protect us as a mother protects her children;
3 shreeh cha prajnaam cha May prosperity (splendour) and wisdom
vidhehi nah, iti. be ordained for us!
The glorious praise and prayer of the senses and the mind (independent of the ego)
that was begun in verse 2.5, concludes with this verse.
The instruments of Prana (the senses and the mind) are well aware of their duty; it is
just that their functions have been cruelly hijacked by the Ego in man. They know fully well
that they are servants meant to be under the control of Prana, and wish to live and function
that way, i.e. under His rulership. They do not wish to be under the tyranny of the Ego.
1 Idam: “this”. Whatever is enjoyed here on Earth. Yat: “that”. Whatever is enjoyed
there in Heaven. Both are under Prana’s control.
2 They appeal to Prana to look after them as a mother sees to her children. They
yearn for this loving, sympathetic care from Mother Prana. Others also protect us, but do it
as a duty, for example the police and the army. Even the father and mother do not match
the “Prana-mother” in devoted service to Her children. The real source of all protection,
independent of external protection, is that obtained by obedience to the inner Mother, who
is none other than Prana.
3 And finally, the answer of the Rishi to Bhargava’s question is concluded with a
prayer for prosperity or splendour, combined with a prayer for wisdom or intelligence. Both
these are combined in the prayer. Why?
Prosperity on its own can be dangerously misdirected. Only in the presence of
wisdom and intelligence is it well-utilised.
We once again remind ourselves that the above verses of glorification are addressed
by the senses and mind as individual “bodies” free of the influence of the Ego. Only under
this condition can they function as they are designed to by Nature. And only when
performing their designed functions can they attain the prosperity and wisdom that is their
earnest prayer in this verse.
35
Guruji quoted a parting story about this to close the chapter:
A beggar had one day won the lottery and was quite excited about his sudden
wealth. The press interviewed him as usual hoping to get a fairy-tale write up. They asked
the beggar what he planned to do with the money. The reply was, “Now I can do my
begging with a golden bowl!”
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS Ì²iÉÏrÉÈ mÉëzlÉÈ ||

Thus ends the Second Question in Prashna Upanishad.
*****
Yashoda Mata
with Baby Krishna
“Protect us as a mother protects her children!” (2.13)
*****
36
KAUSHALYA’S QUESTION
Query No 3:
“The Management of Power”
THE THIRD QUESTION takes the reader a little further into the subtle realm. From
the gross world we shifted our attention in the last chapter to the subtle manifestation of
Prana. We glorified Prana above all the grosser organs. Now curiosity makes the students
wish to know more about the chief Deva, Prana. “If he plays such a major role,” think the
students, “then tell us more about him. Has he got someone who is his superior?” This is the
curiosity that has built up in the students’ minds.
The students would like to know how this cosmic power called Prana is managed.
We see it functioning in every little organ, in every movement in the body. How is it that
everything works so smoothly? Surely there must be a Master Plan behind all this!
Verse 3.1 The Third Question: by Kaushalya

AjÉ WæûlÉÇ MüÉæzÉsrÉwcÉÉµÉsÉÉrÉlÉÈ mÉmÉëcNû |
pÉaÉuÉlÉç MÑüiÉ LwÉ mÉëÉhÉÉå eÉÉrÉiÉå |
MüjÉqÉÉrÉÉirÉÎxqÉgzÉUÏUå |
AÉiqÉÉlÉÇ uÉÉ mÉëÌuÉpÉerÉ MüjÉÇ mÉëÌiÉ¸iÉå |
MåülÉÉåi¢üqÉiÉå | MüjÉÇ oÉ½qÉÍpÉkÉiÉå |
MüjÉqÉkrÉÉiqÉÍqÉÌiÉ ||3.1||
1 Atha hi enam Kaushalyah cha Then indeed, Kaushalya, the son of Asvalaya,
Aashvalayanah papracchha: put forward this question:
2 bhagavan, kutah eshah praanah O Bhagavan, i) From whom does this Prana
jaayate? take its birth?
3 katham aayaati asmin shareere? ii) How does it come to abide in this body?
4 aatmaanam vaa pravibhajya, iii) After dividing itself (into so many functions)
katham pratishhate? how does it abide?
5a kena utkramate? iv) How does it go out (of its body, at death)?
5b katham baahyam abhidhatte? v) How does it support what is outside?
6 katham adhyaatmam? iti. vi) …and how what is within?
The disciple is still feeling that Prana cannot have this power on its own. There must
someone superior to him who gives him that authority. This is typical of human intellectual
curiosity. It always strives to know of the unknown.
1 Not satisfied to ask just one question, Kaushalya goes on to ask six questions on
the workings of Prana as briefly glorified in the last chapter. He wants to know how Prana
actually manages to carry out such a huge responsibility. What are the nuts and bolts of his
management system? Today’s CEO’s will really relish the answers.
37
“Contents” for the Chapter:
As in Chapter 2, this verse also forms a “Contents” for this chapter: Kaushalya asks
his question in 6 parts. They are answered in the following order.
2 Question 3A: “Who is Prana’s superior?” Answered in verse 3.3A.

3 Question 3B: “How does Prana abide in this body?” Answered in 3.3B.
4 Question 3C: “How do the Upa-Pranas abide? Answered in 3.4 to 3.7.
5a Question 3E: “How does it support the Microcosm? Answered in 3.8.
5b Question 3F...and what is inside (the Macrocosm)?” Answered in 3.9.
6 Question 3D: “How does it go out at the time of death?” Answered in 3.10.
What is the Phala or fruit of having this knowledge? Answered in 3.11.
Is there a supporting statement for these claims? Answered in 3.12.
Verse 3.2 “It’s a Transcendental Question!”

iÉxqÉæ xÉ WûÉåEuÉÉcÉÉÌiÉmÉëwcÉÉlÉç mÉ×cNûÍxÉ
oÉëÍ¼¸ÉåÅxÉÏÌiÉ , iÉxqÉÉ¨ÉåÅWÇû oÉëuÉÏÍqÉ ||3.2||
1 Tasmai sa ha uvaacha: To him the Master (Pippalada) replied:

ati-prashnaan pricchhasi. You have asked a transcendental question!
2 Brahma-nishtah aseeti, However, as you are an earnest seeker of God
tasmaat te aham braveemi. for that reason I shall explain it to you.
1-2 The Guru is pleased with the questions, and congratulates the questioner. He is
willing to answer them, seeing the sincerity in his question. The Guru seems to have a soft
corner for this student, for he has not praised the other two like this, nor given them the
freedom to ask so much at once. Anyway, he is happy to see their interest.
The praise by the Teacher could be interpreted as his satisfaction in seeing the
subject matter being advanced to a higher level. The teacher is glad that attention is shifting
from the mundane and the gross to something more abstract and subtle. This is a good sign.
Spirituality deals with that which is completely beyond the senses and even beyond the
mind. We still have a long way to get there, but here is a welcome trend among the
students.
Verse 3.3 Basic Questions About Prana

AÉiqÉlÉ LwÉ mÉëÉhÉÉå eÉÉrÉiÉå |
rÉjÉæwÉÉ mÉÑÂwÉå NûÉrÉæiÉÎxqÉ³ÉåiÉSÉiÉiÉÇ ||3.3.1||
qÉlÉÉåM×üiÉålÉÉrÉÉirÉÎxqÉgzÉUÏUå ||3.3.2||
1 Aatmana eshah praanah jaayate. This Prana is born of the Atman (Self).
2 Yatha eshaa purushe cchhaayaa, As a man’s SHADOW is born of him only,
etasmin etat aatatam. so is this (Prana) born of that (the Self).
38
3 Manah kritenaa By the action of the mind,
aayaati asmin shareere it enters into this body.
3.3.1 Question 3A: From whom does this Prana take its birth?
1 Is the Atman affected in any way by bringing forth or “giving birth” to Prana, as a
mother is by bringing into the world a child, or gold is by being beaten into an ornament?
No. The Atman or Pure Consciousness is not affected in this manner. So, philosophically
speaking, it would be incorrect to say ‘born out of’.
To show that the birth of the Prana does not in any way affect the Atman, the sage
chooses an appropriate simile that explains the nature of the Atman-Prana relationship.
Appropriateness of the “Shadow” Simile

2 Chhaayaa: It is like a shadow. Just as a shadow does not affect its cause in any
way, so also the Prana does not affect the Atman in any way.
Instead of ‘shadow’, what would happen if the sage used ‘reflection’ to denote the
relationship? There would have been a subtle difference. A shadow has no substance in it at
all. It is completely a non-entity. A reflection at least has the same light rays as the original,
which means it still has some reality in it.
Here are 5 reasons why the shadow simile is so appropriate in this case:
i) A shadow always accompanies that which produces it. It never separates from it.
ii) It is also totally dependent on it for its existence.
iii) There is a similarity in appearance between the original and the shadow.
iv) The shadow has no real existence; it only appears to move about as the original
body moves. In itself it has no substance at all.
v) Prana, being the shadow, cannot enjoy the same level of Reality as the Atman. The
two are definitely in different realms of Reality. This is how the Atman/Prana relationship is.
In contrast, when a mother gives birth to a child, both are in the same degree of Reality.
3.3.2 Question 3B: How does Prana come to Abide in this Body?
3 Some other factor is required to produce the shadow or reflection, such as a

source of light or a mirror. In pitch darkness there can be no shadow. What is that factor?
This is the searching part of the question which was appreciated as “touching the
transcendental realm”.
The teacher decides that the explanation is premature. Without going into details at
this stage, he says that it is the mind which makes the Prana identify itself with a particular
body only, and no other. This restriction in its identity is produced at the junction of Atman
with the mind. The sage does not take up the question any further at this point.
[As students of the Course, however, we can refer to the Atma Bodha (verse 25)
where Sri Shankaracharyaji attempts the explanation in a single verse. The reason given
there is “the indiscriminate blending of Consciousness and mind”.]
39
Verse 3.4 Q-3C How is Power Delegated –Overview
rÉjÉÉ xÉqÉëÉSåuÉÉÍkÉM×üiÉÉlÉç ÌuÉÌlÉrÉÑ‡åû |
LiÉlÉç aÉëÉqÉÉlÉÉåiÉÉlÉç aÉëÉqÉÉlÉÍkÉÌiÉ¹xuÉåirÉç-
LuÉqÉåuÉæwÉ mÉëÉhÉ CiÉUÉlÉç mÉëÉhÉÉlÉç
mÉ×jÉMçü mÉ×jÉaÉåuÉ xÉÍ³ÉkÉ¨Éå ||3.4||
1 Yathaa samraat Just as a KING

eva adhikritaan viniyunkte; appoints his ministers, (saying to them),
2 etaan graamaan etaan graamaan “You take this village, you take that village,
adhitishthaswa iti, – stay there and govern it.”
3 iti evam eva isha praanah, In the same way does the lordly Prana,
itaraan praanaan to his other assistant Pranas,
4 prithak prithak eva each one in its own respective department,
samnidhatte. assign them their respective duties.
The Example: King & His Ministers

1 The example given is a near-perfect one in the context. We have seen so far that in
every case the Rishi comes up with the most stunningly appropriate simile to support his
statements. The delegation of power from King to his ministers, done in such simple and
effective manner as indicated here, constitutes a perfect comparison to the application.
2 The minister is given his area of functioning and told to get on with his job – no
questions asked. That is the ideal delegation, which presupposes that the executive has the
knowledge and the wisdom to do the task delegated.
Question 3C: How is power delegated to Upa-Pranas?
The delegation of power is now taken up in verses 3.4-3.7. Prana sub-divides itself
into five Upa-Pranas, and these are explained in these four verses.
3 In the management of Power, there has to be some hierarchy. The Upa-Pranas are
the second tier in the management system of Prana. In another Vedantic text, even these 5
Upa-Pranas are further sub-divided, setting up a third tier in the management hierarchy. For
the purposes of this text two tiers is sufficient to drive home the point.
4 Each of the five Upa-Pranas is placed in charge of one department of work. He is
given his respective rules of how to do his job, and then sent away with full authority to
execute his function. It is real power that he has; he is not just a “puppet” of the Chief.
In the divine Management Plan, the superior has trust that his second-in-charge has
the ability and the knowledge to do his job exactly as expected. This is a principle of
management that needs to be highlighted in today’s business world. Successful businesses
are found to be those wherein one sees this delegation with trust to a large degree.
Suspicion and too much supervision has negative results on performance of executives.
40
Verse 3.5 Q-3C The Apana, Prana and Samana Assistants
mÉÉrÉÔmÉxjÉåÅmÉÉlÉÇ |
cÉ¤ÉÑÈ´ÉÉå§Éå qÉÑZÉlÉÉÍxÉMüÉprÉÉÇ mÉëÉhÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ mÉëÉÌiÉ¹iÉå |
qÉkrÉå iÉÑ xÉqÉÉlÉÈ LwÉ ½åiÉ®ÒiÉqÉ³ÉÇ xÉqÉÇ lÉrÉÌiÉ |
iÉxqÉÉSåiÉÉÈ xÉmiÉÉÍcÉïwÉÉå pÉuÉÎliÉ ||3.5||
5 Paayu upasthe apaanam; i) APANA dwells in the anus and genitals;

6 chakshuh shrotre mukha ii) In the eyes, the ears, the mouth
naasikaabhyaam, and in the nostrils,
praanah swayam pratishthate; the PRANA itself operates;
7 madhye tu samaanah eshah, iii) The SAMANA, lying in the middle of these,
hi etat hutam annam is responsible for swallowing the food,
samam nayati; and distributing the nutrients equally.
8 tasmaat etaah As a result of the above functions,
saptah-archishah bhavanti. the “Seven Flames” are fed.
The first three sub-Pranas are delegated their responsibilities in this verse. Each Upa-
Prana is told in precise terms what his function is to be and where he is to reside!
i) Apana: 5 This handles the downward function, that which has to be pulled down
and eliminated. Excretion and generation are its main functions. It resides in the pelvic
region.
ii) Prana: 6 This handles the upward functions covering the part from the chest
upwards. This Prana resides in the head. The main organs of knowledge are located in the
head. The eye is its headquarters.
iii) Samana: 7 Digestion and distribution are the main function of this aspect of
Prana. Its nature is to produce fire. The seat of this Prana is the stomach and abdominal
region.
8 The Seven Flames stand for the seven holes in the head: the 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2
nostrils and the mouth. These are the organs of knowledge. When the Pranas are
functioning well, these seven flames are all lit up and bright. One can see the glow on a
healthy person’s face. The opposite is true of an unhealthy person; his ‘dullness’ is known
only too well by doctors!
The “seven flames” are known as such because through each of the seven holes, one
may imagine a ‘flame’ shooting out by which its particular function is performed. These
flames can perform only the function which they have been delegated to perform:
a. The ‘flame’ from the eyes can only recognize form;
b. those from the ears can only recognize sound;
c. those from the nostrils can only recognize smell;
d. the flames from the ‘fiery tongue’ can recognize taste, and utter words, at times
very ‘fiery’ words!
In a government, a successful minister is one who carries out his orders well. So too,
these secondary or Upa-Pranas execute their respective orders to perfection, and thereby
contribute to the general welfare enjoyed by the whole body.
41
Verse 3.6 Q-3C The Vyana Assistant
™ÌS ½åwÉ AÉiqÉÉ | A§ÉæiÉSåMüzÉiÉÇ lÉÉQûÏlÉÉÇÇ
iÉÉxÉÉÇ zÉiÉÇ zÉiÉqÉåMæüMüxrÉÉÇ ²ÉxÉmiÉÌiÉ²ÉïxÉmiÉÌiÉÈ
mÉëÌiÉzÉÉZÉÉlÉÉQûÏxÉWûxÉëÉÍhÉ pÉuÉlirÉÉxÉÑ urÉÉlÉ¶ÉUÌiÉ ||3.6||
9 Hridi hi eshah aatmaa. This Atman is in the heart.

atra etat eka-shatam naadeenaam; There, there are a hundred and one ‘nerves’;
10 taasaam shatam shatam eka eka; From each one arise a hundred sub-branches.
syaam dvaa-saptatih dvaa-saptatih. From each of these arise 72 sub-branches!
11 prati shaakhaa-naadee-sahasraani In this way there are thousands of nerve
bhavanti aasu vyaanah charati. channels in the body; in them flow VYANA.
iv) Vyana: 9-11 The fourth Prana governs the circulatory system, and is centred in
the heart. When the above arithmetic is done, we find there are 72,72,10,201 Nadis or
‘astral tubes’ in all! Vyana is the great ‘telecommunication network’ within the body.
Guruji was reminded of a nice incident about Akbar and his trusted chief minister,
Birbal. Birbal was always disliked by the other ministers because he was Akbar’s favourite.
Akbar wanted to prove to them why. He asked them all to give him a count of the
population by the next day. No one had enough time to do the counting. When asked to
give their answer, they all kept quiet. Birbal confidently stepped forward and said, “There
are 7 crores and 25 lakhs.” The other ministers immediately objected to this fact. So Birbal
said, “If you don’t believe me you can count them yourself!” One minister asked, “What if
there are more?” Birbal said, “That would mean some people must have since migrated into
the country.” “And what if there were less?”asked another objector. “That would mean
some people must have migrated out of the country.”
Now all of them had to agree that Birbal was smarter than them. So Birbal came to
be admired by all for his clever wit!
Guruji said we’d better accept the Rishi’s word or we can count the Nadis for
ourselves! Modern biology agrees entirely with this complex network of nerves.
Verse 3.7 Q.3C The Udana Assistant

AjÉæMürÉÉåkuÉï ESÉlÉÈ mÉÑhrÉålÉ mÉÑhrÉÇ sÉÉåMÇü
lÉrÉÌiÉ mÉÉmÉålÉ mÉÉmÉÇ EpÉÉprÉÉqÉåuÉ qÉlÉÑwrÉsÉÉåMüqÉç ||3.7||
12 Atha eka yah urdhva udaanah, Then, there is one UDANA which, ascending,
13 punyena punyam lokam nayati; i) leads us to the virtuous world by good deeds;
(i.e. at the time of death, it ejects the subtle body)
14 paapena paapam, ii) to the lower world by sinful deeds;
15 ubhaabhyaam eva, iii) and, when the deeds are mixed (virtue & sin),
manushyalokam. to the world of men (i.e. this Earth-plane).
v) Udana: The most important function of Udana is to take away the subtle body or
“Linga Sharira” with it at the time of death.
Udana also deals with all the sudden reverse movements in the body, such as
coughing, sneezing, hiccupping, yawning, etc.
42
12 Eka Yah Urdhva: The ‘special nerve’ mentioned here is the Sushumna Nadi, the
central and most important Nadi among all 72 crores of Nadis. The Udana ascends up this
channel at the time of exiting from the body (at death).
13-14 Paapa & Punya: “Merit and demerit;” the point about the virtuous person
being taken upward and the unrighteous person being taken downward to lower worlds is
largely cultural, as it applied at the time of the Vedic period. Upward referred to “heavenly
regions”; downward refers to the “hellish regions”.
Such matters may differ from culture to culture. However, the essential point is how
the soul leaves the body through the ‘push’ given to the subtle body by the Udana.
Another interesting point in the Hindu religion is that when the two are mixed – and
as a rule this has to be the case for humans – then the soul is sent back to the Earth-plane to
be reborn here to continue its evolution.
The whole point about merit and demerit arises only in man, and in no other
creatures. This is because man has self-will governed by his ego, which produces merit and
demerit. Animals live by instinct and so they do not incur merit and demerit.
Joy & Sorrow

Whilst western science may not permit their investigations to be coloured by such
matters as Paapa and Punya, it must be borne in mind that the Vedic seers took all such
facts into account. Thus the latter investigations may be considered to be more scientific.
An important point brought out by this verse is that in human life virtue and sin are
almost in equal proportions. It is a misnomer to think of certain events as bringing joy and
certain other events as bringing sorrow. The two go hand in hand. They are always mixed.
To deal with this situation, one is advised to develop the ability to see “the good in
everything”, meaning we should always learn to bring cheerfulness to every situation. It is in
our attitude that joy and sorrow lies.
To the Hindu, joy and sorrow are both accepted. Hence, the Hindus are culturally
better able to cope with the ups and downs of life. It is built into their culture. This is
sometimes seen as fatalism by other cultures which do not have an answer for sorrows.
No. PRANA TYPE MICROCOSM MACROCOSM Relationship / Function
1 PRANA Eye Sun Source or intake through breath
2 APANA Anus Earth Gravitational pull down to Earth
3 SAMANA Abdomen Space Digestion, extracting the energy
4 VYANA Heart Wind Circulation of blood, nourishment
5 UDANA Body warmth Fire Sudden ejections, e.g. at death
UPA-PRANAS: COUPLING OF INNER & OUTER COUNTERPARTS

The above table and the notes that follow relate to the next two verses:
43
Verses 3.8 /9 Q.3E Coupling of Inner With Outer Upa-Pranas
At this point, we skip Part 3D of the Question and go to Part 3E, which is answered in
these two verses. “How does Prana support what is outside and how what is within the
body?” ‘Outside’ stands for the macrocosm; ‘within’ stands for the microcosm.
AÉÌSirÉÉå Wû uÉæ oÉÉ½È mÉëÉhÉ EsrÉirÉåwÉ |

½ålÉÇ cÉÉ¤ÉÑwÉÇ mÉëÉhÉqÉlÉÑaÉ×ºûÉlÉÈ | ||3.8.1||
mÉ×ÍjÉurÉÉÇ rÉÉ SåuÉiÉÉ xÉæwÉÉ mÉÑÂwÉxrÉ AmÉÉlÉqÉuÉ¹prÉ | ||3.8.2||
AliÉUÉ rÉSÉMüÉzÉÈ xÉ xÉqÉÉlÉÉå | ||3.8.3||
uÉÉrÉÑurÉÉïlÉÈ | ||3.9.1||
iÉåeÉÉå Wû uÉÉ ESÉlÉxiÉxqÉÉSÒmÉzÉÉ |liÉiÉåeÉÉÈ | ||3.9.2||
mÉÑlÉpÉïuÉÍqÉÎlSìrÉæqÉïlÉÍxÉ xÉqmÉkrÉqÉÉlÉæÈ | ||3.9.3||
3.8.1 i) Prana:
1 Aadityah ha vai baahyah That Sun is verily the external counterpart
praanah udayati eshah of the PRANA that rises up (in this body);
2 hi enam chaakshusham indeed, the eye in the body is able to function
praanam anu-grihnaanah. due to its affinity with the Prana in the Sun.
3.8.2 ii) Apana:
3 Prithivyaam yaa devataa saa That external orb, the Earth, is the very Deity
eshaa purushah yaa functioning in this human body
apaanam avashtabhya. as APANA, pulling it down earthwards.
3.8.3 iii) Samana:
4 Antaraa yah aakaashah That external intermediate Space, has affinity to
sah saamaanah this SAMANA operating in the abdomen.
3.9.1 iv) Vyana:
5 vaayuh vyaanah. That external Wind relates to this internal VYANA.
3.9.2 v) Udana:
6 Tejah ha vaa udaanah; That external Fire relates to this internal UDANA.
tasmaad upashaanta tejaah Due to its function, when his light goes out (dies);
3.9.3 Rebirth:
7 (sah) punah bhavam indriyaih he goes to his next birth with all his senses
manasi sampadyamaanaih. intact, absorbed in the mind (as before).
The Microcosm and Macrocosm:

The within is Microcosm, the without is Macrocosm. The macrocosm is only an
extension or expansion of the microcosm. The operation of the five Pranas within the body
is repeated on a larger scale outside and throughout the universe. The locations of the seats
of these Pranas are given in the body as well as in the Total Body.
i) Prana: 1-2 The sub-division called Prana, seated in the eye, has its counterpart in
the Sun. These two are related. The Sun is the ‘head’ of the manifested world, providing the
source of all energy, and Prana is the source of providing the body with Pranic energy taken
in through the eye, nostrils and mouth.
44
ii) Apana: 3 This finds its counterpart in Earth. The common characteristic is
gravitational pull downwards. The earth’s gravity assists Apana to do its work of elimination.
iii) Samana: 4 This has its counterpart in Space (between the sun and earth). As
stomach digests and supplies the nutrition throughout the body, the ‘space’ or atmospheric
air upholds life in all creatures.
iv) Vyana: 5 The circulation function of the body has its counterpart as Wind in the
macrocosm, which circulates the air, taking away the stale air that we expirate and bringing
in fresh air for inspiration, exactly what the blood circulation in the body.
v) Udana: 6 The Udana’s counterpart in the macrocosm is Fire. Just as when the fuel
runs out, the fire gets extinguished by itself; similarly, in the body, when time has run out,
the fire of Udana terminates life (pushes it out), and the lifeless body becomes cold. What is
pushed out?
7 Rebirth: All the sense organs enter into (“get packed up into”) the mind, and are
ready to be pushed out of the body by Udana to go to its next destination.
Verse 3.10 Q.3D How Does Prana Go Out?

rÉÎŠ¨ÉxiÉålÉæwÉ mÉëÉhÉqÉÉrÉÉÌiÉ |
mÉëÉhÉxiÉåeÉxÉÉ rÉÑ£üÈ xÉWûÉiqÉlÉÉ
iÉjÉÉxÉƒ¡ûÎsmÉiÉÇ sÉÉåMÇü lÉrÉÌiÉ ||3.10||
15 Yat chittah tena eshah Together with whatever thought he had (at the time
praanam aayaati; of death) he enters into the Prana.
16 praanah tejasaa yuktah, Prana, in its aspect as Udana (luminosity),
saha aatmanaa; carries away the soul (subtle body of the Jiva);
17 yathaa sankalpitam according to the desire of the Jiva,
lokam nayati. it (i.e. the Prana) leads him to that world.
We are now in a position to answer Part D of the Question, which we had skipped
earlier as we needed to know something more about Udana before we can answer it. 3.7
touched on how Udana leads ‘me’ to the respective worlds. However, it gave no details of
who that ‘me’ is.
The “Packing Up” Process

Before a house is vacated, the most valuable things are packed up to be taken into
the next house. Similarly, we “pack up” our luggage before departure from the body. Lines
13 and 14 of the last verse gives the overall item – the entire Subtle Body, also called the
“Linga Sharira”. What remains is only the gross physical body, which is fit only for the fire to
‘deliver’ all its five elements back to their respective abodes.
In this verse, the details are given; the packing up is vividly described. The Subtle
Body is packed away before the ‘body-house’ is vacated. What do we actually pack up?
Thoughts & Desires

15 Most significant of all the items packed for the soul’s journey are the quality of
our thoughts at the time of death, which logically can only be the resultant of the major
thoughts that we entertained during life. The state of our mind is carried forward.
45
The Prana picks up the “last thought” that is in the mind. It does not literally mean
the actual single last thought. In business, we have the term “bottom line” which represents
the arithmetic sum of all profits and losses. Similarly, one’s whole life has evolved or built up
a certain quality of thought trend. That is the “last thought” that is carried away by Prana. It
is what determines the next birth.
The “Removal Truck” of Prana

16 Prana is the last sign of life in a dying man.This is because the Prana is what packs
away all the ‘luggage’. All the sense organs begin to cease their function bit by bit, one by
one. They are already being ‘packed away’. Then even the mind stops working as the ‘last
thought’ gets packed away. The relatives who are watching the body can now only say, “He
is still breathing!” Prana is the big removal truck that leaves the dead body-home last. When
the truck’s engine starts, the man is declared “Dead!”
Many people carry thoughts of anxiety with them on their deathbed. This verse
helps us to get rid of that anxiety founded on delusion. Everything will carry on as before,
with or without us. It is the deluded ego that thinks it is indispensable.
An Upanishadic Story: A family was mourning excessively for a soul that had
departed. In order to pacify the family, a sage actually called the departed soul back and, in
the presence of the family, asked it if it would like to return to earth to its family. The
answer was an emphatic “No!”, much to the consternation of the family. The soul said it
was very comfortable where it was, and would never like to come back to this stifling place.
This pacified the family and they gave up their mourning.
What is the Destination?

17 Where is the luggage going to? Where will it be unpacked? This line combines our
previous knowledge on Udana, and tells us how the actual journey is conducted by Udana to
our next destination. When we reach there, it will be Udana, Prana’s removal agent, who
will have to do all the hard work of unpacking all the luggage!
The address is written in the language of Desire. According to one’s predominant
desires during the birth just completed, will determine which address he goes to. The Udana
Trucking Company never makes a mistake. It will go precisely to the correct address. It has a
system that guides it to its destination better than any modern GPS system! It uses desire-
waves to guide it forward.
Verse 3.11 The Fruit of Knowledge on Prana

rÉ LuÉÇ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç mÉëÉhÉÇ uÉåS
lÉ WûÉxrÉ mÉëeÉÉ WûÏrÉiÉåÅqÉ×iÉÉå pÉuÉÌiÉ |
iÉSåwÉÈ zsÉÉåMüÈ ||3.11||
1 Ya evam vidvaan praanam veda; Any man of knowledge who thus knows Prana,
2 na ha asya prajaa heeyate for him his line of progeny sustains no break.
amritah bhavati; He becomes immortal.
3 tad eshah shlokah: Pertaining to this there is this Sruti Mantra:
46
1 This is the “Phala Stuti” of this chapter, describing the merits earned by grasping
the contents just explained. This does not mean just memorizing the verses concerned, but
living accordingly. The information given in this chapter will help one to decide correctly
how to live his life so that he can attain his desired goal.
Yah Vidvaan: The illumined person referred to here does not mean the spiritually
enlightened sage! It simply refers to the pundit who is knowledgable in matters concerning
the householder’s life. Hinduism caters for a vast range of desires and goals, and hence it
becomes necessary to say which goal is being referred to.
2 In connection with Phala, it is normal in the Vedas that a Phala or fruit or result is
always stated for a particular practice or Upasana. This arises from the nature of man to
always expects something in return for what he does.
The incentive given here, of having an unending line of progeny, is fully in keeping
with the knowledge we are dealing with – that of the life forces operating in all living beings.
There is no need to construe it as the goal of spiritual life.
3 The Rishi wishes to quote another Vedic verse to support his teaching.
Verse 3.12 Sruti Quotation: A Summary

EimÉÌ¨ÉqÉÉrÉÌiÉÇ xjÉÉlÉÇ ÌuÉpÉÑiuÉÇ cÉæuÉ mÉgcÉkÉÉ |
AkrÉÉiqÉÇ cÉæuÉ mÉëÉhÉxrÉ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉÉqÉ×iÉqÉzlÉÑiÉå
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉÉqÉ×iÉqÉzlÉÑiÉ CÌiÉ || 12||
1 Utpattim, aayatim, sthaanam, The origin of Prana, its entry and residence (in
vibhutvam cha eva panchadhaa the body), and its fivefold overlordship;
2 adhyaatmam cha eva praanasya; its existence outside as well as within the body;
vijnaaya amritam ashnute; Knowing all this, one achieves immortality;
3 vijnaaya amritam ashnute, iti; Knowing all this, one achieves immortality.
This Mantra is quoted to add credibility to what has just been explained to the
students about the efficacy of the knowledge about the Prana. It also effectively serves as a
summary of the whole chapter.
1 The origin of Prana was seen to be the Self, in verse 3.3A. Its coming into the body
and its place of residence or jurisdiction within the body was seen in 3.3B. The overlordship
of the Prana over all the sub-Pranas and their functions was seen in verses 3.4 to 3.7.
2 The close correlation between the external and internal manifestations of the five
sub-Pranas was seen in verses 3.8-3.9. Not mentioned here is how Prana leaves the body at
death, which was seen in 3.10. All this is the “knowledge” that bestows Immortality.
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS iÉ×iÉÏrÉÈ mÉëzlÉÈ ||

Thus ends the Third Question in Prashna Upanishad.
*****
47
LORD SHIVA’S HOUSEHOLD
A Perfect Example of Management of Prana,
as well as Management of a Household,
in accordance with this Chapter.
*****
48
GAARGYA’S QUESTION
Query No 4:
“The Experiencer of Power”
HAVING LEARNT SO much about Prana and its management in the world of living
beings, we are naturally now looking forward to experience it as such in our own lives. This
chapter deals with the Experiencer of that Power. Who is it that experiences this life?
Surely, however fascinating the expression of power may appear to be, it would be futile if
there was none to experience it.
In this question the students seek and strive to understand a layer of existence that
is more subtle than the Pranic body explained in the previous chapters. We are now going to
deal with the experiencer of Power. This is not so easy a topic as we shall soon discover. The
difficulty is to identify who is the actual experiencer? There are three “I”s that can claim to
be experiencing Life through this body. Which is the true “I”? That is the difficulty.
The Truth or Reality behind the individual and the cosmos is approached gradually –
that is the plan of this Upanishad. We are slowly getting to the core of Reality. The method
used in this chapter is to carefully examine those states in life when the being is closest to
God. The states of dream and deep sleep provide some eye-opening clues to our inner
Reality. Hence, these are scrutinized in this chapter.
Our laboratory in this chapter is our bedroom!
Verse 4.1 The Fourth Question: by Gargya

AjÉ WæûlÉÇ xÉÉærÉÉïrÉÍhÉ aÉÉarÉïÈ mÉmÉëcNû |
pÉaÉuÉ³ÉåiÉÎxqÉlÉç mÉÑÂwÉå MüÉÌlÉ xuÉmÉÎliÉ |
MüÉlrÉÎxqÉgeÉÉaÉëÌiÉ |
MüiÉU LwÉ SåuÉÈ xuÉmlÉÉlÉç mÉzrÉÌiÉ |
MüxrÉæiÉiÉç xÉÑZÉÇ pÉuÉÌiÉ |
MüÎxqÉ³ÉÑ xÉuÉåï xÉqmÉëÌiÉÌ¹iÉÉ pÉuÉliÉÏÌiÉ ||4.1||
1 Atha ha enam sauryaayanee Then Gargya, the grandson of Surya, asked

gaargyah papracchha: the following questions:
2 bhagavan, etasmin purushe O Bhagavan! (i) Among the organs in a man
kaani svapanti ? which are the ones that go to sleep ?
3 kaani asmin jaagrati ? (ii) Which keep awake in him?
4 katara eshah devah svapnaan (iii) Which is the Deity who “sees”
pashyati ? (experiences) the dream?
5 kasya etat sukham bhavati ? (iv) To whom occurs this happiness?
6 kasmin nu sarve sampratishtitaa (v) In whom do all (i.e. the subtle body parts that
bhavanti ? iti. are “packed-up” at death) get merged?
49
1 Apart from the first question, each subsequent question seems to be more and
more well-prepared and lengthy. The students are coming to the Master with long lists!
Their questions are also becoming more and more subtle in their content. They are helping
us to probe through deeper and deeper layers into Reality.
Unless we think and ask questions, we will never learn. This attitude is encouraged
by the sage among his students. It is also reflected in the fact that the questions are getting
more and more detailed and penetrating.
We have been given all these instruments (senses, mind, intellect, etc.) so that we
use them properly for what they are designed. In doing so, we have to think.
2-6 The Five Parts of This Question:
a QUESTION NO. 4A What Sleeps?

b Answered in Verse No. 4.2
c Simile Used Setting Sun cf. senses and mind going to sleep
d Experiencer and State VISWA, in the Waking State.
a QUESTION NO. 4B(i) What keeps awake?

b Answered in Verse No. 4.3 A – a general answer
c Simile Used The City, cf. sleeping man
d Experiencer and State PRANA, in all the three States.
a QUESTION NO. 4B(ii) What keeps awake?

4.3 B – details on Apana & Prana.
b Answered in Verse No.
4.4 – details on Samana, Vyana & Udana.
c Simile Used Sacrificial Fires and Agnihotra, cf. Upa-Pranas.
d Experiencer and State UPA-PRANAS, in all the three States
a QUESTION NO. 4C Who is the deity that experiences dream?

b Answered in Verse No. 4.5
c Simile Used none
d Experiencer and State TAIJASA, in the Dream State.
a QUESTION NO. 4D Who experiences the happiness in Deep Sleep?

4.6 – answers it negatively as “Not the Mind”.
b Answered in Verse No. 4.7 – answers it positively as indicating the Self.
4.8 – gives the detailed breakdown of Deep Sleep.
c Simile Used 4.7 – Birds in a Tree, cf. Jiva seeking shelter in Brahman.
d Experiencer and State PRAJNA, in the Deep Sleep State.
a QUESTION NO. 4E In whom do the Pranas get merged?

b Answered in Verse No. 4.9 to 4.11
c Simile Used none
d Experiencer and State TURIYA, the Substratum for the Prana & all 3 States.
From Apara Vidya to Para Vidya

This chapter, i.e. Chapter 4, deals with the transition from Apara Vidya to Para Vidya.
50
The whole idea of the first three chapters of Prashna Upanishad is to lead us from
the grosser manifestations to more and more subtle levels of experience; from RAYI to
PRANA, from MATTER to ENERGY. We have been dealing with the relative world of sense
experience. This knowledge is called Apara Vidya.
Then the last two chapters, Chapters 5 and 6, deal in in greater detail with the Para
Vidya or knowledge of the Supreme Brahman. Para Vidya is the highest floor of the edifice
of Vedanta.
Guruji was reminded of an interesting observation: Someone was asked, “How long
can you live without air?” The reply was, “Two minutes at most.” “How long, without
water?” “A day, not more”. “How long, without food?” “About 10 days, I suppose.” “And
how long without thinking?” “Forever!”
Guruji light-heartedly said something very serious: “If we don’t think, no one will
ever force us to!”
Verse 4.2 Q.4A – Viswa: The Experiencer of Waking State

iÉxqÉæ xÉ WûÉåuÉcÉ |
rÉjÉÉ aÉÉarÉï qÉUÏcÉrÉÉåÅMïüxrÉÉxiÉÇ aÉcNûiÉÈ |
xÉuÉÉï LiÉÎxqÉÇxiÉåeÉÉåqÉhQûsÉ LMüÐpÉuÉÎliÉ |
iÉÉÈ mÉÑlÉÈ mÉÑlÉÂSrÉiÉÈ mÉëcÉUÎliÉ ||4.2.1||
LuÉÇ Wû uÉæ iÉiÉç xÉuÉïÇ mÉUå SåuÉå qÉlÉxrÉåMüÐpÉuÉÌiÉ | ||4.2.2||
iÉålÉ iÉ½åïwÉ mÉÑÂwÉÉå |

lÉ zÉ×hÉÉåÌiÉ , lÉ mÉzrÉÌiÉ , lÉ ÎeÉbÉëÌiÉ , lÉ UxÉrÉiÉå , lÉ xmÉ×zÉiÉå |
lÉÉÍpÉuÉSiÉå , lÉÉS¨Éå , lÉÉlÉlSrÉiÉå , lÉ ÌuÉxÉ×eÉiÉå , lÉårÉÉrÉiÉå |
xuÉÌmÉiÉÏirÉÉcÉ¤ÉiÉå ||4.2.3||
4.2.1 i) The Simile: Sun & Its Rays:

1 Tasmai sah uvaacha: To him he (Rishi Pippalada) said:
2 yathaa gaargya mareechayah O Gargya, just as the rays
arkasya astam gacchhatah of the sun that is setting –
3 sarvaa etasmin tejomandala all of them return into the Sun,
ekee-bhavanti , and become unified with it;
4 taah punah punah udayatah then once again upon rising,
pracharanti; they get dispersed as in a cycle;
4.2.2 ii) The Application: Mind & the Senses:
5 evam ha vai, tat sarvam In the same way, indeed, all the senses (“rays”)
pare deve manasi return into their higher deity, the mind (“Sun”),
ekee-bhavati; and become unified with it (during sleep).
[This extension is taken as understood] And when the person awakes, all the rays emanate
from him again.
51
4.2.3 iii) The Senses During Sleep
6 Tena tarhi eshah purushah Therefore, at that time (when asleep), this person
7 na shrinoti, does not hear,
na pashyati, does not see,
Organs of Perception
na jighrati, does not smell,
na rasayate, do not function
does not taste,
na sprishate, does not touch,
8 na abhivadate, does not speak,
na adatte, does not grasp,
Organs of Action do
na aanandayate, does not enjoy,
na visrujate, not function
does not eject,
na iyaayate, does not move;
9 swapiti iti aachakshate. then people say, “He is sleeping”.
Guruji particularly focused on the sheer beauty of the simile applied here – i.e. the
setting sun representing the sleeping man!
2-4 He described at length the setting of the sun, and how the rays appear to just
draw towards it and disappear into it as it sinks below the horizon. Then, the next morning,
as it emerges, the rays of the sun stream forth full of vigour, brightness and ready for action.
5 The same happens every night when we go to sleep. The Pranas withdraw from
their respective sense organs at bedtime and retract into Pare Deve, the higher deity named
Viswa, or the Mind. All the sense organs go to sleep. We do not see or hear anything.
Feelings are switched off. The bowels are also closed. Everything takes a good rest.
6-9 The experience of Viswa, the experiencer of the waking state, is expanded here.
Sleep is used only to track down the waking state, to find out which organs are not available.
By deduction, those are the organs which are available in the waking state.
9 A study of sleep is an excellent way of getting an intellectual conviction of the
underlying Consciousness common to all three states – namely Viswa in waking, Taijasa in
dream and Prajna in deep sleep. Dream first separates the senses from our consciousness.
Then deep sleep separates the mind itself from our consciousness.
An Anecdote: A “Sleep-Talker”
This humorous incident slipped out from Guruji: A man went to his doctor and said,
“Doctor, I have developed a habit of talking in my sleep. What should I do?” The doctor
advised him, “Don’t do what you should not.” The man could not grasp this strange
instruction. “What do you mean?” he demanded. The doctor explained, “If you do what you
should not, you are bound to say it in your sleep, and then everyone will come to know!”
Verse 4.3 Q.4B – The Pranas & Upa-Pranas

mÉëÉhÉÉaÉërÉ LuÉæiÉÎxqÉlÉç mÉÑUå eÉÉaÉëÌiÉ | ||4.3.1||
aÉÉWïûmÉirÉÉå Wû uÉÉ LwÉÉåÅmÉÉlÉÉå | ||4.3.2||
urÉÉlÉÉåÅluÉÉWûÉrÉïmÉcÉlÉÉå | ||4.3.3||
rÉªÉWïûmÉirÉÉiÉç mÉëhÉÏrÉiÉå mÉëhÉrÉlÉÉSÉWûuÉlÉÏrÉÈ mÉëÉhÉÈ ||4.3.4||
52
4.3.1 i) The Overall Prana (All the Upa-Pranas)
1 Praana agnaya eva etasmin (During sleep) It is the flames of Prana alone
pure jaagrati; that keep awake in this “city” of the body.
4.3.2 ii) The Upa-Prana – Apana
2 gaarhapatyah ha vaa Resembling the Garhapataya fire,
eshah apaanah; is the Apana (downward Prana);
4.3.3 ii) The Upa-Prana – Vyana
3 vyaanah anvaahaarya-pachanah; Resembling Vyana is the Anvaharyapacana;
4.3.4 iii) The Upa-Prana – Prana
4 yat gaarhapatyaat praneeyate Since from the source fire, Garhapataya,
5 pranayanaat aahavaneeyah does the Ahavaniya get its fire, the latter
praanah. resembles Prana, (the chief of all Pranas).
The “City at Night” Simile:

1 Ancient cities had walls around them with gates in the different directions. The
body, too, is covered with skin and has nine openings to transact with the outer world, and
is called the “nine-gated city”.
There is a more important reason to call it a city. A city is a city because it is the hub
of activity. So much takes place in it. It is the confluence of all business in the region. At
night, there is a marked decrease in activity. Most people have gone to sleep. However,
certain functions go on endlessly, such as the emergency medical services and certain
transport services along the major routes.
In exactly the same way, the body also is a centre of continuous activity during the
day, the functions slow down considerably at night. However, certain emergency functions
have to go on. Digestion and blood circulation are two examples, especially in those who
prefer to eat just before they retire to bed. The Pranic activity of breathing is another. All
the internal organs also are maintained with ‘skeleton’ staff at minimum activity level. Thus,
we see how apt the city simile is in the case of the body.
The Simile of “Sacrificial Fires”

This simile follows on the heels of the previous one. Its purpose is to go into detail
and illustrate the functioning of all the five Upa-Pranas, one by one. The Fires described are
the traditional sacrificial fires that are kept burning in most temples and in certain homes.
The detail about the particular fires and their names are not primary to the meaning,
but the sage has a purpose for mentioning them, which will become clearer as we go into
their meaning below:
i) Garhapatya Fire: 2 This is the fire that was, in ancient times, kept in the home or
temple burning continuously, and from which all other fires were lit. The point of interest is
that all other fires went ‘out’ from this fire; in the same way, Apana is the Upa-Prana which
is responsible for inhalation or pulling the breath down into the body, from where it “lights”
all the other Upa-Pranas. Hence, this fire represents the Apana.
53
ii) Anvaahaarya Fire: 3 The priest always faces the east. His right side is the
southerly direction. This is where the Anvaharya fire is placed. Being to the right of the
priest, this fire is always within his reach as he performs the rites with his right hand. The
idea of circulation is associated with this fire. Hence, it symbolizes Vyana or the circulatory
function, which begins its circulation function from the right side of the heart centre.
iii) Aahavaneeya Fire: 4-5 This is the main sacrificial fire used to receive the
oblations. It is also the first fire that is lit from the Garhapatya fire. In the body, the “head” is
the seat of the Prana. The head is also the first point which receives all the sensory
impressions from the organs of perception. Hence, this fire is said to represent the Prana, or
the chief of all Pranas.
Verse 4.4 Q.4B – The Upa-Pranas (Contd.)

rÉSÒcduÉÉxÉÌlÉÈµÉÉxÉÉuÉåiÉÉuÉÉWÒûiÉÏ xÉqÉÇ lÉrÉiÉÏÌiÉ xÉ xÉqÉÉlÉÈ | ||4.4.1||
qÉlÉÉå Wû uÉÉuÉ rÉeÉqÉÉlÉÈ |

C¹TüsÉqÉåuÉÉåSÉlÉÈ |
xÉ LlÉÇ rÉeÉqÉÉlÉqÉWûUWûoÉëï¼ aÉqÉrÉÌiÉ ||4.4.2||
4.4.1 iv) The Upa-Pranas – Samana

1 Yad ucchhvaasa-nihshvaasaav Exhalation and inhalation –
etau aahutee. these two are represented by oblations into fire.
2 samam nayati, (In both cases,) a balance* is maintained (by the
iti sah samaanah. priest). Therefore, he (the priest) represents Samana!
4.4.2 v) The Upa-Pranas – Udana

3 Manah ha vaava yajamaanah; The Sacrificer (Yajman) represents the Mind**.
4 ishta-phalam eva udaanah, The Fruit of the sacrifice represents Udana;
5 sa enam yajamaanam ahah ahah The fruit leads the sacrificer day by day
brahma gamayati. towards his goal, Brahmaloka***.
*The oblations balance the fire in the haven kund; the exhaling and inhaling balance the life-
energy in the body.
**Both the Yajman and the Mind are the respective beneficiaries; the former receives the
fruit of the sacrifice, the latter receives life from the act of breathing.
***So also, Udana, the fruit of the action of breathing, leads the Mind towards fulfilment of
its desire-goals or its spiritual goal, Brahman.
We continue the simile begun in verse 4.3. From the three fires, our attention shifts
to the Agnihotra, the sacrificial rite itself. This is truly an unusual metaphor conceived by the
Rishi – it is absolutely amazing; in fact, it is simply “breath-taking” (pardon the pun for fun)!
1 The exhalation symbolizes the life-giving Prana; while the inhalation symbolizes the
drawing down action of Apana. These two are represented by the oblations or offerings
made into the fire of a Havan.
54
2 Both incoming and outgoing breaths have to be balanced delicately – what comes
in has to go out in the same measure. Then the life is maintained.
In the case of a Havan the oblations are what keeps the FIRE maintained. In the
body; the exhalation and inhalation keeps LIFE maintained. This is the point of similarity.
Sah: “the priest”. It is the priest who makes the oblations into the fire. He is the one
who is responsible for the balance needed to maintain the fire. In the body, that function of
maintaining balance in the breath is performed by Samana. Thus the priest symbolizes
Samana!
3 Manah: In the sacrifice, the one for whose benefit the whole sacrifice is performed
is the Yajmaanah or the Sacrificer. In the body, the one for whom the senses are bringing in
all the information from the objects is the Mind. Also it is the Yajman who has to organize
the whole sacrifice; similarly, it is the Mind that organizes the functions of the senses. For
these reasons the Yajman symbolizes the Mind.
4 Ishta Phala: “the Fruit of the Sacrifice”. Now this is a very interesting point of
similarity with Udana. The Yajman is “pulled” or drawn into the sacrifice because of his
desire for the fruit of the sacrifice. Otherwise he would not do it. So, it is the fruit that pulls
the Yajman.
5 In the application of this simile, what is that fruit towards which the Mind is
pulled? Every night in deep sleep, the mind desires the fruit of rest in Brahman. Brahman is
the fruit it desires. And it is pulled to it by Udana in deep sleep every night. Thus, due to this
similarity, the fruit of the sacrifice stands as a symbol for Udana. Although Udana is not
Brahman, it leads one to Brahman every night. Hence Udana itself is called the fruit.
The whole simile, which compares the fires burning in the body to those burning in a
sacrificial rite, makes for a very meaningful study and adds depth to the ritual performed.
Verse 4.5 Q.4C – Taijasa: The Experiencer of Dream

A§ÉæwÉ SåuÉÈ xuÉmlÉå qÉÌWûqÉÉlÉqÉlÉÑpÉuÉÌiÉ |
rÉ¬Ø¹Ç SØ¹qÉlÉÑmÉzrÉÌiÉ |
´ÉÑiÉÇ ´ÉÑiÉqÉåuÉÉjÉïqÉlÉÑzÉ×hÉÉåÌiÉ
SåzÉÌSaÉliÉUæ¶É mÉëirÉlÉÑpÉÔiÉÇ
mÉÑlÉÈ mÉÑlÉÈ mÉëirÉlÉÑpÉuÉÌiÉ | ||4.5.1||
SØ¹Ç cÉÉSØ¹Ç cÉ , ´ÉÑiÉÇ cÉÉ´ÉÑiÉÇ cÉ

AlÉÑpÉÔiÉÇ cÉÉlÉlÉÑpÉÔiÉÇ cÉ , xŠÉxÉŠ
xÉuÉïÇ mÉzrÉÌiÉ xÉuÉïÈ mÉxrÉÌiÉ ||4.5.2||
4.5.1 i) The Content of Dream
1 Atra eshah devah svapne In the dream state, this deity (Taijasa as the Mind)
mahimaanam anubhavati; experiences “greatness”. (meaning “unlimitedness”)
2 Yad drishtam drishtam anupashyati; Whatever was seen, it sees again;
3 shrutam shrutam eva artham anushrinoti; whatever was heard, it hears again;
4 desha dig antaraih cha in different places and directions,
pratianubhootam whatever was perceived,
5 punah punah pratianubhavati. it experiences them again and again.
55
4.5.2 ii) The Unfettered Nature of Dream
6 drishtam cha adrishtam cha, Seen and not seen,
shrutam cha ashrutam cha, heard and not heard,
7 anu-bhootam cha ananu-bhootam cha, perceived and not perceived,
sat cha asat cha – real and unreal –
8 sarvam pashyati, It (the Mind, now called Taijasa) perceives them all.
sarvah pashyati. Indeed, being all, it perceives them all.
The third question raised by the student is now being answered – Who is the Deva
that sees the dream? The answer is now given:
1 Eshah Devah: Earlier, in 4.2.2 line 5, we came across Pare Deve, i.e. the Mind
referred to as a deity named Viswa in the waking state. The same Mind in the dream state is
named Taijasa. The conditions have changed a bit. In dream, the mind is cut off from all the
senses. If the senses are not available, then where does the dream get its “content” from?
2-4 This is answered very poetically in these three lines. It is as if a small ‘hole’
remains open in the mind to peep into the impressions created during the waking state.
From those impressions and a little bit of wild imagination – called here as the “greatness”
of the mind – is staged the dream in the mind. The answer is therefore the Mind, enjoying
all the impressions once again, even though it could be in a jumbled up order.
About this garbled version of seeing the impressions in a dream, Guruji gave a
delightful example. A person who is a regular visitor to many public speeches, has seen
monkeys, and passes buffalos in a farm daily, had a dream once of a monkey delivering a
thundering lecture to an audience of buffalos!
It is the totally unrestrained imagination of mind that gives the dream Experiencer
the name of Taijasa, meaning “bright or dazzling”.
6-8 The description of the unfettered mind in dream is continued here. The mind can
perform great feats in dream. There are no body-Upadhis to restrain it. The laws of Physics
do not apply in dream – one can fly in one’s dream! A whole storehouse of past impressions
is available to it to choose from. The “content” to compose dreams can also be previous
dreams! That makes the new dream completely unrestrained and therefore unpredictable.
The mind can choose to be whatever it desires to be.
Verse 4.6 Q.4D – Prajna: The Experiencer of Deep Sleep

xÉ rÉSÉ iÉåeÉxÉÉ ÅÍpÉ-pÉÔiÉç-AÉå pÉuÉÌiÉ
A§Éç-Lå-wÉ SåuÉÈ xuÉmlÉÉlÉç lÉ mÉzrÉÌiÉ |
AjÉ iÉSè-Lå-iÉÎxqÉlÉç zÉUÏUå LiÉiÉç xÉÑZÉÇ pÉuÉÌiÉ ||4.6||
1 Sah yadaa When he (the deity called the Mind)

tejasaa abhibhootah bhavati, becomes overwhelmed by rays of light,
2 atra eshah devah then in this state he, the Mind deity,
svapnaan na pashyati. does not see dreams.
3 atha tad etasmin shareera Then at that time, in this body,
etat sukham bhavati. there passes an experience of happiness.
56
1 Tejasaa Abhibhootah: When the mind tires of being entertained by dream, i.e.
when even this small ‘hole’ in the mind (to view the impressions in memory) gets sealed at
some point during dream, the person is said to slip into deep sleep.
2 Now there is no dream to engage the mind. The senses were already resting in
dream; now the mind itself has a complete rest in deep sleep.
3 In this state a beggar is equal to a king. All go into this state, whether he is a thief
or a saint. All enjoy deep bliss in it. Deep sleep is a “leveller” of people.
As explained by the “City” simile earlier, everything goes to bed in the body, except
the Pranas. They continue to function in all the three states, since the body has got to be
kept alive. The Pranas are the emergency services which remain open 24 hours a day.
Understanding the deep sleep state gives us the key method of learning more about
spirituality. We get an idea about where the Atman or Self is seated.
IN SEARCH OF REST
Everything in Nature seeks rest; all wish to reach their original “HOME”. Until
they reach it, they can never be satisfied. This applies even to each item that makes up
the human being. Here is the summary so far of each person:
i) The Body: It longs every day to return to its place of residence to its family.
ii) The Senses: The 10 sense organs of action and perception within the body also
long every day for a period of rest from the hectic activity they are engaged in. While the
body goes to sleep, they, too, return to their “home”, the mind, and retire for their rest.
iii) The Mind: Mind also gets tired. Soon after the senses have retired, it enjoys
some self-entertainment by going to the land of dreams. But how long can it go on with
this play? Soon, it dozes off. Where is its home? No one knows, because the mind is our
only known instrument to know anything. When it goes to rest, who is there to know
where? We can say it goes peacefully to rest because it has faith that the Pranas will
keep the body alive while it sleeps. The Pranas are thus the “home” to which the mind
retires.
iv) The Pranas: Finally, of course, we come to the Pranas, which is the sole
unknown left in our mathematical equation. To which “Home” do they go for their rest?
The great Rishi Pippalada has to tell us the Truth here without any possible
explanation: the Pranas seek their rest in the Supreme Self. That is their ultimate resting
Tree! And so this implies that everything is “proceeding towards the Self”.
The Self is the only Reality which needs no rest Itself. It is Eternal and Immortal!
That is the Truth towards which the Rishi has been driving his six eager, dumbfounded
students.
The whole of the Vedas drive its adherents towards the Upanishads to rest there.
And the Upanishads drive their adherents towards the Supreme Self to find rest in the
Eternal! The next verse speaks in detail about this much-sought after Rest.
57
Verse 4.7 Q.4D – Prajna: Always Heading Home
xÉ rÉjÉÉ xÉÉåprÉ uÉrÉÉÇÍxÉ uÉÉxÉÉåuÉ×¤ÉÇ xÉqmÉëÌiÉ¸liÉå |
LuÉÇ Wû uÉæ iÉiÉç xÉuÉïÇ mÉU AÉiqÉÌlÉ xÉqmÉëÌiÉ¸iÉå ||4.7||
1 Sah yathaa, saumya, vayaamsi O good-looking one, just as the birds

vaaso-vriksham sampratishthante; proceed towards the tree that provides rest,
2 evam ha vai tat sarvam even so, all these
para-aatmani sampratishthate. proceed towards the Supreme Self.
Similes decorate the message of the teacher, studding it as stars stud the night sky.
The Vedic Rishis seem to have in readiness a limitless storehouse of similes for every idea.
From ‘body’ to ‘Prana’, all are like birds – behaving identically to birds that never rest until
they reach their particular nesting tree.
The “Birds & the Tree” Simile

1 Guruji’s observation of nature was brought to light by his description of actually
watching birds go to rest on a tree, and watch them the next morning coming out of their
nests, singing their greetings to each other, and fluttering off for their day’s hunt for food.
The important point of similarity here is that the birds may go on flying for the whole
day wherever they want to. They could fly many miles away from the tree in their search for
food, and even just for fun. They may even stop on the way at certain spots, perhaps even
other trees, but will never find the rest they wish to have until in the evening they return to
their own particular tree. That is the point of the simile.
2 The birds represent every little item in creation. Everything is free to go wherever
it wishes during its life-span. The “Human” birds run about and play in all sorts of pleasures.
They, too, hop about from one home to another during their short lifespan.
Verse 4.8 Q.4D – Prajna:

mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏ cÉ mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏqÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉÉmÉ¶ÉÉmÉÉåqÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉ iÉåeÉ¶É
iÉåeÉÉåqÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉ uÉÉrÉÑ¶É uÉÉrÉÑqÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉÉMüÉzÉ¶ÉÉMüÉzÉqÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉ | ||4.8.1||
cÉ¤ÉÑ¶É Sì¹urÉÇ cÉ ´ÉÉå§ÉÇ cÉ ´ÉÉåiÉurÉÇ cÉ aÉëÉhÉÇ cÉ

bÉëÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ UxÉ¶É UxÉÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ iuÉYcÉ xmÉzÉïÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ | ||4.8.2||
uÉÉYcÉ uÉ£üurÉÇ cÉ WûxiÉÉæ cÉÉSÉiÉurÉÇ cÉÉåmÉxjÉ¶ÉÉlÉlSÌrÉiÉurÉÇ

cÉ mÉÉrÉÑ¶É ÌuÉxÉeÉïÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ mÉÉSÉæ cÉ aÉliÉurÉÇ cÉ | ||4.8.3||
qÉlÉ¶É qÉliÉurÉÇ cÉ oÉÑÎ®¶É oÉÉåÎ®urÉÇ cÉÉWûƒ¡ûÉU¶ÉÉWûƒ¡ûiÉïurÉÇ cÉ

ÍcÉ¨ÉÇ cÉ cÉåiÉÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ | ||4.8.4||
iÉåeÉ¶É ÌuÉ±ÉåiÉÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ mÉëÉhÉ¶É

ÌuÉ±ÉUÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ | ||4.8.5||
58
4.8.1 i) The Five Elements:
Prithivee cha prithivee-maatraa cha; The Earth and its subtle elements;
apah cha aapah-maatraa cha; Water and its subtle elements;
1 tejah cha tejah-maatraa cha; Fire and its subtle elements;
vaayuh cha vaayu-maatraa cha; Air and its subtle elements;
aakaashah cha aakaasha-maatraa cha; Space and its subtle elements;
4.8.2 ii) The Five Organs of Knowledge:
Chakshuh cha drash-tavyam cha; The Eye and what can be seen;
Shrotram cha shrotavyam cha; The Ear and what can be heard;
2 Ghraanam cha ghraa-tavyam cha; The Nose and what can be smelt;
Rasah cha rasayi-tavyam cha; The Tongue and what can be tasted;
Tvak cha sparshayi-tavyam cha; The Skin and what can be touched;
4.8.3 iii) The Five Organs of Action:
Vaak cha vak-tavyam cha; The Tongue and what can be spoken;
Hastau cha aadaa-tavyam cha; The Hands and what can be grasped;
3 Upasthah cha aanandayi-tavyam cha; The Genitals and what can be enjoyed;
Paayuh cha visarjayi-tavyam cha; The Anus and what can be excreted;
Paadau cha gan-tavyam cha; The Feet and what can be walked on;
4.8.4 iv) The Four Antahkaranas:
Manah cha man-tavyam cha; The Mind and what can be thought of;
Buddhih cha bod-dhavyam cha; The Intellect and what can be determined;
4 Ahamkaarah cha ahamkar- The Ego and what can feed or expand it;
tavyam cha;
Chittam cha chetayi-tavyam cha The Memory and what can be remembered;
4.8.5 v) The Life-Giving Principles:
Tejah cha vidyotayi-tavyam cha; The Body Heat and what has to be kept alive;
Praanah cha vidhaarayi-tavyam and the Pranas and the objects that they
5 cha. keep alive and functioning –
[No text – this is an extrapolation All go to rest in their own state of sleep, like
to the verse] birds in their nest.
1-4 A detailed account of what rests during the deep sleep is given here. It is a long
list, but essentially it is everything that the gross and the subtle body are made up of.
Everything has to shut down sooner or later. These items rest during deep sleep each night.
5 In the case of the life-giving principles of Tejas (body heat) and the Prana (life-
force), they stand guard even at night, like the few essential services in a city that are kept
open 24 hours a day such as the convenience stores on the highway, and the hospitals.
However, they also need to rest. When they take their rest, it simply means one
human birth is over. When they wake up the next “morning” it is the dawn of a new birth!
59
FROM APARA TO PARA VIDYA
We have arrived at a crucial divide in the text. At this point we make a major change
in our subject matter. We are moving from dealing with the relative existence as known to
us, to the absolute existence as known to the realized Rishis and sages. The Rishi Pippalada
must surely be savouring this moment when he is about to disclose to his students the
greatest secrets of the spiritual path.
And we the readers, too, if we have been as thirsty for knowledge as the six
students, will be hanging onto his every word as he takes us to the end of this text.
We have come to where the Upanishad wants to take us – to the brink of Self-
Knowledge. This knowledge is what is called Para Vidya. This knowledge leads to the
Supreme Brahman.
With Question 4E, the great plan of this Upanishad is beginning to unfold itself. This
knowledge is the bud which flowers out, ripens into fruit, and culminates in Self-realisation.
Para Vidya will continue right up to the end of Chapter 6.
Right now we are at the very threshold of the leap into “unchartered territory”
(Brahman). What follows from here onwards is a discussion on the transcendent Self, the
Unknowable, the Immortal, the Eternal, and the Indestructible Self!
The greatness of the Upanishads lies in their power to bring us

to this point of our spiritual journey. The journey beyond this point
depends on the greatness of the seeker!
Verse 4.9 Q.4E – The Witness of All States

LwÉ ÌWû Sì¹ xmÉë¹É ´ÉÉåiÉÉ bÉëÉiÉÉ UxÉÌrÉiÉÉ
qÉliÉÉ oÉÉå®É MüiÉÉï ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉiqÉÉ mÉÑÂwÉÈ |
xÉ mÉUåÅ¤ÉU AéiqÉÌlÉ xÉqmÉëÌiÉ¸iÉå ||4.9||
1 Eshah hi drishtaa, sprishtaa, This Self is indeed the seer, the feeler,
shrotaa, ghraataa, rasayitaa, the hearer, smeller and taster;
2 manta, boddhaa, kartaa – the thinker, ascertainer and the doer –
vijnaanaatmaa purushah; He is the Purusha who is a knower by nature;
3 sah pare aksharah He who lives in the supreme, indestructible
aatmani sam-pratishthate. Self, becomes fully established in It.
At the end of the last verse, everything that we associated as being “me” – starting
from body and ending with Prana – is found to go to rest at some point in time. They
appear, fulfill a function, and then they disappear into that which is their immediate cause
or controller. When we come to the Prana, we find that it goes to rest in the Self.
1-2a This tells us that “I” am none of these, because I am their experiencer. “I”, the
Self, am the real seer, feeler, hearer, etc who experiences all variety of experiences in the
medium of the body.
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2b Since the Self experiences every single function performed in the body, it is said
to be the Purusha, which means “man”. This is a way of indicating that it occupies the whole
“man”; It is in every cell of the “man”. Hence, the Self is called Purusha, implying that it is
our true identity.
3 By deduction this means that the Self does not die when the Prana leaves the
body. It also tells us that the Self is superior to the Prana – the Prana gets absorbed into the
Self at the time of death. With this knowledge we are able to sift out exactly who is the real
“Me” – It is the Self. The person who lives in the awareness that he is this Self, cannot have
the experience of death. He becomes completely established in the Self, and so he also has
the same Indestructibility and Immortality that is attributed to the Self.
This Self is therefore also the Jiva or individual soul that gets associated with the
body, senses and mind in each person. This means that the true “I” is eternal or ever-
existing. The Jiva in us does not go to rest at all. In this sense it is like the Prana which does
not rest at all while we are alive. However, now we can understand that the Jiva is very
different from Prana. Prana goes to rest when we die, but the Jiva is the eternal part of our
being that is beyond birth and death!
When all the Upadhis are withdrawn as in deep sleep, the Jiva or individual soul is
none other than Brahman alone. There are then no Upadhis to separate Jiva from Brahman.
This true identity of ours is established every night when we go into deep sleep. The only
problem is that we are not aware of this. If we were aware, we would be said to be Self-
realised sages!
When one does become aware of the Jiva’s identity with Brahman, one is said to be
in the Turiya State. This means “Fourth State” as opposed to the three states we know of –
waking, dream and deep sleep states. The Turiya is the Consciousness which is associated
with all three states. This is the message of this verse, and it is the answer to the fifth part of
the Gargya’s Question.
Verse 4.10 Q.4E – Attributeless & All-Knowing

mÉUqÉåuÉÉ¤ÉUÇ mÉëÌiÉmÉ±iÉå xÉ rÉÉå Wû uÉæ |
iÉScNûÉrÉqÉzÉUÏUqÉsÉÉåÌWûiÉÇ zÉÑpÉëqÉ¤ÉUÇ |
uÉåSrÉiÉå rÉxiÉÑ xÉÉåqrÉ | xÉ xÉuÉï¥ÉÈ xÉuÉÉåï pÉuÉÌiÉ | iÉSåwÉ zsÉÉåMüÈ ||4.10||
1 Param eva aksharam pratipadyate He attains the supreme Immutable itself,

sah yah ha vai : who realizes he is:
2 tad acchhaayam, ashareeram, that shadowless, bodiless,
alohitam, shubhram, aksharam. colourless, pure, indestructible Being.
3 Vedayate yastu, Somya, O amiable one, he again who realizes this,
sah sarvajnah sarvah bhavati. becomes all-knowing, and all.
4 Tad eshah shlokah: On this there is a Sruti verse in support:
Pujya Gurudev says that in this verse, “We have a beautiful description of the Self
which is comparable with the best available in all the scriptural literature of the world, and
which defines in the language of the finite that which is the infinite, eternal Truth Principle.”
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FIVE TECHNICAL TERMS FOR THE SELF
Five technical terms are used here to describe the Self. This means they have a
specific meaning in the context of Vedanta:
i) Acchhaayam: “shadowless”; refers to the complete absence of Ignorance, the root
principle that produces the fundamental illusion in the mind. In Vedanta, Ignorance
represents the Causal body.
ii) Ashareeram: “bodiless”; this expresses absence of all forms. The body, or form,
represents the Gross body.
iii) Alohitam: “devoid of redness”; this represents the presence of the life energies in
the inert body. Redness, symbolizes the flow of blood, warmth, the glow of life, etc, without
which we will have only a corpse. Thus, this word represents the whole Subtle body.
iv) Shubhram: “pure”; in Vedanta this means being free of all attributes. There are
no attributes in the Self, hence it is considered as pure.
v) Aksharam: “indestructible, unchangeable”; the Self can have no modifications,
such as birth, growth, maturity, decay, old age, and death. This is another typical
characteristic by which the Self is described.
1 The person who has realized the Turiya state is the subject of this verse. It is clearly
said here that the one who realizes the Immutable Self, himself becomes Immutable. In
another Upanishad (the Taittiriya) it is said, “He who realizes Brahman, becomes Brahman.”
How is such a daring statement possible?
2 These two lines give the reason. The sage who attains this state goes beyond the
gross body (shadowless and bodiless); beyond the subtle body (colourless, which implies
formless); and beyond the causal body of ignorance (pure). When these three bodies are
transcended, the person is said to one with the Supreme Self, i.e. Indestructible.
3 Such a person also is said to become omniscient. How is that?
Verse 4.11 Q – 4E: Sruti Quotation: Merging into the Supreme

ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉiqÉÉ xÉWû SåuÉæ¶É xÉuÉæïÈ
mÉëÉhÉÉ pÉÑiÉÉÌlÉ xÉqmÉëÌiÉ¸ÎliÉ rÉ§É
iÉS¤ÉUÇ uÉåSrÉiÉå rÉxiÉÑ xÉÉåqrÉ
xÉ xÉuÉï¥ÉÈ xÉuÉïqÉåuÉÉÌuÉuÉåzÉåÌiÉ ||4.11||
1 Vijnaana aatmaa saha “The cognizing self (conditioned Ego), together with
devaih cha sarvaih; all the deities (of the 10 sense organs and mind),
2 Praanaa bhootaani as also the (5) sub-Pranas and all the (5) elements –
sam-pratishthanti yatra all these merge into that which
3 Tad aksharam vedayate is known to be That Immutable One.
yah tu, Somya, He who (thus knows), O beloved one,
4 sah sarvajnah sarvam that omniscient one, being all,
eva avivesha iti. he verily enters everything.” Thus says the Sruti.
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In 4.7 we have mentioned the step by step merging of the body, senses, mind, Prana
and Self, the grosser into the subtler in that order. It is as if each item from the grossest
level is packed into bags increasing in size, with one bag being packed into the next, until
everything is packed into the bag called ‘Prana’ and then delivered to the Self.
In this quoted verse we see the same thing is being said, with one refinement in the
procedure: In line 1, Vijnaana Aatmaa refers to the “conditioned Ego” which is the Jiva or
individual soul. This Jiva is also included in the list that is packed. In order the Jiva would be
higher than Prana; the ‘Prana’ would be packed into the ‘Jiva’ bag before jiva merges finally
into the Supreme Self. This refinement is added in this verse.
4 Omniscience is explained as the experience of “being ALL”.
Identity of Jiva With Brahman

In other words, the final merging of Jiva into Brahman, which is not different from
what we call God-realisation, is essentially becoming one in identity with all other beings.
Actually having such a momentous experience is the hallmark of a realized sage. He “enters
everything.” This is the experience of Cosmic Consciousness.
At this point it would be useful to compare and contrast the two identities we have
practised. The first belongs to the realm of Apara Vidya or the lower, secular level; the
second belongs to Para Vidya or the transcendental level.
i) The Apara Vidya Identity: This identity is in the realm of Creation. There is Duality
there always due to the presence of the illusory power called Maya in it. Einstein’s Theory of
Relativity, showing identity between matter and energy, is a case of Apara Vidya.
In this the identity is between the cause and the effect at all levels of creation from
Hiranyagarbha downwards. The merging spoken of is that of the effect into its cause, e.g.
the senses into the mind, and the mind into the Prana, and Prana into the Jiva. At the outset
we are taught the importance of seeing no difference between Rayi (the effect) and Prana
(its cause). The two are to be seen as two sides of the same coin.
ii) The Para Vidya Identity: This identity is in the realm beyond Maya. It concerns
Pure Consciousness only where there is no Duality at all. Creation is considered to be
“Unreal”. It is a totally different order of identity than the one in Apara Vidya.
In this the identity is beyond the reach of cause and effect. We are dealing with a
realm which is the “causeless Cause” of all creation. Causality does not apply to the non-
dual realm, in which everything is one unified Consciousness. The identity is between the
individual consciousness and the universal consciousness. The former is discovered to be
only a myth; it never existed in the first place, yet all people have it due to the presence of
the delusion under Maya. The one Supreme Consciousness, Brahman, is all that there is. It is
Absolute Existence.
Thus the identity is the discovery that our essential nature, the essence of Jiva, is
nothing but Brahman or universal Consciousness. There is no concern with the ‘unreal’
creation in this identity. Everything unreal has to be discarded in order to realize this
oneness with Brahman.
We shall see more of this identity in the last two chapters.
*****
63
LORD RAMA & MOTHER SITA
The Divine Incarnation & His Shakti
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SATYAKAMA’S QUESTION
Query No 5:
“The Development of Power”
RISHI PIPPALADA answered in the last chapter in the shortest possible manner the
nature of the Reality towards which every being is merging – the Supreme Self. Only the
most prepared student will find that sufficient to reach there himself. For the majority of
students, it would be necessary for some Upasana or contemplative practice to be practised
before he is able to even grasp the significance of what has been said so far about the Self.
With that practical difficulty facing the Rishi, we arrive at the fifth chapter – greatly
motivated to pursue the spiritual journey, but having little experience of having the
development of mind needed to achieve success in it.
The student comes to know of a practice called the “Om-Upasana”, prescribed by
the Vedas. Naturally he would like to know how it is going to help him reach That
attributeless Brahman which has just been spoken of. What is the necessity of this Upasana?
Where does it lead us to?
Verse 5.1 The Fifth Question: by Satyakama

AjÉ WæûlÉÇ xÉæorÉÈ xÉirÉMüÉqÉÈ mÉmÉëcNû |
xÉ rÉÉå Wû uÉæ iÉpSaÉuÉlqÉlÉÑwrÉåwÉÑ
mÉëÉrÉhÉÉliÉqÉÉåƒ¡ûÉUqÉÍpÉkrÉÉrÉÏiÉ |
MüiÉqÉÇ uÉÉuÉ xÉ iÉålÉ sÉÉåMÇü eÉrÉiÉÏÌiÉ | ||5.1||
1 Atha hi enam Shaibyah Satya- Then Satyakama, the son of Shibi, asked the
kamah papracchha; following question:
2 sah yah ha vai tad That rare one (having the above as his goal,)
bhagavan, manushyeshu among men, O Bhagavan,
3 praayanaatam omkaaram who until death, on Omkara,
abhidhyaayeeta; intently meditates;
4 katamam vaava To which particular
sah tena lokam jayati? iti. world does he thereby go to?
The Purpose of Meditational Upasanas

1 In this chapter, through the student’s question on Om meditation, the Rishi
introduces the student to the techniques that would bring about a practical change in his
mental make-up. These techniques are called Upasanas in the Vedas. The Upanishads are
full of such helpful exercises by which the student is able to elevate himself to the level the
teacher has theoretically inspired him to reach.
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Pujya Gurudev gives us a general introduction to the Upanishadic techniques: “We
find that the Rishi would always insist on the practice of one method alone. This is to steady
the mind of the aspirant, integrate his personality and make it single-pointed. Without this
preparation of the mind and intellect, an average man’s comprehension cannot appreciate
the unity that is underlying the diversity.”
The Fitness & Goal of the Seeker

2-3 The aspirant spoken about in the verse is not an ordinary person who may take
up the practice by fits and starts, or abandon it midway. He is a “rare” individual, a cut
above the rest. He is determined to perform this exercise for life, i.e. till death, even if he
does not succeed in it. He is also rare because his goal is very rarely chosen by people.
It has to be said that this Upasana is not for the person who desires personal
pleasures, whether in this world or in heavenly worlds. Such a person has to be directed to
the Karma Kanda of the Vedas which show him ways of fulfilling these personal desires.
The seeker we are concerned with may be of the following two types:
i) Hiranyagarbha or Saguna Brahman: he seeks the source from which all creation
arises. The Upasana Kanda applies to such a person.
This may not be the highest spiritual goal, but it is higher than what most people
strive for. It requires breaking away from one’s narrow egocentric vision of life, and
encompassing the entirety of creation. To do this one reaches out or worships the very
source from which all beings are born, namely, Hiranyagarbha. This is the conditioned or
Saguna Brahman.
ii) Supreme Brahman or Nirguna Brahman: this goal is sought by the one who wants
to free himself altogether from the stranglehold on his life by the forces of Samsara. The
Jnana Kanda applies to such a person.
He wishes to escape from the clutches of Maya once and for all, i.e. he wants to be
liberated. He knows that even if he attains the status of Hiranyagarbha, the King of the
Universe, he is still tied to the realm of birth and death. Therefore, he goes a step above
Hiranyagarbha and worships the Nirguna Brahman without any conditioning. Naturally, such
a high goal requires a commensurate increase in sacrifice and development. Such a person is
even rarer than the above seeker of Saguna Brahman.
4 It is of a person who falls in one of these two categories that Satyakama asks,
“Where does he go to, practicing Om Upasana?”
Verse 5.2 Omkar – Both Higher & Lower Brahman

iÉxqÉæ xÉ Wû EuÉÉcÉ - |
LiÉ²æ xÉirÉMüÉqÉ mÉUÇ cÉÉmÉUÇ cÉ oÉë¼ rÉSÉåƒ¡ûÉUÈ |
iÉxqÉÉÌ²²ÉlÉåiÉålÉæuÉÉrÉiÉlÉålÉæMüiÉUqÉluÉåÌiÉ ||5.2||
1 Tasmai sa ha uvaacha: To him, he (Pippalada) said:

2 Etad vai, Satyakama, brahma O Satyakama, this very Brahman,
param cha aparam both the higher (superior) and the lower (inferior),
yad omkaarah; is but this Omkar. (It is the nearest symbol for God)
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3 tasmaat vidvaan Therefore, the illumined soul,
etena eva aayatanena with the aid of this means alone, (i.e. Om Upasana)
ekataram anveti. attains either of the two.
1 This verse is like the “Contents” for the rest of the chapter. It gives the overview of
the Rishi’s answer. The remarks about the two types of seekers applies here:
2 Omkara Upasana can be done to attain both Saguna and Nirguna Brahman, as we
have already mentioned above.
3 Again as already shown above, according to the goal desired, one attains either the
Saguna Brahman with form and attributes or the formless Nirguna Brahman without any
attributes:
Saguna Brahman: Verse 5.3 to 5.5 give the three lower or “inferior” levels of
attainment possible with Om Upasana, namely, the Earth-plane, the intermediary plane and
the heavenly planes.
Nirguna Brahman: Verse 5.6 gives the higher or “superior” level of attainment, also
attained by the same Om Upasana, but done with a different attitude and equipped with
knowledge of the Self. Here the goal is the Supreme Brahman Itself, the highest goal held up
by Vedanta.
Verse 5.7 is a quotation which summarises all these levels of attainment.
Higher and Lower Brahman

The student is not expected to get confused that there are two Brahmans. The lower
and the higher (Apara and Para), the conditioned and the unconditioned (Saguna and
Nirguna), the finite and the Infinite are simply two levels from which the aspirant launches
his journey to reach the same Brahman.
Waves can be limited, but the ocean has no limitation. Similarly the lower is the
stage where one still sees himself as a wave without knowing its relation to the ocean. The
higher is where he has come to a correct understanding of the one ocean and seeks to
become one with That.
As one practises the Upasana of Om, the understanding builds up and the aspirant is
led naturally from the former stage to the higher. In practice there is no hard and fast line
dividing the two. As a name cannot be separated from what it stands for, so also Om cannot
be separated from Brahman, for whom it is a name symbol.
Guruji described the stage by stage journey as the ‘hopping stops’ one takes on a
long flight, when the plane makes one or more intermediate stops along the way. Some
passengers may not even get off the plane at such stops, some may alight and spend a while
at the intermediate station before boarding the next plane to the final destination. And
some may have chosen to get off at the intermediate airport, without any thought of going
to the final destination. When they are ready for it, they will book the plane to get there.
Guruji said this is the liberty available on “Omkar Airways” or Pranava Airlines!
[Pranava is another name for Omkar.] Just as ordinary airlines provide different classes of
travel for different prices, so also “Omkar Airways” can take the aspirant to different
destinations, depending on the price (sacrifice) he is willing to pay!
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Verse 5.3 One Letter – Gift of Human Birth on Earth
xÉ rÉkrÉåMüqÉÉ§ÉqÉÍpÉkrÉÉrÉÏiÉ xÉ iÉålÉæuÉ xÉÇuÉåÌSiÉÈ | ||5.3.1||
iÉÔhÉïqÉåuÉ eÉaÉirÉÉÍpÉxÉqmÉkrÉiÉå |
iÉqÉ×cÉÉå qÉlÉÑwrÉsÉÉåMüqÉÑmÉlÉrÉliÉå | ||5.3.2||
xÉ iÉ§É iÉmÉxÉÉ oÉë¼cÉrÉåïhÉ ´É®rÉÉ xÉqmÉ³ÉÉå
qÉÌWûqÉÉlÉqÉlÉÑpÉuÉÌiÉ ||5.3.3||
5.3.1 i) The Upasana on Letter “A”

1 Sah yadi ekamaatram If on just the first letter (A) of “Om”,
abhidhyaayeeta he devoutly meditates,
sah tena eva samveditah. by that alone, he becomes enlightened. (How?)
5.3.2 ii) The Phala – The Rare Human Birth
2 toornam eva (Here is how:) For very quickly,
jagatyaam abhi-sampadyate. he attains this Earth-plane. (which is rare)
3 Tam rik-cha Him do the Rig Mantras,
manushyalokam upanayante. lead to a HUMAN birth! (very rare, indeed)
5.3.3 iii) Benefit of a Human Birth
4 Sah tatra Having obtained such a rare human birth,
tapasaa brahmacharyena by the practice of self-control, sexual abstinence
shraddhayaa sampannah and faith – saturated with these three –
5 mahimaanam anubhavati. he comes to experience true greatness. (i.e. the Self)
Now comes an interesting differentiation in the Upasana. Not every student’s

understanding is of the same grasping power. Many may follow the Upasana, but each one
will practice it from his own level of understanding. For convenience the sage has broken up
this understanding into 3 stages. This verse contains the first level of understanding.
Worship of Virat – Consciousness Associated With the Gross World

1 The pronunciation of ‘Om’ can be split into three syllables – ‘A’, ‘U’ and ‘M’. One
Matra means the first level of understanding. If the worshipper uses only the first letter, his
consciousness settles on the gross creation, represented by the waking state. The
Consciousness associated with this is called Virat. Hence, this type of Upasana is termed
Virat worship.
2-3 The fruits of any Sadhana are always commensurate with the feeling or Bhava
with which it is done and the goal or intention set in our mind. In the first stage of
development, the mind is still very much in touch with the gross body and the gross world.
Strong links exist with them which determine the destiny of the soul. Such a soul, engaged
in Virat worship, attains the Earth-plane.
At this point we see that out of sheer optimism the Rishi sees the good side of a bad
situation – he views the whole attainment in a positive light. At least, such a worshipper, by
doing the Om worship partially, is guaranteed the precious and rare human birth! That will
hold him in good stead. It will ensure that he can make further progress if he does the right
Sadhana. Only in the human birth can one earn merit or demerit and progress or regress.
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Such an Upasaka, when he dies, returns back to earth to continue the spiritual
journey. It is also said this happens ‘quickly’, which shows how valuable Sadhana can be to
get a good human birth.
A Simile: “Knowing India”

Guruji gave another of his personal examples to explain how we have different levels
of understanding. A person wants to go to India. He studies a map of India, and says, “I
know India”. Then he reads a book on the history of India and says, “Yes, I know India.” Then
he travels to India. He reads more of the religion and philosophy and says, “I know the real
India.” Seeing a few big cities, he says, “I know India.” Then he gets a chance to go to the
villages and gets a completely different picture of India. He now says, “So this is real India.”
He meets the Mahatmas and saints of India and experiences something of what they teach
and says, “I know the true India.”
There is not much difference in his statements each time, but what a vast difference
in his understanding of the country at each stage. It is the same with the different stages of
Upasana. At each stage the person feels “Now I have got the real thing!”
To some it is just a sound; to others it is a greeting; to others it can be a beautiful
chant; and so it goes on, more and more and more depth…until the same OM means
Brahman Himself. And as the depth increases, so does the spiritual reward.
4-5 From the Rishi’s perspective, he would like to see a spiritual turn in the person’s
life. He points out the way forward – self-control, sexual abstinence and faith. If these hints
are followed there is every hope that the personcan transform himself from an ordinary
worldling to a Mahatma in due course. This is the optimism which motivates the Rishi to
teach the students before him.
From the Virat level of Consciousness, there is scope to grow even further…
Verse 5.4 Two Letters – Gift of the Heavenly Worlds

AjÉ rÉÌS Ì²qÉÉ§ÉåhÉ qÉlÉÍxÉ xÉqmÉkrÉiÉå | ||5.4.1||
xÉÉåÅliÉËU¤ÉÇ rÉeÉÑÍpÉïÂ³ÉÏrÉiÉå xÉÉåqÉsÉÉåMüqÉç |
xÉ xÉÉåqÉsÉÉåMåü ÌuÉpÉÑÌiÉqÉlÉÑpÉÔrÉ mÉÑlÉUÉuÉiÉïiÉå ||5.4.2||
5.4.1 i) The Upasana on Letters “A & U”

1 Atha yadi dvi-maatrena Again, if he meditates on letters A and U of Om,
manasi sampadyate. he becomes identified with the mind. (Moon)
5.4.2 ii) The Phala
2 sah antariksham (Upon death) He attains the interspatial region,
yajurbhih unneeyate, led to it by the Yajur Mantras,
somalokam. and called the world of the Moon.
3 sah somaloke From this world,
vibhootim anubhooya, having experienced its greatness,
punah aavartate. he turns around and returns. (to Earth)
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1 Two Matras means the second level of understanding. If the worshipper uses only
the first two letters, his consciousness settles on the subtle creation, represented by the
dream state. The mind stands as a representation of the subtle creation. The Consciousness
associated with this is called Hiranyagarbha. Hence, this type of Upasana is termed
Hiranyagarbha worship.
Beyond the gross level of the first stage is the subtle level of this stage. The subtle
includes all the organs of action, and knowledge, as well all the Pranas, but their master is
the fourfold mental equipment which controls them all. The mind is the arena of the
Upasana in this stage. The worship has grown beyond the physical level and entered the
mental realm.
2 The Upasana here is more subtle, and the reward is also greater. The control of all
the mental functions, in particular the thoughts and desires, which is the root of our
delusion, is attained.
Although it may not be the highest attainment, it is no mean achievement to gain
control over one’s mind. The thoughts and emotions are purified. They become more
refined. The person becomes very influential and has a strong, pure character. This itself is a
reward for his Sadhana.
When a fair amount of success is achieved in ‘Manasic’ Pooja, the devotee is well
rewarded. He is led by the Devata to the Moon, the Deity of the mind, by the Yajur Mantras.
3 He is not whisked away from there and quickly brought back as in the first stage,
but he can spend time and enjoy the new region where many other great devotees are also
present. However, when the time is up, he is guided back to this world to continue his
evolution.
An Illustrative Story by Swami Chinmayananda:

Regarding the Devata as a guide, Pujya Gurudev had an amusing story to tell:
A man visiting a new place wanted to find a policeman. He asked a local to show him
the police station. The man said, “Put your hand in that man’s pocket.” The stranger asked,
“How will that help?” The man said, “Don’t worry, he will take you there!”
Going up to heavenly worlds is like going to the police station for the wrong reason.
One can certainly enjoy his time there, but it is not going to make him a better person. He
may make many such trips, but eventually he tires of it, sees through the “fraud of Nature”,
and decides to quit worldliness itself.
That is when he comes to the worship of Om in THREE LETTERS…
Verse 5.5 Three Letters (Separately) – Gift of Brahmaloka

rÉÈ mÉÑlÉUåiÉÇ Ì§ÉqÉÉ§ÉåhÉÉåÍqÉirÉåiÉålÉæuÉÉ¤ÉUåhÉ
mÉUÇ mÉÑÂwÉqÉÍpÉkrÉÉrÉÏiÉ xÉ iÉåeÉÍxÉ xÉÔrÉåï xÉqmÉ³ÉÈ | ||5.5.1||
rÉjÉÉ mÉÉSÉåSUxiuÉcÉÉ ÌuÉÌlÉpÉÑïcrÉiÉ
LuÉÇ Wû uÉæ xÉ mÉÉmqÉlÉÉ ÌuÉÌlÉpÉÑï£üÈ |
xÉ xÉÉqÉÍpÉÂ³ÉÏrÉiÉå oÉë¼sÉÉåMÇü | ||5.5.2||
xÉ LiÉxqÉÉ‹ÏuÉbÉlÉÉiÉç mÉUÉimÉUÇ
mÉÑÂzÉrÉÇ mÉÑÂwÉqÉÏ¤ÉiÉå | ||5.5.3||
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iÉSåiÉÉæ zsÉÉåMüÉæ pÉuÉiÉÈ ||5.5.4|
5.5.1 i) The Upasana

1 Yah punah etam trimaatrena Om He again, if on all three letters (A,U,M) of Om,
iti etena eva aksharena i.e. on the whole syllable “Om” itself,
2 param purusham abhidhyaayeeta he meditates, as the Supreme Purusha, then
sah tejasi soorye sampannah. he becomes unified in the light of the Sun*.
*Sun represents Brahmaloka, the highest heavenly world, from which one does not return to
Earth, as one does from the lesser heavenly worlds, such as the Moon.
5.5.2 ii) The Phala

3 Yathaa paadodarah Just as a snake (that which has legs on its stomach)
tvacha vinir-muchyata, becomes freed from its slough,
4 evam ha vai sah in exactly the same way,
paapmanaa vinir-muktah. he becomes free of his sins.
5 Sah saamabhih unneeyate By the Sama Veda Mantras, he is lifted up
brahmalokam. to Brahmaloka, the world of Brahmaji.
5.5.3 iii) The Vision of the Supreme

6 Sah etasmaat jeevaghanaat Out of the total mass of beings, he of all goes
7 paraatparam to the One higher than even Brahmaji,
purishayam to the One who has entered all the bodies,
purusham eekshate. to the Supreme Purusha, and has His Vision!
5.5.4 iv) The Sruti Quotation in Support

8 Tad etau shlokau bhavatah: Bearing on this, there occur two verses:
Rare is the person who can raise himself to this stage. For this leads to liberation.
1 Three Matras means the third level of understanding. If the worshipper uses all the
three letters, chanting them separately, syllable at a time,
2 and having the Supreme Purusha as his goal, his consciousness settles on the
causal consciousness, represented by Deep Sleep. The Consciousness associated with this is
called Ishwara. Hence, this type of Upasana is termed Ishwara worship.
This is the stage that demands the maximum self-sacrifice. The Sadhaka here is a
master of his senses, has intense dispassion, practises Brahmacharya or celibacy, and
follows a rigorous, austere routine in his daily life. In his Sadhana he has raised his vision to
see Brahman in all the three states – this is the meaning of ‘by all its three Matras’.
Such a person, at death (implying that although he tried very hard, he did not
succeed in realizing God), gets united with the Sun. He is guided by the Devata to Suryaloka
(same as Brahmaloka). There is no return for him to this earth plane.
The Simile of the “Sloughing Snake”:

3 This is a magnificent simile to illustrate one’s freedom from all sins. But before that
an interesting name for the snake is used here – Padodara, “creature which uses its stomach
as its feet”. What a novel method of naming. It was quite common in those days to use this
method. We know Lord Ganesh was called Lambodara because of his large belly. Lord
71
Krishna was called Damodara, as He was tied by Yashoda to a tree with a rope around his
waist.
4 The snake, at the right time, slides out of its skin and becomes totally free of it. The
skin still appears like a snake but it has been vacated by its occupant! What a fine analogy to
tell us that this is how the realized saint is free of all sins, once and for all. He is not like us
who wash off our sins with a Ganges bath, merely to make ourselves ready for a new set of
sins!
5 Brahmaji Himself comes to take the saint away to His abode, to the
accompaniment of all the Sama Veda hymns.
6-7 There Brahmaji Himself gives him the required knowledge of the Self by which he
gets liberated (Krama Mukti).
This ends the Sage Pippalada’s message on the fifth query. He now quotes two
verses from the Veda that support what he had taught so far. Students will remember that
Pippalada’s story appears in a Brahmana, not an Upanishad of the Vedas. Therefore he finds
it necessary to quote from an Upanishad to consolidate his teaching.
8 The next verse is the first of the two verses quoted by the sage.
Verse 5.6 Three Letters (Together) – Gift of “Unshakable Yoga”

ÌiÉxÉëÉå qÉÉ§ÉÉ qÉ×AirÉÑqÉirÉÈ mÉërÉÑ£üÉ
AlrÉÉålrÉxÉ£üÉÈ AlÉÌuÉmÉërÉÑ£üÉÈ |
Ì¢ürÉÉxÉÑ oÉÉ½ÉprÉliÉUqÉkrÉqÉÉxÉÑ
xÉqrÉMçü mÉërÉÑ£üÉxÉÑ lÉ MüqmÉiÉå ¥ÉÈ ||5.6||
1 Tisrah maatraah The three letters of Om by themselves, (as A,U,M)

mrityumatyah prayuktaah, are still within the realm of “Death”;
2 anyonya saktaah but when they are joined one to the next, i.e.
anavi-prayuktaah; not applied divergently to different objects,
3 kriyaasu – baahya, abhi- and are applied to all three courses of action –
antara, madhyamaa-su, external, internal and intermediate,
4 samyak prayuktaasu, which are properly resorted to, (during meditation)
na kampate jnah. then that Yogi ‘does not shake’! (i.e. remains steady)
1 When the three syllables are chanted separately, the meditator does not realize
Brahman while living. After death, he has to go to Brahmaloka and then get liberated. In
other words, he still remains in the “realm of Death”.
2-3 Soon, the practitioner is able to see the underlying presence of the Supreme
Brahman through all the three states together. This is represented by saying that he chants
Om as a unified single word, not as three separate sounds. Soon he perfects the chanting in
this manner, keeping his attention fixed on the Supreme Brahman.
4 Na Kampate Jnah: Pujya Gurudev loved this expression. People used to come to
him and say, “Swamiji, as long as we are in Satsang, fear is not there. But when we reach
home, somehow it creeps back into us.” Gurudev used to then quote this expression,
meaning until such time we perfect the OM Upasana, we are all subject to these
“tremblings”. He would say that “we get upset whenever our set-up has changed.”
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Such a person is freed from all “trembles”. This means he is not shaken by any
incident he experiences, because he is firmly established in the Supreme Brahman. He is
“unshakably established in Brahman”.
Verse 5.7 Sruti Quotation: Summarising this Chapter

GÎapÉUåiÉÇ rÉeÉÑÍpÉïUliÉËU¤ÉÇ
xÉÉqÉÍpÉrÉïiÉç iÉiÉç MüuÉrÉÉå uÉåSrÉliÉå |
iÉqÉÉåƒ¡ûÉUåhÉæuÉÉrÉiÉlÉålÉÉluÉåÌiÉ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç
rÉ¨ÉcNûÉliÉqÉeÉUqÉqÉ×iÉqÉpÉrÉÇ mÉUÇ cÉåÌiÉ ||5.7||
5.7.1 i) The Apara Vidya Path of Return

1 Rigbhih etam, This world is attained by the Rig Mantras,
yajurbhih antariksham, the intermediate region by the Yajur Mantras,
2 saamabhih yat tat and the heavenly region by the Sama Mantras –
kavayah vedayante; these are known to the wise.
5.7.2 ii) The Para Vidya Path of No Return

3 tam omkaarena eva; By means of the syllable Om is also reached
aayatanena anveti vidvaan, another Goal by the wise one while in his body:
4 yat tat shaantam, ajaram, It is That Reality filled with Peace, beyond old age,
amritam, abhayam free from death, bestows fearlessness,
param cha iti. and is the Supreme Being Himself!
This is the second verse being quoted, and supports verses 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5. It acts as
a summary of what has been covered in this chapter.
Apara Vidya:
1-2 These first half of the verse covers the Apara Vidya, the “inferior” Brahman. In a
manner identical to that of sage Pippalada, it speaks of the different Lokas one goes to when
the meditation on Om is done for one, two or three Matras separately.
1a When one Matra (“A”) is meditated on, it represents the Earth-plane attained by
the Rig Mantras, as in 5.3.
1b When two Matras (“A & U”) are meditated on, it represents the intermediate
region or Space which stands for the lower heavenly region up to Pitru Loka, the Abode of
the Forefathers. This is attained by the Yajur Mantras.
2a When all three Matras are meditated upon separately, the higher heavenly region
up to and including Brahmaloka is attained, through the Sama Veda Mantras.
2b Vedayante: “the intelligent ones”. These are intelligent, learned ones who follow
the Apara Vidya, and who are well-versed in the Karma and Upasana Kanda of the Vedas.
They practise the Om Upasana on its own, without accompanying it with knowledge of the
Self. They are eligible only for these threefold regions just described.
However, there is also the Para Vidya which is practised by the very wise ones . . .
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Para Vidya:
3-4 These lines cover the Para Vidya. By the very same Om Upasana done with all
three Matras together (“with the aid of Om”), and accompanying it with the knowledge of
the Self, the wise one reaches the realm that is beyond the Om sound symbol. This is the
“superior” Brahman, the non-dual Ultimate Reality.
3 Vidvaan: “the wise ones”. These are the ones who desire only the Supreme. They
have completely renounced all worldly pleasures. They are the highest calibre of seekers of
God. Note that in their case, Om is used only as “an AID” to reach the Supreme.
Aayatanena: While the Apara Vidya goal is attained only after one’s death, the Para
Vidya Goal is attained while one still lives in his present body, in this birth itself!
4 This Goal of Para Vidya is the Ultimate Reality, called here as Tat. This Reality is
described as best as possible through the following list of words:
Shaantam: total quietness and serenity;
Ajaram: unborn; or beyond old age;
Amritam: immortal; eternal; having no death, because it is not born.
Abhayam: fearless, because there is no “other” to be feared.
Param: the Highest, Supreme, Ultimate; this is the same as saying Non-Dual.
The verse also can be read to mean that the sage who chants OM correctly in full,
can use the Mantra to take him to any plane he wishes at will, because he sees no
differences in them at all. He is ever rooted in the consciousness of Brahman, which
pervades everything. This integrated attitude is the essential feature for chanting OM
‘correctly’, i.e. together as one syllable.
Concluding Anecdote from Guruji:

A landlady was interviewing a customer for a room in her home. She asked him
various questions. Landlady: “Are you single?” Client: “Yes.” L: “That is very good. It means
there will be less noise. Do you get lots of visitors?” C: “No.” L: “Oh, good, I don’t like too
many people coming here, so that’s fine. Do you have any pets?” C: “No, I have never kept
any.” L: “Oh, that is wonderful, you know pets can be quite bothersome. Do you keep any
birds or parrots or anything like that?” C: “No, nothing like that.” L: “Oh, very good. Do you
play loud music?” C: “No”. L: “Oh, that is just perfect. I’d say you can have the room.” C:
“Madam, I might as well tell you, I have an old fountain pen I use for writing. It makes a little
noise as it writes. Is that O.K. with you?”
Guruji’s conclusion: “Such a landlady, being a fitting candidate, should be advised to
meditate on OM!”
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS mÉgcÉqÉÈ mÉëzlÉÈ ||

Thus ends the Fifth Question in Prashna Upanishad.
*****

74
SUKESHAA’S QUESTION
Query No 6:
The Source of Power
WE ARE TRYING TO understand the Reality via the intellect. There is nothing wrong
in this method, and it can even be said that it is the only way available to man in bondage. A
great boost to that enquiry is provided by the equal development of our devotion to the
Lord through the forms of Upasana taught in the previous chapters of this Upanishad.
Philosophy & Upasanas – A “Vedic Sandwich”

Pujya Gurudev says, “The student is made to practise Upasana hand in hand with
regular doses of philosophical contemplations.”
At Sandeepany in Mumbai, Gurudev has created for us, the students, ideal
conditions that combine both these elements of Sadhana. Twice a day, there are the
Vedanta sessions. These two sessions are like the two slices of bread of a sandwich. But
“Man does not live by bread alone.” The tasty fillings in the “Vedic-sandwiches” are
provided by three chanting sessions each day, which are like butter, cheese and tomatoes
on the bread! On some days, we add the “salt and pepper” of cultural programmes of
drama and dance, with the “chutney” of well-spiced humour to go with it!
There is Vedic chanting early in the morning, when sacred hymns composed by the
great Rishis are chanted by the whole group. Various Suktams are chanted with a knowledge
of their meanings, which make a big impact on our spirit of devotion. During the half-hour
before lunch, there is more chanting of common Vedic hymns. In the evening, there is the
half-hour for Arati to Lord Jagadeeshwara. Finally, just before supper, everyone sits together
for Kirtans and Bhajans, and a forty-minute talk on the Srimad Bhagavatam, which provides
us with devotional stories with all the philosophy weaved into them.
The end result of this “Vedic sandwich” is that the two, Bhakti and Jnana, become
inseparably imprinted on our minds. It is a perfect “balanced diet”. The head and the heart
are trained together along the path to God.
Pujya Gurudev has incorporated at Sandeepany the words given in his commentary
on this chapter: “It is the responsibility of the teacher to make the student evolve sufficiently
through Upasanas so that he can better grasp the Reality through intuitive experience. The
student is made to practise Upasana hand in hand with regular doses of contemplation.”
With this introduction we come to the final chapter of this Upanishad. This is the
chapter which teaches the famous “16 Kalas” or expressions of the Supreme Consciousness.
These are expressions or manifestations of the Divine which are well-known to us in Life.
Through them we have a link to the core of the whole creation – the Supreme Reality.
The Kalas may be thought of as a manifestation of the Lord’s compassion. When
sincere souls wish to return to their true spiritual Home, it is the Kalas that draw them back
safely and securely into the loving arms of the Divinity at the heart of Creation.
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Verse 6.1 The Sixth Question: by Sukesha
AjÉ WæûlÉÇ xÉÑMåüzÉÉ pÉÉU²ÉeÉÈ mÉmÉëcNû |
pÉaÉuÉlÉç ÌWûUhrÉlÉÉpÉÈ MüÉæxÉsrÉÉå UÉeÉmÉÑ§ÉÉå
qÉÉqÉÑmÉåirÉæiÉÇ mÉëzlÉqÉmÉ×cNûiÉ |
wÉÉåQûzÉMüsÉÇ pÉÉU²ÉeÉ mÉÑÂwÉÇ uÉåijÉ | ||6.1.1||
iÉqÉWÇû MÑüqÉÉUqÉoÉëÑuÉÇ lÉÉWûÍqÉqÉÇ uÉåS |

rÉkrÉWûÍqÉqÉqÉuÉåÌSwÉÇ MüjÉÇ iÉå lÉÉuÉ¤rÉÍqÉÌiÉ |
xÉqÉÔsÉÉå uÉÉ LwÉ mÉËUzÉÑwrÉÌiÉ rÉÉåÅlÉ×iÉqÉÍpÉuÉSÌiÉ
iÉxqÉÉ³ÉÉWûÉï ûqrÉlÉ×iÉÇ uÉ£ÑüqÉç | ||6.1.2||
xÉ iÉÔwhÉÏÇ UjÉqÉÉÂ½ mÉëuÉuÉëÉeÉ |

iÉÇ iuÉÉ mÉ×cNûÉÍqÉ YuÉÉxÉÉæ mÉÑÂwÉ CÌiÉ ||6.1.3||
6.1.1 i) Sukesha Gift-Wraps his Question
1 atha hi enam sukeshaa Then Sukesha, the son of Bharadvaja, asked
bhaaradvaajah papracchha: the following question:
2 bhagavan, hiranyanaabhah O Venerable Sir, Hiranyanabha, a prince of
kausalyah raajaputrah, Kosala,
3 maam upeti etam prashnam once approached me and put forward this
apricchhata; question:
4 shodasha kalam, bhaaradvaaja, “Bharadvaja, do you know the man who
purusham vettha. possessed of sixteen Kalas (or limbs)?”
6.1.2 ii) Sukesha Removes the Wrapping
5 tam aham kumaaram abruvam: To that Prince I said:
na aham imam veda. “No, I do not know it.
6 Yadi aham imam vedisham, If I did know the answer,
katham te na aavakshyam, iti? why would I not have told it to you?”
7 samoolah vaa esha parishushyati, Indeed, he dries up root and all
yah anritam abhivadati; who utters a falsehood;
8 tasmaat naarhaami Therefore, I could not afford
anritam vaktum. to utter to him a falsehood.
6.1.3 iii) Sukesha Presents his Gift Question!
9 sah tooshneem ratham aaruhya Silently, riding in his chariot, he (the Prince)
pravavraaja. went away back (to where he had come from).
10 tam tvaa pricchhaami I am now asking you, (O Venerable Sir):
kva asau purushah, iti. “Where does that Purusha exist?”
1 The sixth disciple, Sukesha, now steps forward to ask his question. His introduction
to his question itself teaches us something interesting, as an aside to the question:
i) 2 The fact that a Prince is interested in this matter shows that it is of concern not
only to spiritual aspirants but also to leaders of society. And the Prince was very
disappointed not to be enlightened on this point.
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ii) 3-4 The incident brings to light that we as students are duty-bound to society to
learn such matters thoroughly so that we can pass it on to those in the community who
need to know them, too, for their own further understanding of the Truth.
iii) 5-8 Yet, if we do not know, there is no harm at all in saying so rather than
pretending to know. Worse still would be to lie and give a false answer. Intellectual honesty
is upheld as a value among those who teach the Shastras.
iv) 9 The Prince goes away in deep disappointment, without saying a word. This
shows how much people look up to the teachers in society for proper guidance. The status
in which an Acharya (teacher) of the Vedic period is held is seen in the Prince’s reaction.
v) 10 It is the duty of a good Acharya to get to know what he does not know.
Guruji read parts of the Shankara Bhashya (Shankaracharyaji’s Samskrit commen-

tary) on this Upanishad. From that we gather that knowledge comes only with great
difficulty. We need to persevere and overcome all obstacles to get to it. And for knowledge
of the most important thing in life, how much greater would be the impediments!
Knowing Brahman is a very serious matter. As Guruji said, “It is not trivial like the
passing of a truck’s shadow trampling over a man’s shadow and causing him to weep!”
Verse 6.2 The Kalas Are Inside the Body Itself!

iÉxqÉæ xÉ WûÉåuÉÉcÉ |
CWûDuÉÉliÉÈzÉUÏUå xÉÉåprÉ xÉ mÉÑÂwÉÉå rÉÎxqÉ³ÉåiÉÉÈ
wÉÉåQûzÉMüsÉÉÈ mÉëpÉuÉliÉÏÌiÉ || 2||
1 Tasmai sah ha uvaacha: To him, he (Pippalaada) replied:

2 Iha eva antah shareere, Somya, “O amiable one, here itself, inside the BODY
sah purushah yasmin etaah is that Purusha in whom these
3 shodasha-kalaah prabhavanti, iti. 16 Kalas, or limbs or digits, originate.”
1 Rishi Pippalada, with the directness of a man rooted confidently in knowledge and
wisdom, answers straight to the point, without beating about the bush:
2 All the 16 Kalas are within the body itself! They all originate in the Body.
When the Master gives such a terse, direct answer, can we imagine what the
reaction in Sukesha’s mind would be? Guruji gave an example: A mother has her baby tied
to her back, but is running about trying to find it. What would her reaction be when she is
told where the baby is?
Purusha literally means “Lord of the city” (Puri + Ishah). The city is our body, and the
Lord of it is the Supreme Purusha. If we are going in search of the Kalas of the Purusha, it
must be most relieving to know that we do not have to go very far.
3 The 16 Kalas: One of the meanings of ‘Kala’ is “an art”. We have Sangeet Kala
(music) and Nritya Kala (dance). The art form hides the person who is displaying the art. The
actor who is acting is not the real person. In this sense Kala would mean “that which
indicates the Purusha who is veiled from our vision.”
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THE 16 KALAS
A Brief Explanation of their Significance
ANOTHER MEANING is Kala is “a ray”, like sun-ray or X-ray. We could also think of a
ray as a “roadway”, and this would tie up nicely with the “city” simile introduced earlier for
the word Purusha. If the city-centre, or CBD as we call it today, is the Purusha, then the
Kalas would resemble the road network leading out of the city. We will have the large
motorways or expressways first, then come the branches which get smaller and smaller,
from highways, arterials, main roads, streets and lanes as we get further from the city.
The above is a very appropriate meaning for ‘Kala’ in the context of this chapter’s
message. The point is: The same roads that lead us out of the city-centre in one direction,
would also lead us towards the city in the other direction! That is the point of similarity with
the Kalas. More will be said on this topic as we proceed further.
In the “Art” meaning, we have the same idea coming through: An art form brings us
great joy as we watch it; but it also hides the inner joy that exists always within us. The
outer joy distracts our attention from the inner joy of the soul! We cannot have our
attention on both at the same time, even as we cannot travel in both directions at the same
time.
The 16 Kalas are exactly like that. In one direction, they reveal the external glitter of
life; in the other direction they lead us back to our deeper Self, the Purusha within.
The 16 Kalas appear on Purusha’s face and hide it. Purusha Itself has no Kala – He is
defined as attributeless, unmoved by anything, and unchanging.
Guruji here played on the word Kala very cleverly. He said Purusha is Akala (without
Kala) but we see him as Sakala (with Kala). Now we have to use our Akkala (intelligence) to
find Him out behind these Kalas!
Purusha is the substratum and the 16 Kalas are appearing on It (Yasmin, the 7th case
Samskrit, is used in line 2 to refer to this, so it translates as “on” or “in”). The Kalas are
values superimposed upon the Purusha. The Shankara Bhashya describes this beautifully:
i) Only the ‘appearance’ aspect of a thing can be subject to negation. The snake seen
in a rope can be negated by knowledge of it, but the rope cannot be negated. Similarly, the
Kalas of Brahman can be negated, but Brahman itself cannot.
ii) The Kalas are the flickering of Consciousness. The flickering, however attractive
and spell-binding it may be, is only an appearance, not real in itself.
iii) Purusha cannot be described in words. Words are inadequate for Him. The
moment we open our mouth to describe Him, we are already making a mistake. Words
point to Him, but do not reach Him.
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Verse 6.3 What Determines Our Life or Death?
xÉ D¤ÉÉÇcÉ¢åü | MüÎxqÉ³ÉWûqÉÑi¢üÉliÉ Ei¢üÉliÉÉå pÉÌuÉwrÉÉÍqÉ
MüÎxqÉluÉÉ mÉëÌiÉÌ¹iÉå mÉëÌiÉ¹xrÉÉqÉÏÌiÉ ||6.3||
1 sah eekshaam chakre: The Purusha deliberated deeply: (or penetrated into)
2 kasmin aham utkraanta “As a result of whose rising up (departure)
utkraantah bhavishyaami; shall I also rise up (depart, or die)?
3 kasmin vaa pratishthite, As a result of whose continuance (in the body)
pratishthaa syaam, iti. shall I also continue (to live)?”*
*i.e. What is it whose absence or presence determines our death or life?
This verse has a very mystic tone about it; we can err in its interpretation in two
ways – either by reading too much into it, or by not giving it its due. The safest is to adhere
to the Truth about creation (the body) as has already been explained in the text. We have
been told that the Supreme Brahman is no different from His creation. He is in every bit of
His creation.
1 Sah: The Supreme Being, the Purusha, is imagined to be deliberating Himself on His
own creation. What did He want to know, and about what subject? The Bhashya of Sri
Shankaracharya gives a clue to this difficult probing of Purusha. It suggests that Purusha
enquired into 3 matters:
i) Creation – when He enquired into this subject, He was able to come up with 16
categories into which creation could be split. These are the 16 Kalas which are listed in the
next verse.
ii) Results – in creation, such as the departure of any particular category from the
body, or its continuance in the body.
iii) Order – of the creation of the 16 categories, from Prana to name, which means
the relational or sequential chain of cause and effect.
Brahman thus meditated upon Himself in this manner. Very mystical, indeed! And
what did He come up with? If we keep in mind Brahman’s imminence in Creation, we get:
2 Can anything depart from creation without Him also departing?
3 Can anything go on existing here without Him being present in it?
This is the fundamental principle to be remembered when we interpret the verse. In
effect, these are the two questions being asked in these lines. One senses that Brahman was
just having a repast and light-heartedly mused upon Himself! Guruji seemed to agree:
Guruji toyed with this idea a bit and said, “Left to Himself, being the One without a
second, there was no one to appreciate Him. So He started this world-show so that the
whole world would appreciate Him! Otherwise it would be like the peacock’s dance in the
forest – there are no onlookers to enjoy and appreciate its dance. And when he had this
thought Maya, His power of Delusion, at once superimposed Herself on Him, producing
Ishwara the Total Soul (Ishwara of the macrocosm), and the individual soul (Jiva of the
microcosm).”
In short, this is the answer to Brahman’s reflection in this verse – Ishwara and Jiva, at
the macrocosmic and microcosmic level respectively. When these two depart, Brahman
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cannot stay here (in the world). When will they depart? – When Knowledge of the Self
arises, the world does not exist; it departs, so Brahman also has to depart!
Now the serious part is that the illusion can last only as long as Maya or Avidya lasts;
and Self-Knowledge alone can dispel Maya or Avidya. The reference here is entirely to the
Vedantic idea of Maya superimposing itself on Brahman to give rise to the projection of this
manifested world.
The staying and the departure of Brahman refer to the experience of life and death
in individuals. What are the essential factors upon which life rests? What is the essential
thing which has to depart in order to define death of the body? This is another way of re-
casting the questions of this verse.
The deliberation of Brahman on this matter produces the following verse which gives
the full list of what He had to create, the result produced by each, and the order or
sequence they were created in.
Verse 6.4 How the 16 Kalas Were Created

xÉ mÉëÉhÉqÉxÉ×eÉiÉ mÉëÉhÉÉcNíû®ÉÇ
ZÉÇ uÉÉrÉÑerÉÉåïÌiÉUÉmÉÈ mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏÎlSìrÉÇ qÉlÉÈ |
A³ÉqÉ³ÉÉ²ÏrÉïÇ iÉmÉÉå qÉl§ÉÉÈ MüqÉï
sÉÉåMüÉ
sÉÉåMåüwÉÑ cÉ lÉÉqÉ cÉ || 4||
1 Sah i) praanam asrijata; He created Prana; (the sum-total of all Pranas)

2 Praanaat ii) shraddhaam; From Prana, came Faith; (the intrinsic trust in
Brahman)
3-7 iii) kham, iv) vaayuh, v) jyotih, From that came the five great elements; (that give
vi) aapah, vii) prithivee; material support to this body; note their order)
8 viii) indriyam; From them came the 10 senses; (the 5 organs of
perception, and the 5 organs of action.)
9 ix) manah; From them came the Mind; (to control them)
10 x) annam; From that came food; (to sustain all life)
11 annaad, xi) veeryam; From food came the vigour; (vitality or power)
12 xii) tapah; From that came austerity; (self-control or the laws)
13 xiii) mantraah; From that came the Mantras; (i.e. all the four Vedas
or scriptural texts)
14 xiv) karma; From that came Karma; (all the rites & rituals)
15 xv) lokaah; From that came the Worlds; (the rewards of those
rites)
16 lokeshu cha, xvi) naama cha. And for all the things in them, He gave Names.
The chain of creation is given in this verse. All the above sixteen Kalas were created
in that order, in conformity with their respective seeds. The primary seed producing the
whole chain is Ignorance and its train of misconceptions. Thereafter, each Kala produced
becomes the cause or the seed for the subsequent Kala.
80
The above describes the process of Superimposition or Evolution, the expansion of
creation. When Knowledge comes into a person, the above process gets reversed. Now we
have the process of De-superimposition or Involution. Then from Name upwards to Prana,
the distinctions are removed one by one, i.e. convergence or mergence takes place back
into the Supreme Purusha whence all the creation came from. As the latter process
progresses, one by one the Kalas to govern them become redundant and fall away.
The Kalas may be thought of as the Laws set up to regulate the drama of life created
by Ignorance. When true Knowledge comes into one’s life it eventually liberates one from
this vicious cycle set up in Ignorance. In that process, the same 16 Kalas assist the person to
come out of the realm of creation and into that of the Supreme Purusha.
It is the 16 Kalas of Brahman by whose presence He comes to stay in the world, and
by whose absence He has to depart (refer to verse 6.3).
Thus, the Supreme Purusha and His 16 Kalas may be thought of as the Sun and its
numerous rays. For this reason, the Sun is the most common simile used to represent the
Supreme.
The Sixteen Kalas:

1. Prana, representing the Total Mind or Hiranyagarbha, one step after Ishwara. This
represents the Life-force without which nothing can exist in the world.
2. Shraddha, this is the faith all creators have in the success of their efforts. Without
this faith no one will attempt to achieve anything.
3 – 7. The Five Elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
8. The Senses: The organs of knowledge and the organs of action.
9. Mind, the Antahkarana or thought processing system controlling every being.
10. Food – that which sustains the gross body or the “Food-sheath”.
11. Veerya, or strength, mental and physical, by which one acts effectively.
12. Tapas, or austerity, by which one is able to work in the face of all hardships to
bring Thought to its fruition.
13. Mantra, the ‘password’ to gain entry into the higher realms, effectively this
stands for perseverance in one’s effort, the ability to not quit.
14. Karma, the performance of actions, after careful intelligent planning.
15. The World, the manifested world provides the field and the means to fulfil the
actions undertaken.
16. The Naming of all the different items in creation. That, too, is a Kala.
So the stage is set, with all these 16 Kalas taking part in the whole drama ready to
get into action on the world stage…and in the process ensuring that the Supreme Purusha
stays on here, enjoying His own Cosmic Performance!
Verse 6.5 Transcending the 16 Kalas

xÉ rÉjÉåqÉÉ lÉkrÉÈ xrÉlSqÉÉlÉÉÈ xÉqÉÑSìÉrÉhÉÉÈ |
xÉqÉÑSìÇ mÉëÉmrÉÉxiÉÇ aÉcNûÎliÉ ÍpÉkrÉåiÉå iÉÉxÉÉÇ lÉÉqÉÂmÉå |
xÉqÉÑSì CirÉåuÉÇ mÉëÉåcrÉiÉå | ||6.5.1||
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LuÉqÉåuÉÉxrÉ mÉËUSì¹ÒËUqÉÉÈ wÉÉåQûzÉMüsÉÉÈ mÉÑÂwÉÉrÉhÉÉÈ |
mÉÑÂwÉÇ mÉëÉmrÉÉxiÉÇ aÉcNûÎliÉ ÍpÉkrÉåiÉå iÉÉxÉÉÇ lÉÉqÉÂmÉå |
mÉÑÂwÉ CirÉåuÉÇ mÉëÉåcrÉiÉå | ||6.5.2||
xÉ LwÉÉåÅMüsÉÉåÅqÉ×iÉÉå pÉuÉÌiÉ |
iÉSåwÉ zsÉÉåMüÈ ||6.5.3||
6.5.1 i) The Simile of the Flowing Rivers:

1 Sah yathaa imaah nadyah syan- Just as these rivers have just one goal –
damaanaah samudraayanaah; to flow towards the sea.
2 samudram praapya After reaching the sea,
astam gacchhanti bhidyete they get merged into it and lose,
taasaam naama-roope; their own identity as names and forms.
3 “samudra” iti evam pra-uchyate; They are known simply as the “Ocean”.
6.5.2 ii) The Application to the Sixteen Kalas:
4 Evam eva asya paridrashtuh, So also, of That all-seeing Purusha,
imaah shodasha kalaah these sixteen Kalas (or parts),
purushaayanaah, have only the Purusha as their goal,
5 purusham praapya after reaching the Purusha,
astam gacchhanti bhidyete they get merged into It and lose
taasaam naama-roope; their own identity as names and forms.
6 “Purusha” iti evam pra-uchyate They are known simply as the “Purusha”.
6.5.3 iii) The Phala or Fruit:
7 Sah eshah akalah such a man (of realisation) is freed from the Kalas (parts)
amritah bhavati. and becomes immortal.
8 Tad eshah shlokah: On this point, there is the following Sruti verse:
Here a description is given of the time of illumination. The 16 Kalas represent

everything that the individual took to be his world. For simplicity, one could even classify
them all into just two categories – Name and Form. If even that is too many, we can use
“Idam”, meaning “That”, the Supreme Purusha, into Whom everything merges.
The Simile of Flowing Rivers

1-3 The example is given of how the rivers merge into the ocean and lose all identity.
When the Ganga merges into the ocean it does not seek to retain any of its famous identity.
It does not tell the ocean that it is a world-famous river and that it does not want to
get into an ordinary ocean. It does not ask for a royalty from the ocean for entering into it.
The individuality is completely obliterated.
Guruji gave another example of his own: people are sitting in a cinema theatre and
watching a film. They are so intensely absorbed in the film that no one notices the blank
screen. All of a sudden the film reel snaps and there is only white light on the screen. People
start whistling and shouting. Pujya Gurudev used to describe this scene as “the joy of realiz-
ation” – seeing the blank screen of Brahman alone before them!
82
The Application of the Simile
4-6 This gives the application of the simile. It is perfectly straightforward.
7 As is the style of the Upanishad, the Phala is given at the end, i.e. the result one
attains when the Kalas are transcended. The reward is Immortality. One goes beyond the
pale of Death. There is no future birth for such an illumined soul.
8 A Sruti quotation is given to support the statement made by the Rishi:
Verse 6.6 Sruti Quotation: Knowledge Liberates

AUÉ CuÉ UjÉlÉÉpÉÉæ MüsÉÉ rÉÎxqÉlmÉëÌiÉÌ¹iÉÉÈ |
iÉÇ uÉåkrÉÇ mÉÑÂwÉÇ uÉåS rÉjÉÉ qÉÉ uÉÉå qÉ×irÉÑÈ
mÉËUurÉjÉÉ CÌiÉ ||6.6||
1 Araa iva ratha-naabhau “Like spokes in the nave of a chariot wheel,

kalaa yasmin pratishtitaah; are the 16 Kalas transfixed;
2 tam vedyam purusham veda thus should you know the Purusha, worthy
yathaa maa vah mrityuh to be known, so that death may not
3 parivyathaa iti. afflict you anywhere.” – Sruti quotation.
1 The simile of spokes in a wheel was used earlier (1.11) in this text to represent the
march of the seasons through Time. Here the same symbol represents how this whole
universe, i.e. all the 16 Kalas, are centred on the Supreme Purusha.
The Appropriateness of the Simile

The simile of the spokes and the hub is appropriate for a number of reasons:
i) The direct reason is the link of every spoke to the wheel, which means every Kala is
linked to the Purusha directly.
ii) The weight is carried by the hub, not the rim. The tension on the spokes above the
hub transfer all the weight to the rim. So too, the Purusha bears all the responsibility for all
creation.
iii) Visually, the spokes radiate out from the hub like the rays from the sun. That, too,
represents the Kalas which are like rays from the Purusha.
iv) In a wheel, if a person clutches the rim he is sure to get crushed once in every
turn. But if he gets hold of the hub he is always safe. So also, we should always seek refuge
in the Purusha and not in objects of creation.
v) in a wheel, the rim is moving very fast, but the hub remains still at one point. The
Purusha is the stable, unmoving part whose position does not change, whilst all creation
keeps changing moment to moment, never remaining the same.
For these reasons, we note that this simile is very appropriate to the application.
2-3 Of all knowledge, this knowledge of the Purusha is the most important. It is the
one thing that is worth knowing. Knowing It, everything else is known due to the link It has
to all other things.
“Death does not harm you” is an important result of knowing the Purusha. There is
no fear of Death any longer. The meaning of this is that one has crossed over the realm of
83
Samsara or endless births and deaths. Death will not “trouble you” because such a person
will not face death any longer.
Guruji gave the beautiful example of the death of Bhakta Dhruva. When this great
devotee was leaving this earth, Lord Yama himself came to take him. He asked Dhruva to
climb onto his head and be seated there in honour so that he (Lord Yama) could take him
safely to his destination, the North Star, which was reserved for him. What a glorious
moment that must have been, and who would weep for a moment like that!
Verse 6.7 The Rishi Concludes in Humility

iÉÉlÉç WûÉåuÉÉcÉæiÉÉuÉSåuÉÉWûqÉåiÉiÉç mÉUÇ oÉë¼ uÉåS |
lÉÉiÉÈ mÉUqÉxiÉÏÌiÉ || 7||
1 Taan ha uvaacha: To them (the six students), he (Pippalada) said:
etaavat eva aham etat “Thus far only do I
param brahma veda; know this Supreme Brahman.
2 Na atah param asti,” iti. Beyond this there is nothing (that I know).”
The above quotation ends the present text. We are left with a most touching scene:
1 The loving Teacher has his last word surrounded by six most attentive, enquiring,
intelligent and upright students. He has just delivered to them the highest message. What
more can he tell them?
There is a humility that comes through in his words. “This is the limit of my
knowledge; I do not know anything more. I have told you all that I know.” This is a sign of
greatness in the eyes of Indian culture. There is no desire to appear more knowledgeable
than one actually is!
2 There is nothing higher than that to be known. That is one interpretation.
The Rishi knows that, too. But in humility he says that he does not anything more
than that! This is the second interpretation.
There is yet a third way of looking at the Rishi’s conclusion: Students are never
satisfied; the Rishi knows that – only too well. The curiosity of a student can become a
source of endless doubt in his mind. To him, there is always something “more” yet to
known. The intellect is built with this manufacturing defect we call ‘curiosity’.
To stop such needless curiosity from infecting his students, the Master places this
“Full Stop” in front of their intellects.
The effect of this statement on the students can be very positive. It will give them
faith that they have reached the end of the journey. This assurance is psychologically very
important to any student in in any field of study, especially a student of the vast “Unknown”.
We must now certainly take a moment to feel what may be running through the
minds of all six students. Doing so, we get a glimpse of the great Indian tradition.
84
Verse 6.8 The Students Offer Filial Salutations!
iÉå iÉqÉcÉïrÉliÉxiuÉÇ ÌWû lÉÈ ÌmÉiÉÉ
rÉÉåÅxqÉÉMüqÉÌuÉkrÉÉrÉÉÈ mÉUÇ mÉUÇ iÉÉUrÉxÉÏÌiÉ |
lÉqÉÈ mÉUqÉGÌwÉprÉÉå | lÉqÉÈ mÉUqÉGÌwÉprÉÈ ||6.8||
1 Te tam archayantah: While worshipping him, they said:

tvam hi nah pitaa, “You indeed are our real Father*;
2 yah asmaakam avidyaayaah Our ocean-like Ignorance – you have
param paaram taarayasi,” iti. taken us beyond it to the other shore.”
3 namah parama rishibhyah! Salutations be to the great seers!
namah parama rishibhyah! Salutations be to the great seers!
*Since it is you who have given us birth in Eternal Brahman.
We ourselves experienced that feeling directly in the presence of Guruji, who was
emotionally charged at this concluding point of the text.
His voice began to break up in describing the gratitude felt by the disciples. How
much this scene must have reminded Guruji of his sacred moments at the feet of his own
Master, Pujya Gurudev!
1 Discipleship is, indeed, the crest-jewel of Indian spirituality. The Rishis have placed
an enormous value upon it. They have invested all their efforts to nurture the next
generation in the treasures that they have experienced. In return the disciples
unhesitatingly offer to them their highest adorations and loving tribute. Such a relationship
is ingrained in the very culture of spiritual India, and has yet never been exceeded.
On the touchstone of discipleship is the whole edifice of Vedic

culture built! That culture has survived to this day, several millenniums
later, and shall survive for millenniums to come!
2 We rightly feel so grateful even to our school teachers or university lecturers.To

the one who has helped us to cross the ocean of Ignorance through Knowledge, how much
more would we feel? What indebtedness would run through our heart!
Very rare is a Teacher who can perform such a task. And very rare are students who
are willing to learn this lesson of Life.
3 Hence to such Teachers are reserved the unbounded adorations of his students.
Even a million prostrations would not satiate the feeling that wells up in the seeker who has
been the recipient of the Grace of such a spiritual Master.
The Vedic Rishi was probably also reminded, like Guruji, of his own discipleship when
he came to the composition of this closing couplet!
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS wÉ¸È mÉëzlÉÈ ||

Here ends the Sixth Question in Prashna Upanishad.
85
*****
CÌiÉ mÉëzhÉÉååmÉÌlÉwÉSè xÉqÉÉmiÉÉ ||
Iti Prashnopanishad Samaaptaa
Here ends the PRASHNA UPANISHAD.
lÉÉUÉrÉlÉÉrÉ CÌiÉ xÉqÉmÉïrÉÉÍqÉ ||

Narayanaya iti Samarpayami
This work is offered unto Lord Narayana
Om Tat Sat!
A flower offering its prostration to its Master!
*****
86
PRASHNA UPANISHAD
“Questions by Disciples”
Answered by Rishi Pippalada
Split-Sandhee Samskrit Format

(to Assist Beginners in Identifying the Words)
TOTAL: 6 Questions, 67 Verses
INVOCATION
xuÉÎxiÉ lÉ ClSìè-AÉå uÉ×®´ÉuÉÉÈ |
Á pÉSìÇ MühÉåïÍpÉÈ zÉ×hÉÑrÉÉqÉ SåuÉÉÈ |
xuÉÎxiÉ lÉÈ mÉÔwÉÉ ÌuÉµÉuÉåSÉÈ |
pÉSìÇ mÉzrÉå qÉÉ¤ÉÍpÉ-Uç rÉeÉ§ÉÉÈ |
xuÉÎxiÉ lÉ-xÉç iÉÉ¤rÉïç-AÉå AËU¹lÉåÍqÉÈ |
ÎxjÉUæ-U…¡æû-xÉç iÉÑ¹ÒuÉÉð xÉxiÉlÉÔÍpÉ-Uç |
xuÉÎxiÉ lÉç-AÉå oÉ×WûxmÉÌiÉ-Uç SkÉÉiÉÑ ||
urÉzÉåqÉ SåuÉÌWûiÉÇ rÉSè AÉrÉÑÈ ||
Á zÉÉÎliÉÈ zÉÉÎliÉÈ zÉÉÎliÉÈ
Query No 1: KABANDHI’S QUESTION

Á 6. xÉÑMåüzÉÉ cÉ pÉÉUkuÉÉeÉÈ |
5. zÉæorÉ-zÉç cÉ xÉirÉMüÉqÉÈ |
4. xÉÉærÉÉïrÉhÉÏ cÉ aÉÉarÉïÈ |
3. MüÉæxÉsrÉ-zÉç cÉ AÉµÉsÉÉrÉlÉç-AÉå |
2. pÉÉaÉïuÉç-AÉå uÉæSÍpÉïÈ |
1. MüoÉlkÉÏ MüÉirÉÉrÉlÉ-xÉç iÉå ||1.1.1||
WæûiÉå oÉë¼mÉUÉ oÉë¼ÌlÉ¸ÉÈ mÉUÇ oÉë¼ç-AÉ-luÉåwÉqÉÉhÉÉ |

LwÉ Wû uÉæ iÉiÉç-xÉuÉïÇ uÉ¤rÉiÉç-D-ÌiÉ iÉå Wû xÉÍqÉiÉç-mÉÉhÉrÉÉå
pÉaÉuÉliÉÇ ÌmÉmmÉsÉÉSqÉç EmÉxÉ³ÉÉÈ ||1.1.2||
iÉÉlWû xÉ GÌwÉ-Uç EuÉÉcÉ - |

pÉÔrÉ LuÉ iÉmÉxÉÉ oÉë¼cÉrÉåïhÉ ´É®rÉÉ xÉÇuÉixÉUÇ |
xÉÇuÉixrÉjÉ rÉjÉÉ MüÉqÉÇ mÉëzlÉÉlÉç mÉ×cNûiÉ
rÉÌS ÌuÉ¥ÉÉxrÉÉqÉÈ xÉuÉïÇ Wû uÉÉå uÉ¤rÉÉqÉ, CÌiÉ ||1.2||
AjÉ MüoÉlkÉÏ MüÉirÉÉrÉlÉ EmÉåirÉ mÉmÉëcNû |

pÉaÉuÉlÉç MÑüiÉç-AÉå Wû uÉÉ CqÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉrÉliÉ, CÌiÉ ||1.3||
iÉxqÉæ xÉ EuÉÉcÉ - mÉëeÉÉ-MüÉqÉç-AÉå uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉÈ |

xÉ iÉmÉç-AÉå ÅiÉmrÉiÉ | xÉ iÉmÉ-xÉç iÉmiuÉÉ |
xÉ ÍqÉjÉÑlÉqÉç EimÉÉSrÉiÉå UÌrÉÇ cÉ mÉëÉhÉÇ
cÉç-L-iÉç-rÉç LiÉÉæ qÉå oÉWÒûkÉÉ mÉëeÉÉÈ MüËUwrÉiÉ, CÌiÉ ||1.4||
87
AÉÌSirÉç-AÉå Wû uÉæ mÉëÉhÉç-AÉå UÌrÉ-Uç LuÉ cÉlSìqÉÉ |
UÌrÉ-Uç uÉÉ LiÉiÉç xÉuÉïÇ rÉlÉç-qÉÔiÉïÇ cÉç-AÉ-qÉÔiÉïÇ cÉ |
iÉxqÉÉlÉç-qÉÔÌiÉï-Uç LuÉ UÌrÉÈ ||1.5||
AjÉÉ-ÅÅÌSirÉ ESrÉlÉç rÉiÉç mÉëÉcÉÏÇ ÌSzÉÇ mÉëÌuÉzÉÌiÉ |

iÉålÉ mÉëÉcrÉÉlÉç mÉëÉhÉÉlÉç UÎzqÉwÉÑ xÉÍ³ÉkÉ¨Éå ||1.6.1||
rÉSè SÍ¤ÉhÉÉÇ rÉiÉç mÉëiÉÏcÉÏÇ |

rÉSè ESÏcÉÏÇ, rÉSè AkÉç-AÉå |
rÉSè FkuÉïÇ rÉSè AliÉUÉ ||1.6.2||
ÌSzÉç-AÉå rÉiÉç xÉuÉïÇ mÉëMüÉzÉrÉÌiÉ |

iÉålÉ xÉuÉÉïlÉç mÉëÉhÉÉlÉç UÎzqÉwÉÑ xÉÍ³ÉkÉ¨Éå ||1.6.3||
xÉ LwÉ uÉæµÉÉlÉUç-AÉå ÌuÉµÉÃmÉÈ mÉëÉhÉç-AÉå AÎalÉ-Uç ESrÉiÉå |

iÉSæiÉSè GcÉç-AÉ-prÉÑ£üqÉç - ||1.7||
ÌuÉµÉÃmÉÇ WûËUhÉÇ eÉÉiÉuÉåSxÉÇ, mÉUÉrÉhÉÇ erÉÉåÌiÉ-Uç LMÇü iÉmÉliÉqÉç |

xÉWûxÉç-UÎzqÉÈ zÉiÉkÉÉ uÉiÉïqÉÉlÉÈ mÉëÉhÉÈ, mÉëeÉÉlÉÉqÉç ESrÉiÉç-rÉç LwÉ xÉÔrÉïÈ ||1.8||
xÉÇuÉixÉUç-AÉå uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉ-xÉç iÉxrÉç-AÉ-ÅrÉlÉå

SÍ¤ÉhÉÇ cÉç-AÉå-¨ÉUÇ cÉ ||1.9.1||
iÉxqÉÉSè LiÉå GwÉrÉÈ mÉëeÉÉMüÉqÉÉ SÍ¤ÉhÉÇ mÉëÌiÉmÉ±liÉå |

LwÉ Wû uÉæ UÌrÉrÉïÈ ÌmÉiÉ×rÉÉhÉÈ ||1.9.3||
AjÉ E¨ÉUåhÉ - iÉmÉxÉÉ oÉë¼cÉrÉåïhÉ ´É®rÉÉ

ÌuÉ±rÉÉ-ÅÅiqÉÉlÉqÉç AlÉç-uÉç CwrÉÉ-ÅÅÌSirÉqÉç AÍpÉ-eÉrÉliÉå ||1.10.1||
LiÉSè uÉæ mÉëÉhÉÉlÉÉqÉç AÉrÉiÉlÉqÉç | LiÉSè AqÉ×iÉqÉç-ApÉrÉqÉç |

LiÉiÉç mÉUÉrÉlÉqÉç | LiÉxqÉÉlÉç lÉ mÉÑlÉ-Uç AÉuÉiÉïliÉ |
CÌiÉ LwÉ ÌlÉUÉåkÉ-xÉç ||1.10.2||
iÉSè LwÉ zsÉÉåMüÈ ||1.10.3||
mÉgcÉ-mÉÉSÇ ÌmÉiÉUÇ ²ÉSzÉÉ-M×üÌiÉÇ

ÌSuÉ AÉWÒûÈ mÉUå AkÉåï mÉÑUÏÌwÉhÉqÉç |
AjÉç-L-qÉå AlrÉ E mÉUå ÌuÉcÉ¤ÉhÉÇ
xÉmiÉ-cÉ¢åü wÉQûU AÉWÒû-Uç AÌmÉïiÉqÉç, CÌiÉ ||1.11||
qÉÉxÉÉå uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉ-xÉç - |

iÉxrÉ M×üwhÉ-mÉ¤É LuÉ UÌrÉÈ zÉÑYsÉÈ mÉëÉhÉ-xÉç
iÉxqÉÉSè LiÉå GwÉrÉÈ zÉÑYsÉ C¹Ç MÑüuÉïliÉç-D-iÉU CiÉUÎxqÉlÉç ||1.12||
AWèû-AÉå UÉ§Éç-AÉå uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉ-xÉç - |

iÉxrÉç-AÉ-Wû-Uç LuÉ mÉëÉhÉç-AÉå UÉÌ§É-Uç LuÉ UÌrÉÈ ||
88
mÉëÉhÉÇ uÉÉ LiÉå mÉëxMülSÎliÉ rÉå ÌSuÉÉ UirÉÉ xÉÇrÉÑerÉliÉå |
oÉë¼cÉrÉïqÉç LuÉ iÉ±Sè UÉ§ÉÉæ UirÉÉ xÉÇrÉÑerÉliÉå ||1.13||
A³ÉÇ uÉæ mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉ-xÉç - |

iÉiÉç-AÉå Wû uÉæ iÉSè UåiÉxÉç |
iÉxqÉÉSè CqÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉrÉliÉ, CÌiÉ ||1.14||
iÉ±å Wû uÉæ iÉiÉç mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉ uÉëiÉÇ cÉUÎliÉ

iÉå ÍqÉjÉÑlÉqÉç EimÉÉSrÉliÉå |
iÉåwÉÉqÉç LuÉç-Lå-wÉ oÉë¼-sÉÉåMçü-AÉå rÉåwÉÉÇ iÉmÉç-AÉå
oÉë¼cÉrÉïÇ rÉåwÉÑ xÉirÉÇ mÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉqÉç ||1.15||
iÉåwÉÉqÉç AxÉÉæ ÌuÉUeÉç-AÉå oÉë¼sÉÉåMçü-AÉå lÉ rÉåzÉÑ

ÎeÉ½qÉç-AlÉ×iÉÇ lÉ qÉÉrÉÉ cÉç-L-ÌiÉ ||1.16||
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS mÉëjÉqÉÈ mÉëzlÉÈ ||
Query No 2: BHARGAVA’S QUESTION
AjÉ Wèû-Lå-lÉÇ pÉÉaÉïuÉç-AÉå uÉæSÍpÉïÈ mÉmÉëcNû - |

pÉaÉuÉlÉç MüiÉç-rÉç LuÉ SåuÉÉÈ mÉëeÉÉ ÌuÉkÉÉUrÉliÉå? |
MüiÉU LiÉiÉç mÉëMüÉzÉrÉliÉå? | MüÈ mÉÑlÉ-Uç LwÉÉÇ uÉËU¸? CÌiÉ ||2.1||
iÉxqÉæ xÉ Wèû-AÉå-uÉÉcÉ - |
AÉMüÉzÉç-AÉå Wû uÉÉ LwÉ SåuÉç-AÉå uÉÉrÉÑ-Uç AÎalÉ-Uç AÉmÉÈ
mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏ uÉÉ…¡éû qÉlÉ-zÉç cÉ¤ÉÑÈ ´ÉÉå§ÉÇ cÉ ||
iÉå mÉëMüÉzrÉç-AÉ-ÍpÉuÉSÎliÉ - |
uÉrÉqÉç LiÉSè oÉÉhÉÇ AuÉ¹prÉ ÌuÉkÉÉUrÉÉqÉÈ ||2.2||
iÉÉlÉç uÉËU¸È mÉëÉhÉ EuÉÉcÉ - |

qÉÉ qÉÉåWûqÉÉ mÉ±jÉç-AÉ-WûqÉç LuÉç-Lå-iÉiÉç
mÉlcÉkÉç-AÉ-ÅiqÉÉlÉÇ mÉëÌuÉpÉerÉç-Lå-iÉSè oÉÉhÉqÉç
AuÉ¹prÉ ÌuÉkÉÉUrÉÉqÉç, CÌiÉ ||2.3||
iÉå-Å´É¬kÉÉlÉÉ oÉpÉÔuÉÑÈ - |
xÉç-AÉå ÅÍpÉqÉÉlÉÉSè FkuÉïqÉç Ei¢üqÉiÉ CuÉ |
iÉÎxqÉ³Éç Ei¢üÉqÉiÉç-rÉç AjÉç-L-iÉUå, xÉuÉï LuÉç-AÉå-i¢üÉqÉliÉå |
iÉÎxqÉÇ-zÉç cÉ mÉëÌiÉ¸qÉÉlÉå, xÉuÉåï LuÉ mÉëÉÌiÉ¸liÉå ||2.4.1||
iÉSè rÉjÉÉ qÉÍ¤ÉMüÉ qÉkÉÑMüU UÉeÉÉlÉqÉç Ei¢üÉqÉliÉÇ,

xÉuÉÉï LuÉç-AÉå-i¢üÉqÉliÉå |
iÉÎxqÉÇ-zÉç cÉ mÉëÌiÉ¸qÉÉlÉå, xÉuÉÉï LuÉ mÉëÉÌiÉ¸liÉ ||2.4.2||
89
LuÉÇ uÉÉ…¡éû-qÉlÉ-zÉç cÉ¤ÉÑÈ ´ÉÉå§ÉÇ cÉ,
iÉå mÉëÏiÉÉ mÉëÉhÉÇ xiÉÑluÉÎliÉ ||2.4.3||
LwÉç-AÉå ÅÎalÉ-xÉç iÉmÉiÉç-rÉç LwÉ xÉÔrÉï

LwÉ mÉeÉïlrÉç-AÉå qÉbÉuÉÉlÉç LwÉ uÉÉrÉÑ-Uç |
LwÉ mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏ UÌrÉ-Uç SåuÉÈ
xÉSè-AxÉcÉç-cÉç-AÉ-qÉ×iÉÇ cÉ rÉiÉç ||2.5||
AUÉ CuÉ UjÉ lÉÉpÉÉæ mÉëÉhÉå xÉuÉïÇ mÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉqÉç |

GcÉç-AÉå rÉeÉÔÇÌwÉ xÉÉqÉÉÌlÉ rÉ¥ÉÈ ¤É§ÉÇ oÉë¼ cÉ ||2.6||
mÉëeÉÉmÉÌiÉ-zÉç cÉUÍxÉ aÉpÉåï iuÉqÉç LuÉ mÉëÌiÉeÉÉrÉxÉå |

iÉÑprÉÇ mÉëÉhÉ mÉëeÉÉ-xÉç iÉç-uÉç CqÉÉ
oÉÍsÉÇ WûUÎliÉ rÉÈ mÉëÉhÉæÈ mÉëÌiÉÌiÉ¸ÍxÉ ||2.7||
SåuÉÉlÉÉqÉç AÍxÉ uÉÌ»ûiÉqÉÈ ÌmÉiÉ×hÉÉÇ mÉëjÉqÉÉ xuÉkÉÉ |

GwÉÏhÉÉÇ cÉËUiÉÇ xÉirÉqÉç AjÉ-Uç uÉÉÌ…¡ûUxÉÉqÉç AÍxÉ ||2.8||
ClSìxiuÉÇ mÉëÉhÉ iÉåeÉxÉÉ, ÂSìè-AÉå ÅÍxÉ mÉËU-UÍ¤ÉiÉÉ |

iuÉqÉç-AliÉËU¤Éå cÉUÍxÉ, xÉÔrÉï-xÉç iuÉÇ erÉÉåÌiÉwÉÉÇ mÉÌiÉÈ ||2.9||
rÉSÉ iuÉqÉç AÍpÉuÉzÉïWèû, rÉjÉç-L-qÉÉÈ mÉëÉhÉ iÉå mÉëeÉÉÈ |

AlÉlSÃmÉÉ-xÉç ÌiÉ¸ÎliÉ, MüÉqÉÉrÉç-AÉ-³ÉÇ pÉÌuÉwrÉÌiÉ, CÌiÉ ||2.10||
uÉëÉirÉ-xÉç iuÉÇ mÉëÉhÉç-Lå-MüGÌwÉ-Uç, A¨ÉÉ ÌuÉµÉxrÉ xÉimÉÌiÉÈ |

uÉrÉqÉç AÉSè-rÉç AxrÉ SÉiÉÉUÈ, ÌmÉiÉÉ iuÉÇ qÉÉiÉËUµÉ lÉÈ ||2.11||
rÉÉ iÉå iÉlÉÔ-Uç uÉÉÍcÉ mÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉÉ, rÉÉ ´ÉÉå§Éå rÉÉ cÉ cÉ¤ÉÑÌwÉ |

rÉÉ cÉ qÉlÉÍxÉ xÉÇiÉiÉÉ, ÍzÉuÉÉÇ iÉÉÇ MÑüÂ qÉç-AÉå-i¢üqÉÏÈ ||2.12||
mÉëÉhÉxrÉç-L-SÇ uÉzÉå xÉuÉïÇ, Ì§ÉÌSuÉå rÉiÉç mÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉqÉç |

qÉÉiÉçÅ-L-uÉ mÉÑ§ÉÉlÉç U¤ÉxuÉ, ´ÉÏ-zÉç cÉ mÉëelÉÉÇ cÉ ÌuÉkÉåÌWû lÉÈ, CÌiÉ ||2.13||
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS Ì²iÉÏrÉÈ mÉëzlÉÈ ||
Query No 3: KAUSHALYA’S QUESTION
AjÉ Wèû-Lå-lÉÇ MüÉæxÉsrÉ-zÉç cÉç-AÉ-µÉsÉÉrÉlÉÈ mÉmÉëcNû - |

pÉaÉuÉlÉç MÑüiÉ LwÉ mÉëÉhÉç-AÉå eÉÉrÉiÉå? |
MüjÉqÉç AÉrÉÉiÉç-rÉç AÎxqÉgÉç-zÉUÏUå? |
AÉiqÉÉlÉÇ uÉÉ mÉëÌuÉpÉerÉ MüjÉÇ mÉëÉÌiÉ¸iÉå? |
MåülÉç-AÉå-i¢üqÉiÉå? | MüjÉÇ oÉÉ½qÉç AÍpÉkÉ¨Éå? |
MüjÉqÉç AkrÉÉiqÉqÉç? CÌiÉ ||3.1||
iÉxqÉæ xÉ Wèû-AÉå-uÉÉcÉ - | AÌiÉ-mÉëzlÉÉlÉç mÉ×cNûÍxÉ |
90
oÉë¼ÌlÉ¸è-AÉå ÅxÉç-D-ÌiÉ iÉxqÉÉiÉç iÉå-ÅWÇû oÉëuÉÏÍqÉ ||3.2||
AÉiqÉlÉ LwÉ mÉëÉhÉç-AÉå eÉÉrÉiÉå |

rÉjÉçÅ-Lå-wÉÉ mÉÑÂwÉå cNûÉrÉçÅ-Lå-iÉÎxqÉ³Éç LiÉSè AÉiÉiÉÇ | ||3.3.1||
qÉlÉç-AÉå M×üiÉålÉÉ-ÅÅrÉÉiÉç-rÉç AÎxqÉgÉç-zÉUÏUå ||3.3.2||
rÉjÉÉ xÉqÉëÉQèû LuÉç-AÉ-ÍkÉM×üiÉÉlÉç ÌuÉÌlÉrÉÑXçYiÉå |

LiÉÉlÉç aÉëÉqÉÉlÉç LiÉÉlÉç aÉëÉqÉÉlÉç AÍkÉÌiÉ¸xuÉç-L-iÉç-rÉç- |
LuÉqÉç LuÉç-Lå-wÉ mÉëÉhÉÈ CiÉUÉlÉç mÉëÉhÉÉlÉç
mÉ×jÉMçü mÉ×jÉaÉç LuÉ xÉÇÌlÉkÉ¨Éå ||3.4||
mÉÉrÉç-F-mÉxjÉå ÅmÉÉlÉÇ | cÉ¤ÉÑÈ ´ÉÉå§Éå qÉÑZÉ lÉÉÍxÉMüÉprÉÉÇ

mÉëÉhÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ mÉëÌiÉ¸iÉå | qÉkrÉå iÉÑ xÉqÉÉlÉÈ
LwÉ ÌWû LiÉiÉç WÒûiÉqÉç A³ÉÇ xÉqÉÇ lÉrÉÌiÉ |
iÉxqÉÉiÉç LiÉÉÈ xÉmiÉç-AÉ-ÍcÉïwÉç-AÉå pÉuÉÎliÉ ||3.5||
™ÌS Wèû-rÉç LwÉ AÉiqÉÉ | A§Éç-Lå-iÉSè LMü zÉiÉ lÉÉQûÏlÉÉÇ |

iÉÉxÉÉÇ zÉiÉÇ zÉiÉqÉç LMçü-Lå-Mü xrÉÉÇ |
²É-xÉmiÉÌiÉ-Uç ²É-xÉmiÉÌiÉÈ mÉëÌiÉ-zÉÉZÉÉ lÉÉQûÏ
xÉWûxÉëÉÍhÉ pÉuÉliÉç-rÉç | AÉxÉÑ urÉÉlÉ-zÉç cÉUÌiÉ ||3.6||
AjÉç-Lå-Mü rÉç-AÉå-kuÉï ESÉlÉÈ mÉÑhrÉålÉ mÉÑhrÉÇ sÉÉåMÇü lÉrÉÌiÉ |

mÉÉmÉålÉ mÉÉmÉqÉç EpÉÉprÉÉqÉç LuÉ qÉlÉÑwrÉsÉÉåMüqÉç ||3.7||
AÉÌSirÉç-AÉå Wû uÉæ oÉÉ½È mÉëÉhÉ ESrÉiÉç-rÉç LwÉ

Wèû-rÉç LlÉÇ cÉç-AÉ-¤ÉÑwÉÇ mÉëÉhÉqÉç AlÉÑ-aÉ×ºûÉlÉÈ |
mÉ×ÍjÉurÉÉÇ rÉÉ SåuÉiÉÉ xÉç-Lå-wÉÉ mÉÑÂzÉ-xÉç rÉÉ-ÅmÉÉlÉqÉç |
AuÉ¹prÉ AliÉUÉ rÉSè AÉMüÉzÉÈ xÉ xÉÉqÉÉlÉç-AÉå ||3.8||
uÉÉrÉÑ-Uç urÉÉlÉÈ | iÉåeÉç-AÉå Wû uÉÉ ESÉlÉ-xÉç | iÉxqÉÉSè EmÉzÉÉliÉiÉåeÉÉÈ
mÉÑlÉ-Uç pÉuÉqÉç CÎlSìrÉæ-Uç qÉlÉÍxÉ xÉÇmÉ±qÉÉlÉæÈ ||3.9||
rÉcÉç-ÍcÉ¨É-xÉç iÉålÉç-Lå-wÉ mÉëÉhÉqÉç AÉrÉÉÌiÉ |

mÉëÉhÉ-xÉç iÉåeÉxÉÉ rÉÑ£üÈ xÉWû AÉiqÉlÉÉ
rÉjÉÉ xÉÇMüÎsmÉiÉÇ sÉÉåMÇü lÉrÉÌiÉ ||3.10||
rÉ LuÉÇ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç mÉëÉhÉÇ uÉåS | lÉ Wèû-AÉ-xrÉ mÉëeÉÉ WûÏrÉiÉå |

ÅqÉ×iÉç-AÉå pÉuÉÌiÉ ||3.11||
iÉSè LwÉ zsÉÉåMüÈ - |
EimÉÌ¨ÉqÉç AÉrÉÌiÉÇ xjÉÉlÉÇ, ÌuÉpÉÑiuÉÇ cÉç-Lå-uÉ mÉlcÉkÉÉ |
AkrÉÉiqÉqÉç cÉç-Lå-uÉ mÉëÉhÉxrÉ, ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉç-AÉ-qÉ×iÉqÉç AzlÉÑiÉå
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉç-AÉ-qÉ×iÉqÉç AzlÉÑiÉå, CÌiÉ | ||3.12||
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS iÉ×iÉÏrÉÈ mÉëzlÉÈ ||
91
Query No 4: GAARGYA’S QUESTION
AjÉ Wèû-Lå-lÉÇ xÉÉærÉÉïrÉhÉÏ aÉÉarÉïÈ mÉmÉëcNû - |

pÉaÉuÉlÉç LiÉÎxqÉlÉç mÉÑÂwÉå MüÉÌlÉ xuÉmÉÎliÉ? |
MüÉlÉç-rÉç AÎxqÉgÉç-eÉÉaÉëÌiÉ?
MüiÉU LwÉ SåuÉÈ xuÉmlÉÉlÉç mÉzrÉÌiÉ?
MüxrÉç-Lå-iÉiÉç xÉÑZÉÇ pÉuÉÌiÉ?
MüÎxqÉlÉç-lÉÑ xÉuÉåï xÉÇmÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉÉ pÉuÉÎliÉ? CÌiÉ ||4.1||
iÉxqÉæ xÉ EuÉÉcÉ -
rÉjÉÉ aÉÉarÉï qÉUÏcÉrÉç-AÉå ÅMïüxrÉç-AÉ-xiÉÇ aÉcNûiÉÈ
xÉuÉÉï LiÉÎxqÉlÉç iÉåeÉÉåqÉhQûsÉå LMüÐ-pÉuÉÎliÉ |
iÉÉÈ mÉÑlÉÈ mÉÑlÉ-Uç ESrÉiÉÈ mÉë-cÉUliÉç-rÉç | ||4.2.1||
iÉiÉç xÉuÉïÇ mÉUå SåuÉå qÉlÉxÉç-rÉç LMüÐ pÉuÉÌiÉ ||4.2.2||
iÉålÉ iÉWïèû-rÉç LwÉ mÉÑÂwÉç-AÉå

lÉ zÉ×hÉÉåÌiÉ, lÉ mÉzrÉÌiÉ, lÉ ÎeÉbÉëÌiÉ,
lÉ UxÉrÉiÉå, lÉ xmÉ×zÉiÉå, lÉ AÍpÉuÉSiÉå,
lÉ AS¨Éå, lÉ AÉlÉlSrÉiÉå, lÉ ÌuÉxÉëÑeÉiÉå,
lÉ CrÉÉrÉiÉå, xuÉÌmÉiÉç-D-iÉç-rÉç AÉcÉ¤ÉiÉå ||4.2.3||
mÉëÉhÉç-AÉ-alÉrÉ LuÉç-Lå-iÉÎxqÉlÉç mÉÑUå eÉÉaÉëÌiÉ | ||4.3.1||
1. aÉÉWïûmÉirÉç-AÉå Wû uÉÉ LwÉç-AÉå ÅmÉÉlÉç-AÉå |

2. urÉÉlÉç-AÉå ÅluÉÉWûÉrÉï mÉcÉlÉç-AÉå |
3. rÉSè aÉÉWïûmÉirÉÉiÉç mÉëhÉÏrÉiÉå mÉëhÉrÉlÉÉSè AÉWûuÉlÉÏrÉÈ mÉëÉhÉÈ ||4.3.2||
4. rÉSè EcNèû-uÉÉxÉ ÌlÉÈµÉÉxÉÉuÉç LiÉÉuÉç AÉWÒûiÉÏ

xÉqÉÇ lÉrÉiÉç-D-ÌiÉ xÉ xÉqÉÉlÉÈ |
5. qÉlÉç-AÉå Wû uÉÉuÉ rÉeÉqÉÉlÉÈ C¹-TüsÉqÉç LuÉç-AÉå-SÉlÉÈ |
xÉ LlÉÇ rÉeÉqÉÉlÉqÉç AWû-Uç AWû-Uç oÉë¼ aÉqÉrÉÌiÉ ||4.4||
A§Éç-Lå-wÉ SåuÉÈ xuÉmlÉå qÉÌWûqÉÉlÉqÉç AlÉÑpÉuÉÌiÉ |
rÉSè SØ¹Ç SØ¹qÉç AlÉÑmÉzrÉÌiÉ |
´ÉÑiÉÇ ´ÉÑiÉqÉç LuÉç-AÉ-jÉïqÉç AlÉÑzÉ×hÉÉåÌiÉ ||
SåzÉ-ÌSaÉliÉUæ-zÉç cÉ mÉëiÉç-rÉç AlÉÑpÉÔiÉÇ
mÉÑlÉÈ mÉÑlÉÈ mÉëiÉç-rÉç AlÉÑ-pÉuÉÌiÉ || ||4.5.1||
SØ¹Ç cÉç-AÉ-SØ¹Ç cÉ, ´ÉÑiÉÇ cÉç-AÉ-´ÉÑiÉÇ cÉ |
AlÉÑ-pÉÔiÉÇ cÉç-AÉ-lÉlÉÑpÉÔiÉÇ cÉ, xÉcÉç cÉç-AÉ-xÉcÉç cÉ |
xÉuÉïÇ mÉzrÉÌiÉ xÉuÉïÈ mÉzrÉÌiÉ ||4.5.2||
xÉ rÉSÉ iÉåeÉxÉÉ ÅÍpÉ-pÉÔiÉç-AÉå pÉuÉÌiÉ

A§Éç-Lå-wÉ SåuÉÈ xuÉmlÉÉlÉç lÉ mÉzrÉÌiÉ |
92
AjÉ iÉSè-Lå-iÉÎxqÉlÉç zÉUÏUå LiÉiÉç xÉÑZÉÇ pÉuÉÌiÉ ||4.6||
xÉ rÉjÉÉ xÉÉåqrÉ uÉrÉÉÇÍxÉ, uÉÉxÉÉå-uÉ×¤ÉÇ xÉÇmÉëÌiÉ¸liÉå |

LuÉÇ Wû uÉæ iÉiÉç xÉuÉïÇ, mÉU-AÉ-iqÉÌlÉ xÉÇmÉëÌiÉ¸iÉå ||4.7||
1. mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏ cÉ mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏ-qÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉ |
2. AÉmÉ-zÉç cÉ AÉmÉç-AÉå qÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉ |
3. iÉåeÉ-zÉç cÉ iÉåeÉç-AÉå qÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉ |
4. uÉÉrÉÑ-zÉç cÉ uÉÉrÉÑ qÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉ |
5. AÉMüÉzÉ-zÉç cÉ AÉMüÉzÉ qÉÉ§ÉÉ cÉ ||4.8.1||
6. cÉ¤ÉÑ-zÉç cÉ Sì¹urÉÇ cÉ |
7. ´ÉÉå§ÉÇ cÉ ´ÉÉåiÉurÉÇ cÉ |
8. bÉëÉhÉÇ cÉ bÉëÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ |
9. UxÉ-zÉç cÉ UxÉÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ |
10. iuÉMçü cÉ xmÉzÉïÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ ||4.8.2||
11. uÉÉMçü cÉ uÉ£üurÉÇ cÉ |

12. WûxiÉÉæ cÉç-AÉ-SÉiÉurÉÇ cÉç-AÉå- |
13. mÉxjÉ-zÉç cÉç-AÉ-lÉlSÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ |
14. mÉÉrÉÑ-zÉç cÉ ÌuÉxÉeÉïÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ |
15. mÉÉSÉæ cÉ aÉliÉurÉÇ cÉ ||4.8.3||
16. qÉlÉ-zÉç cÉ qÉliÉurÉÇ cÉ |

17. oÉÑÎ®-zÉç cÉ oÉÉå®urÉÇ cÉç-AÉ- |
18. WÇûMüÉU-zÉç cÉç-AÉ-WÇûMüiÉïurÉÇ cÉ |
19. ÍcÉ¨ÉÇ cÉ cÉåiÉÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ ||4.8.4||
20. iÉåeÉ-zÉç cÉ ÌuÉ±ÉåiÉÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ |

21. mÉëÉhÉ-zÉç cÉ ÌuÉkÉÉUÌrÉiÉurÉÇ cÉ ||4.8.5||
LwÉ ÌWû SØ¹É xmÉ×¹É ´ÉÉåiÉÉ bÉëÉiÉÉ UxÉÌrÉiÉÉ |

qÉliÉÉ oÉÉå®É MüiÉÉï ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉiqÉÉ mÉÑÂwÉÈ |
xÉ mÉUå-Å¤ÉUå AÉiqÉÌlÉ xÉÇmÉëÌiÉ¸iÉå ||4.9||
mÉUqÉç LuÉç-AÉ-¤ÉUÇ mÉëÌiÉmÉ±iÉå xÉ rÉç-AÉå Wû uÉæ |

iÉSè AcNûÉrÉqÉç AzÉUÏUqÉç AsÉÉåÌWûiÉÇ zÉÑpÉëqÉç A¤ÉUÇ uÉåSrÉiÉå |
rÉxiÉÑ xÉÉåqrÉ xÉ xÉuÉïelÉÈ xÉuÉïç-AÉå pÉuÉÌiÉ ||4.10||
iÉSè LwÉ zsÉÉåMüÈ ||
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉç-AÉ-ÅiqÉÉ xÉWû SåuÉæ-zÉç cÉ xÉuÉæïÈ

mÉëÉhÉÉ pÉÔiÉÉÌlÉ xÉÇmÉëÌiÉ¸ÎliÉ rÉ§É |
iÉSè A¤ÉUÇ uÉåSrÉiÉå rÉ-xÉç iÉÑ xÉÉåqrÉ
xÉ xÉuÉï¥ÉÈ xÉuÉïqÉç LuÉç-AÉ-ÌuÉuÉåzÉç-L-ÌiÉ ||4.11||
93
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS cÉiÉÑjÉïÈ mÉëzlÉÈ ||
Query No 5: SATYAKAMA’S QUESTION
AjÉ Wèû-Lå-lÉÇ zÉæorÉÈ xÉirÉMüÉqÉÈ mÉmÉëcNû - |

xÉ rÉç-AÉå Wû uÉæ iÉSè pÉaÉuÉlÉç qÉlÉÑwrÉåwÉÑ
mÉëÉrÉhÉÉliÉqÉç AÉåÇMüÉUqÉç AÍpÉkrÉÉrÉÏiÉ |
MüiÉqÉÇ uÉÉuÉ xÉ iÉålÉ sÉÉåMÇü eÉrÉÌiÉ? CÌiÉ ||5.1||
LiÉSè uÉæ xÉirÉMüÉqÉ mÉUÇ cÉç-AÉ-mÉUÇ cÉ oÉë¼ rÉSè AÉåqMüÉUÈ |
iÉxqÉÉSè ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç LiÉålÉç-Lå-uÉç-AÉ-rÉiÉlÉålÉç-Lå-MüiÉUqÉç AluÉåÌiÉ ||5.2||
xÉ rÉSè-rÉç LMüqÉÉ§ÉqÉç AÍpÉkrÉÉrÉÏiÉ xÉ iÉålÉç-Lå-uÉ |

xÉÇuÉåÌSiÉ-xÉç iÉÔhÉïqÉç LuÉ eÉaÉirÉÉqÉç AÍpÉxÉÇmÉ±iÉå |
iÉqÉç GcÉç-AÉå qÉlÉÑwrÉsÉÉåMüqÉç EmÉlÉrÉliÉå | xÉ iÉ§É iÉmÉxÉÉ
oÉë¼cÉrÉåïhÉ ´É®rÉÉ xÉÇmÉ³Éç-AÉå qÉÌWûqÉÉlÉqÉç AlÉÑpÉuÉÌiÉ ||5.3||
AjÉ rÉÌS Ì²-qÉÉ§ÉåhÉ qÉlÉÍxÉ xÉÇmÉ±iÉå

xÉç-AÉå ÅliÉËU¤ÉÇ rÉeÉÑÍpÉï-Uç E³ÉÏrÉiÉå xÉÉåqÉsÉÉåMüqÉç |
xÉ xÉÉåqÉsÉÉåMåü ÌuÉpÉÔÌiÉqÉç AlÉÑpÉÔrÉ mÉÑlÉ-Uç AÉuÉiÉïiÉå ||5.4||
rÉÈ mÉÑlÉ-Uç LiÉÇ Ì§ÉqÉÉ§ÉåhÉçÅ-AÉåqÉç CiÉç-rÉç LiÉålÉç-Lå-uÉç-AÉ-¤ÉUåhÉ

mÉUÇ mÉÑÂwÉqÉç AÍpÉkrÉÉrÉÏiÉ, xÉ iÉåeÉÍxÉ xÉÔrÉåï xÉÇmÉ³ÉÈ | ||5.5.1||
iÉSè LiÉÉæ zsÉÉåMüÉæ pÉuÉiÉÈ :- |
rÉjÉÉ mÉÉSè-AÉå-SU-xÉç iuÉcÉÉ ÌuÉÌlÉqÉÑïcrÉiÉå |

LuÉÇ Wû uÉæ xÉ mÉÉmqÉlÉÉ ÌuÉÌlÉqÉÑï£üÈ |
xÉ xÉÉqÉÍpÉ-Uç E³ÉÏrÉiÉå oÉë¼-sÉÉåMÇü | ||5.5.2||
xÉ LiÉxqÉÉeÉç-eÉÏuÉbÉlÉÉiÉç mÉUÉimÉUÇ mÉÑËUzÉrÉÇ mÉÑÂwÉqÉç D¤ÉiÉå ||5.5.3||
iÉSè LiÉÉæ zsÉÉåMüÉæ pÉuÉiÉÈ :- |
ÌiÉxÉëç-AÉå qÉÉ§ÉÉ qÉ×irÉÑqÉirÉÈ mÉërÉÑ£üÉ

AlrÉÉålrÉ xÉ£üÉ AlÉÌuÉ-mÉërÉÑ£üÉÈ |
Ì¢ürÉÉxÉÑ "oÉÉ½ç-AÉ-pÉç-rÉç AliÉU qÉkrÉqÉÉxÉÑ"
xÉqrÉMçü mÉërÉÑ£üÉxÉÑ, lÉ MüqmÉiÉå ¥ÉÈ ||5.6||
GÎapÉ-Uç LiÉÇ rÉeÉÑÍpÉï-Uç AliÉËU¤ÉÇ xÉ

xÉÉqÉÍpÉ-Uç rÉiÉç iÉiÉç MüuÉrÉç-AÉå uÉåSrÉliÉå |
iÉqÉç AÉåÇMüÉUåhÉç-Lå-uÉç-AÉ-rÉiÉlÉålÉç-AÉ-luÉåÌiÉ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç
rÉiÉç iÉcÉç-NûÉliÉqÉç AeÉUqÉç AqÉ×iÉqÉç ApÉrÉÇ mÉUÇ cÉ, CÌiÉ ||5.7||
94
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS mÉgcÉqÉÈ mÉëzlÉÈ ||
Query No 6: SUKESHA’S QUESTION
AjÉ Wèû-Lå-lÉÇ xÉÑMåüzÉÉ pÉÉU²ÉeÉÈ mÉmÉëcNû - |

pÉaÉuÉlÉç ÌWûUhrÉlÉÉpÉÈ MüÉæxÉsrÉç-AÉå UÉeÉmÉÑ§Éç-AÉå
qÉÉqÉç EmÉåirÉç-Lå-iÉÇ mÉëzlÉqÉç AmÉ×cNûiÉ |
wÉÉåQûzÉ-MüsÉÇ pÉU²ÉeÉ mÉÑÂwÉÇ uÉåijÉ? ||6.1.1||
iÉqÉç AWÇû MÑüqÉÉUqÉç AoÉëÑuÉÇ :- lÉç-AÉ-WûqÉç CqÉÇ uÉåS |

rÉSè-rÉç AWûqÉç CqÉqÉç uÉåÌSwÉÇ, MüjÉÇ iÉå lÉç-AÉ-uÉ¤rÉqÉç? CÌiÉ |
xÉqÉÔsÉç-AÉå uÉÉ LwÉ mÉËUzÉÑwrÉÌiÉ rÉç-AÉå ÅlÉ×iÉqÉç AÍpÉuÉSÌiÉ |
iÉxqÉÉlÉç-lÉÉWûÉïqÉç-rÉç AlÉ×iÉÇ uÉ£ÑüqÉç ||6.1.2||
xÉ iÉÔwhÉÏÇ UjÉqÉç AÉÂ½ mÉëuÉuÉëÉeÉ |

iÉÇ iuÉÉ mÉ×cNûÉÍqÉ | YuÉç-AÉ-xÉÉæ mÉÑÂwÉ? CÌiÉ ||6.1.3||
CWèû-Lå-uÉç-AÉ-liÉÈ zÉUÏUå xÉÉåqrÉ xÉ mÉÑÂzÉç-AÉå
rÉÎxqÉ³Éç LiÉÉÈ wÉÉåQûzÉ-MüsÉÉÈ mÉëpÉuÉÎliÉ, CÌiÉ ||6.2||
THE 16 KALAS
xÉ D¤ÉÉÇ-cÉ¢åü - |
MüÎxqÉ³Éç-AWûqÉç Ei¢üÉliÉ Ei¢üÉliÉç-AÉå pÉÌuÉzrÉÉÍqÉ? |
MüÎxqÉlÉç uÉÉ mÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉå mÉëÌiÉ¸É xrÉÉqÉç? CÌiÉ ||6.3||
xÉ mÉëÉhÉqÉç AxÉ×eÉiÉ | mÉëÉhÉÉcÉç-Níû®ÉÇ |

ZÉÇ uÉÉrÉÑ-Uç erÉÉåÌiÉ-Uç AÉmÉÈ mÉ×ÍjÉuÉÏ- (C)ÎlSìrÉÇ |
qÉlÉç-AÉå A³ÉÇ | A³ÉÉSè uÉÏrÉïÇ iÉmÉç-AÉå qÉl§ÉÉÈ |
MüqÉï sÉÉåMüÉ | sÉÉåMåüzÉÑ cÉ lÉÉqÉ cÉ ||6.4||
xÉ rÉjÉç-L-qÉÉ lÉ±È xrÉlSqÉÉlÉÉÈ |

xÉqÉÑSìÉrÉhÉÉÈ xÉqÉÑSìÇ mÉëÉmrÉç-AÉ-xiÉÇ aÉcNûÎliÉ |
ÍpÉ±åiÉå iÉÉxÉÉÇ lÉÉqÉ-ÃmÉå xÉqÉÑSì CiÉç-rÉç LuÉÇ mÉëÉåcrÉiÉå ||6.5.1||
LuÉqÉç LuÉç-AÉ-xrÉ mÉËUSì¹Ò-Uç CqÉÉÈ wÉÉåQûzÉ-MüsÉÉÈ |

mÉÑÂzÉÉrÉhÉÉÈ mÉÑÂwÉÇ mÉëÉmrÉç-AÉ-xiÉÇ aÉcNûÎliÉ |
ÍpÉ±åiÉå iÉÉxÉÉÇ lÉÉqÉ-ÃmÉå mÉÑÂwÉ CiÉç-rÉç LuÉÇ mÉëÉåcrÉiÉå ||6.5.2||
xÉ rÉjÉç-L-qÉÉ lÉ±È xrÉlSqÉÉlÉÉÈ |

xÉqÉÑSìÉrÉhÉÉÈ xÉqÉÑSìÇ mÉëÉmrÉç-AÉ-xiÉÇ aÉcNûÎliÉ |
ÍpÉ±åiÉå iÉÉxÉÉÇ lÉÉqÉ-ÃmÉå xÉqÉÑSì CiÉç-rÉç LuÉÇ mÉëÉåcrÉiÉå ||6.5.1||
95
LuÉqÉç LuÉç-AÉ-xrÉ mÉËUSì¹Ò-Uç CqÉÉÈ wÉÉåQûzÉ-MüsÉÉÈ |
mÉÑÂzÉÉrÉhÉÉÈ mÉÑÂwÉÇ mÉëÉmrÉç-AÉ-xiÉÇ aÉcNûÎliÉ |
ÍpÉ±åiÉå iÉÉxÉÉÇ lÉÉqÉ-ÃmÉå mÉÑÂwÉ CiÉç-rÉç LuÉÇ mÉëÉåcrÉiÉå ||6.5.2||
xÉ LwÉç-AÉå ÅMüsÉç-AÉå ÅqÉ×iÉç-AÉå pÉuÉÌiÉ

iÉSè LwÉ zsÉÉåMüÈ :- ||6.5.3||
AUÉ CuÉ UjÉ-lÉÉpÉÉæ, MüsÉÉ rÉÎxqÉlÉç mÉëÌiÉÌ¸iÉÉÈ |

iÉÇ uÉå±Ç mÉÑÂwÉÇ uÉåS, rÉjÉÉ qÉÉ uÉç-AÉå qÉ×irÉÑÈ mÉËUurÉjÉÉ, CÌiÉ ||6.6||
iÉÉlÉç Wèû-AÉå-uÉÉcÉç-Lå- |
iÉÉuÉSè LuÉç-AÉ-WûqÉç LiÉiÉç mÉUÇ oÉë¼ uÉåS |
lÉç-AÉ-iÉÈ mÉUqÉç AÎxiÉ, CÌiÉ ||6.7||
iÉå iÉqÉç AcÉïrÉliÉ-xÉç - |

iuÉÇ ÌWû lÉÈ ÌmÉiÉÉ rÉç-AÉå ÅxqÉÉMüqÉç AÌuÉ±ÉrÉÉ |
mÉUÇ mÉÉUÇ iÉÉUrÉÍxÉ, CÌiÉ ||6.8||
lÉqÉÈ mÉUqÉ GÌwÉprÉç-AÉå

lÉqÉÈ mÉUqÉ GÌwÉprÉÈ ||
|| CÌiÉ mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉÌS wÉ¸È mÉëzlÉÈ ||
CÌiÉ mÉëzhÉÉååmÉÌlÉwÉSè xÉqÉÉmiÉÉ ||

lÉÉUÉrÉlÉÉrÉ CÌiÉ xÉqÉmÉïrÉÉÍqÉ ||
*****
96
PRASHNA UPANISHAD
“Questions by Disciples”
Answered by Rishi Pippalada
Split-Sandhee English Transliteration

TOTAL: 6 Questions, 67 Verses
INVOCATION
µ° bhadra¯ kar³£bhi¦ ¾»³uy¡ma d£v¡¦ | svasti na indr-µ v»ddha¾rav¡¦ |

bhadra¯ pa¾y£ m¡k½abhi-ra yajatr¡¦ | svasti na¦ pÀ½¡ vi¾vav£d¡¦ |
sthirai-ra±gai-sa tu½¿uv¡° sastanÀbhi-r | svasti na-s t¡rk½y-µ ari½¿an£mi¦ |
vya¾£ma d£vahita¯ yad ¡yu¦ || svasti n-µ b»haspati-ra dadh¡tu ||
µ° ¾¡nti¦ ¾¡nti¦ ¾¡nti¦
Query No 1: KABANDHI’S QUESTION

µ° 6. suk£¾¡ ca bh¡radhv¡ja¦ |
5. ¾aibya-¾ ca satyak¡ma¦ |
4. saury¡ya³§ ca g¡rgya¦ |
3. kausalya-¾ ca ¡¾val¡yan-µ |
2. bh¡rgav-µ vaidarbhi¦ |
1. kabandh§ k¡ty¡yana-s t£ ||1.1.1||
hait£ brahmapar¡ brahmani½¿h¡¦ para¯ brahm-¡-nv£½am¡³¡ |

£½a ha vai tat-sarva¯ vak½yat-§-ti t£ ha samit-p¡³ayµ
bhagavanta¯ pippal¡dam upasann¡¦ ||1.1.2||
t¡nha sa »½i-r uv¡ca - |

bhÀya £va tapas¡ brahmacary£³a ¾raddhay¡ sa¯vatsara¯ |
sa¯vatsyatha yath¡ k¡ma¯ pra¾n¡n p»cchata
yadi vij²¡sy¡ma¦ sarva¯ ha vµ vak½y¡ma, iti ||1.2||
atha kabandh§ k¡ty¡yana up£tya papraccha |

bhagavan kut-µ ha v¡ im¡¦ praj¡¦ praj¡yanta, iti ||1.3||
tasmai sa uv¡ca - praj¡-k¡m-µ vai praj¡pati¦ |

sa tap-µ :'tapyata | sa tapa-s taptv¡ |
sa mithunam utp¡dayat£ rayi¯ ca pr¡³a¯
c-£-t-ya £tau m£ bahudh¡ praj¡¦ kari½yata, iti ||1.4||
97
¡dity-µ ha vai pr¡³-µ rayi-ra £va candram¡ |
rayi-ra v¡ £tat sarva¯ yan-mÀrta¯ c-¡-mÀrta¯ ca |
tasm¡n-mÀrti-ra £va rayi¦ ||1.5||
ath¡-:':'ditya udayan yat pr¡c§¯ di¾a¯ pravi¾ati |

t£na pr¡cy¡n pr¡³¡n ra¾mi½u sannidhatt£ ||1.6.1||
yad dak½i³¡¯ yat prat§c§¯ |

yad ud§c§¯, yad adh-µ |
yad Àrdhva¯ yad antar¡ ||1.6.2||
di¾-µ yat sarva¯ prak¡¾ayati |

t£na sarv¡n pr¡³¡n ra¾mi½u sannidhatt£ ||1.6.3||
sa £½a vai¾v¡nar-µ vi¾varÀpa¦ pr¡³-µ agni-r udayat£ |

tadaitad »c-¡-bhyuktam - ||1.7||
vi¾varÀpa¯ hari³a¯ j¡tav£dasa¯, par¡ya³a¯ jyµti-ra £ka¯ tapantam |

sahas-ra¾mi¦ ¾atadh¡ vartam¡na¦ pr¡³a¦, praj¡n¡m udayat-ya £½a sÀrya¦ ||1.8||
sa¯vatsar-µ vai praj¡pati-s tasy-¡-:'yan£

dak½i³a¯ c-µ-ttara¯ ca ||1.9.1||
tasm¡d £t£ »½aya¦ praj¡k¡m¡ dak½i³a¯ pratipadyant£ |

£½a ha vai rayirya¦ pit»y¡³a¦ ||1.9.3||
atha uttar£³a - tapas¡ brahmacary£³a ¾raddhay¡

vidyay¡-:':'tm¡nam an-va i½y¡-:':'dityam abhi-jayant£ ||1.10.1||
£tad vai pr¡³¡n¡m ¡yatanam | £tad am»tam-abhayam |

£tat par¡yanam | £tasm¡n na puna-ra ¡vartanta |
iti £½a nirµdha-sa ||1.10.2||
tad £½a ¾lµka¦ ||1.10.3||
pa²ca-p¡da¯ pitara¯ dv¡da¾¡-k»ti¯

diva ¡hu¦ par£ ardh£ pur§½i³am |
ath-£-m£ anya u par£ vicak½a³a¯
sapta-cakr£ ½a¢ara ¡hu-ra arpitam, iti ||1.11||
m¡sµ vai praj¡pati-sa - |

tasya k»½³a-pak½a £va rayi¦ ¾ukla¦ pr¡³a-sa
tasm¡d £t£ »½aya¦ ¾ukla i½¿a¯ kurvant-§-tara itarasmin ||1.12||
ah-µ r¡tr-µ vai praj¡pati-s - |

tasy-¡-ha-ra £va pr¡³-µ r¡tri-ra £va rayi¦ ||
pr¡³a¯ v¡ £t£ praskandanti y£ div¡ raty¡ sa¯yujyant£ |
98
brahmacaryam £va tadyad r¡trau raty¡ sa¯yujyant£ ||1.13||
anna¯ vai praj¡pati-s - |

tat-µ ha vai tad r£tas |
tasm¡d im¡¦ praj¡¦ praj¡yanta, iti ||1.14||
tady£ ha vai tat praj¡pati vrata¯ caranti

t£ mithunam utp¡dayant£ |
t£½¡m £v-£-½a brahma-lµk-µ y£½¡¯ tap-µ
brahmacarya¯ y£½u satya¯ prati½¿hitam ||1.15||
t£½¡m asau viraj-µ brahmalµk-µ na y£¾u

jihyam-an»ta¯ na m¡y¡ c-£-ti ||1.16||
|| iti prathama¦ pra¾na¦ ||
Query No 2: BHARGAVA’S QUESTION
atha h-£-na¯ bh¡rgav-µ vaidarbhi¦ papraccha - |

bhagavan kat-y £va d£v¡¦ praj¡ vidh¡rayant£? |
katara £tat prak¡¾ayant£? | ka¦ puna-r £½¡¯ vari½¿ha? iti ||2.1||
tasmai sa h-µ-v¡ca - |
¡k¡¾-µ ha v¡ £½a d£v-µ v¡yu-ra agni-ra ¡pa¦
p»thiv§ v¡±g mana-¾a cak½u¦ ¾rµtra¯ ca ||
t£ prak¡¾y-¡-bhivadanti - |
vayam £tad b¡³a¯ ava½¿abhya vidh¡ray¡ma¦ ||2.2||
t¡n vari½¿ha¦ pr¡³a uv¡ca - |

m¡ mµham¡ padyath-¡-ham £v-£-tat
pancadh-¡-:'tm¡na¯ pravibhajy-£-tad b¡³am
ava½¿abhya vidh¡ray¡m, iti ||2.3||
t£-:'¾raddadh¡n¡ babhÀvu¦ - |
s-µ :'bhim¡n¡d Àrdhvam utkramata iva |
tasminn utkr¡mat-y ath-£-tar£, sarva £v-µ-tkr¡mant£ |
tasmi¯-¾ ca prati½¿ham¡n£, sarv£ £va pr¡ti½¿hant£ ||2.4.1||
tad yath¡ mak½ik¡ madhukara r¡j¡nam utkr¡manta¯,
sarv¡ £v-µ-tkr¡mant£ |
tasmi¯-¾ ca prati½¿ham¡n£, sarv¡ £va pr¡ti½¿hanta ||2.4.2||
£va¯ v¡±g-mana-¾ cak½u¦ ¾rµtra¯ ca,
t£ pr§t¡ pr¡³a¯ stunvanti ||2.4.3||
99
£½-µ :'gni-s tapat-y £½a sÀrya
£½a parjany-µ maghav¡n £½a v¡yu-ra |
£½a p»thiv§ rayi-ra d£va¦
sad-asac-c-¡-m»ta¯ ca yat ||2.5||
ar¡ iva ratha n¡bhau pr¡³£ sarva¯ prati½¿hitam |

»c-µ yajÀ¯½i s¡m¡ni yaj²a¦ k½atra¯ brahma ca ||2.6||
praj¡pati-¾ carasi garbh£ tvam £va pratij¡yas£ |

tubhya¯ pr¡³a praj¡-s t-va im¡
bali¯ haranti ya¦ pr¡³ai¦ pratiti½¿hasi ||2.7||
d£v¡n¡m asi vahnitama¦ pit»³¡¯ pratham¡ svadh¡ |

»½§³¡¯ carita¯ satyam atha-r v¡±giras¡m asi ||2.8||
indrastva¯ pr¡³a t£jas¡, rudr-µ :'si pari-rak½it¡ |

tvam-antarik½£ carasi, sÀrya-s tva¯ jyµti½¡¯ pati¦ ||2.9||
yad¡ tvam abhivar¾ah, yath-£-m¡¦ pr¡³a t£ praj¡¦ |

anandarÀp¡-s ti½¿hanti, k¡m¡y-¡-nna¯ bhavi½yati, iti ||2.10||
vr¡tya-s tva¯ pr¡³-ai-ka»½i-ra, att¡ vi¾vasya satpati¦ |

vayam ¡d-y asya d¡t¡ra¦, pit¡ tva¯ m¡tari¾va na¦ ||2.11||
y¡ t£ tanÀ-ra v¡ci prati½¿hit¡, y¡ ¾rµtr£ y¡ ca cak½u½i |

y¡ ca manasi sa¯tat¡, ¾iv¡¯ t¡¯ kuru m-µ-tkram§¦ ||2.12||
pr¡³asy-£-da¯ va¾£ sarva¯, tridiv£ yat prati½¿hitam |

m¡t:'-£-va putr¡n rak½asva, ¾r§-¾ ca prajn¡¯ ca vidh£hi na¦, iti ||2.13||
|| iti dvit§ya¦ pra¾na¦ ||
Query No 3: KAUSHALYA’S QUESTION
atha h-ai-na¯ kausalya-¾ c-¡-¾val¡yana¦ papraccha - |

bhagavan kuta £½a pr¡³-µ j¡yat£? |
katham ¡y¡t-y asmi²-¾ar§r£? |
¡tm¡na¯ v¡ pravibhajya katha¯ pr¡ti½¿hat£? |
k£n-µ-tkramat£? | katha¯ b¡hyam abhidhatt£? |
katham adhy¡tmam? iti ||3.1||
tasmai sa h-µ-v¡ca - | ati-pra¾n¡n p»cchasi |

brahmani½¿h-µ :'s-§-ti tasm¡t t£-:'ha¯ brav§mi ||3.2||
¡tmana £½a pr¡³-µ j¡yat£ |
100
yath:'-£-½¡ puru½£ cch¡y:'-£-tasminn £tad ¡tata¯ | ||3.3.1||
man-µ k»t£n¡-:':'y¡t-y asmi²-¾ar§r£ ||3.3.2||
yath¡ samr¡¢ £v-¡-dhik»t¡n viniyu±kt£ |

£t¡n gr¡m¡n £t¡n gr¡m¡n adhiti½¿hasv-£-t-ya- |
£vam £v-£-½a pr¡³a¦ itar¡n pr¡³¡n
p»thak p»thag £va sa¯nidhatt£ ||3.4||
p¡y-À-pasth£ :'p¡na¯ | cak½u¦ ¾rµtr£ mukha n¡sik¡bhy¡¯

pr¡³a¦ svaya¯ prati½¿hat£ | madhy£ tu sam¡na¦
£½a hi £tat hutam anna¯ sama¯ nayati |
tasm¡t £t¡¦ sapt-¡-rci½-µ bhavanti ||3.5||
h»di h-ya £½a ¡tm¡ | atr-£-tad £ka ¾ata n¡¢§n¡¯ |

t¡s¡¯ ¾ata¯ ¾atam £k-£-ka sy¡¯ |
dv¡-saptati-ra dv¡-saptati¦ prati-¾¡kh¡ n¡¢§
sahasr¡³i bhavant-ya | ¡su vy¡na-¾ carati ||3.6||
ath-£-ka y-µ-rdhva ud¡na¦ pu³y£na pu³ya¯ lµka¯ nayati |

p¡p£na p¡pam ubh¡bhy¡m £va manu½yalµkam ||3.7||
¡dity-µ ha vai b¡hya¦ pr¡³a udayat-y £½a

h-y £na¯ c-¡-k½u½a¯ pr¡³am anu-g»h³¡na¦ |
p»thivy¡¯ y¡ d£vat¡ s-£-½¡ puru¾a-s y¡-:'p¡nam |
ava½¿abhya antar¡ yad ¡k¡¾a¦ sa s¡m¡n-µ ||3.8||
v¡yu-ra vy¡na¦ | t£j-µ ha v¡ ud¡na-s | tasm¡d upa¾¡ntat£j¡¦
puna-ra bhavam indriyai-ra manasi sa¯padyam¡nai¦ ||3.9||
yac-citta-s t£n-£-½a pr¡³am ¡y¡ti |

pr¡³a-sa t£jas¡ yukta¦ saha ¡tman¡
yath¡ sa¯kalpita¯ lµka¯ nayati ||3.10||
ya £va¯ vidv¡n pr¡³a¯ v£da | na h-¡-sya praj¡ h§yat£ |

:'m»t-µ bhavati ||3.11||
tad £½a ¾lµka¦ - |
utpattim ¡yati¯ sth¡na¯, vibhutva¯ c-£-va pancadh¡ |
adhy¡tmam c-£-va pr¡³asya, vij²¡y-¡-m»tam a¾nut£
vij²¡y-¡-m»tam a¾nut£, iti | ||3.12||
|| iti trit§ya¦ pra¾na¦ ||
101
Query No 4: GAARGYA’S QUESTION
atha h-£-na¯ saury¡ya³§ g¡rgya¦ papraccha - |

bhagavan £tasmin puru½£ k¡ni svapanti? |
k¡n-r asmi²-j¡grati?
katara £½a d£va¦ svapn¡n pa¾yati?
kasy-£-tat sukha¯ bhavati?
kasmin-nu sarv£ sa¯prati½¿hit¡ bhavanti? iti ||4.1||
tat sarva¯ par£ d£v£ manas-ya £k§ bhavati ||4.2.2||
t£na tarh-y £½a puru½-µ
na ¾»³µti, na pa¾yati, na jighrati,
na rasayat£, na sp»¾at£, na abhivadat£,
na adatt£, na ¡nandayat£, na visrujat£,
na iy¡yat£, svapit-§-t-y ¡cak½at£ ||4.2.3||
pr¡³-¡-gnaya £v-£-tasmin pur£ j¡grati | ||4.3.1||
1. g¡rhapaty-µ ha v¡ £½-µ :'p¡n-µ |
2. vy¡n-µ :'nv¡h¡rya pacan-µ |
3. yad g¡rhapaty¡t pra³§yat£ pra³ayan¡d ¡havan§ya¦ pr¡³a¦ ||4.3.2||
4. yad ucch-v¡sa ni¦¾v¡s¡v £t¡v ¡hut§

sama¯ nayat-§-ti sa sam¡na¦ |
5. man-µ ha v¡va yajam¡na¦ i½¿a-phalam £v-µ-d¡na¦ |
sa £na¯ yajam¡nam aha-ra aha-ra brahma gamayati ||4.4||
atr-£-½a d£va¦ svapn£ mahim¡nam anubhavati |
yad d»½¿a¯ d»½¿am anupa¾yati |
¾ruta¯ ¾rutam £v-¡-rtham anu¾»³µti ||
d£¾a-digantarai-¾ ca prat-y anubhÀta¯
puna¦ puna¦ prat-y anu-bhavati || ||4.5.1||
d»½¿a¯ c-¡-d»½¿a¯ ca, ¾ruta¯ c-¡-¾ruta¯ ca |
anu-bhÀta¯ c-¡-nanubhÀta¯ ca, sac c-¡-sac ca |
sarva¯ pa¾yati sarva¦ pa¾yati ||4.5.2||
sa yad¡ t£jas¡ :'bhi-bhÀt-µ bhavati
atr-£-½a d£va¦ svapn¡n na pa¾yati |
atha tad-£-tasmin ¾ar§r£ £tat sukha¯ bhavati ||4.6||
sa yath¡ sµmya vay¡¯si, v¡sµ-v»k½a¯ sa¯prati½¿hant£ |

£va¯ ha vai tat sarva¯, para-¡-tmani sa¯prati½¿hat£ ||4.7||
1. p»thiv§ ca p»thiv§-m¡tr¡ ca |
2. ¡pa-¾ ca ¡p-µ m¡tr¡ ca |
102
3. t£ja-¾ ca t£j-µ m¡tr¡ ca |
4. v¡yu-¾ ca v¡yu m¡tr¡ ca |
5. ¡k¡¾a-¾ ca ¡k¡¾a m¡tr¡ ca ||4.8.1||
6. cak½u-¾ ca dra½¿avya¯ ca |
7. ¾rµtra¯ ca ¾rµtavya¯ ca |
8. ghr¡³a¯ ca ghr¡tavya¯ ca |
9. rasa-¾ ca rasayitavya¯ ca |
10. tvak ca spar¾ayitavya¯ ca ||4.8.2||
11. v¡k ca vaktavya¯ ca |

12. hastau c-¡-d¡tavya¯ c-µ- |
13. pastha-¾ c-¡-nandayitavya¯ ca |
14. p¡yu-¾ ca visarjayitavya¯ ca |
15. p¡dau ca gantavya¯ ca ||4.8.3||
16. mana-¾ ca mantavya¯ ca |

17. buddhi-¾ ca bµddhavya¯ c-¡- |
18. ha¯k¡ra-¾ c-¡-ha¯kartavya¯ ca |
19. citta¯ ca c£tayitavya¯ ca ||4.8.4||
20. t£ja-¾ ca vidyµtayitavya¯ ca |

21. pr¡³a-¾ ca vidh¡rayitavya¯ ca ||4.8.5||
£½a hi d»½¿¡ sp»½¿¡ ¾rµt¡ ghr¡t¡ rasayit¡ |
mant¡ bµddh¡ kart¡ vij²¡n¡tm¡ puru½a¦ |
sa par£-:'k½ar£ ¡tmani sa¯prati½¿hat£ ||4.9||
param £v-¡-k½ara¯ pratipadyat£ sa y-µ ha vai |

tad acch¡yam a¾ar§ram alµhita¯ ¾ubhram ak½ara¯ v£dayat£ |
yastu sµmya sa sarvajna¦ sarv-µ bhavati ||4.10||
tad £½a ¾lµka¦ ||
vij²¡n-¡-:'tm¡ saha d£vai-¾ ca sarvai¦

pr¡³¡ bhÀt¡ni sa¯prati½¿hanti yatra |
tad ak½ara¯ v£dayat£ ya-s tu sµmya
sa sarvaj²a¦ sarvam £v-¡-viv£¾-£-ti ||4.11||
Query No 5: SATYAKAMA’S QUESTION
atha h-ai-na¯ ¾aibya¦ satyak¡ma¦ papraccha - |

sa y-µ ha vai tad bhagavan manu½y£½u
pr¡ya³¡ntam µ¯k¡ram abhidhy¡y§ta |
katama¯ v¡va sa t£na lµka¯ jayati? iti ||5.1||
103
tasmai sa ha uv¡ca - |
£tad vai satyak¡ma para¯ c-¡-para¯ ca brahma yad µmk¡ra¦ |
tasm¡d vidv¡n £t£n-£-v-¡-yatan£n-£-kataram anv£ti ||5.2||
sa yad-y £kam¡tram abhidhy¡y§ta sa t£n-£-va |

sa¯v£dita-sa tÀr³am £va jagaty¡m abhisa¯padyat£ |
tam »c-µ manu½yalµkam upanayant£ | sa tatra tapas¡
brahmacary£³a ¾raddhay¡ sa¯pann-µ mahim¡nam anubhavati ||5.3||
atha yadi dvi-m¡tr£³a manasi sa¯padyat£
s-µ :'ntarik½a¯ yajurbhi-ra unn§yat£ sµmalµkam |
sa sµmalµk£ vibhÀtim anubhÀya puna-ra ¡vartat£ ||5.4||
ya¦ puna-r £ta¯ trim¡tr£³:'-µm it-y £t£n-ai-v-¡-k½ar£³a
para¯ puru½am abhidhy¡y§ta, sa t£jasi sÀry£ sa¯panna¦ | ||5.5.1||
tad £tau ¾lµkau bhavata¦ :- |
yath¡ p¡d-µ-dara-s tvac¡ vinirmucyat£ |

£va¯ ha vai sa p¡pman¡ vinirmukta¦ |
sa s¡mabhi-r unn§yat£ brahma-lµka¯ | ||5.5.2||
sa £tasm¡j-j§vaghan¡t par¡tpara¯ puri¾aya¯ puru½am §k½at£ ||5.5.3||
tad £tau ¾lµkau bhavata¦ :- |
tisr-µ m¡tr¡ m»tyumatya¦ prayukt¡

anyµnya sakt¡ anavi-prayukt¡¦ |
kriy¡su "b¡hy-¡-bh-y antara madhyam¡su"
samyak prayukt¡su, na kampat£ j²a¦ ||5.6||
»gbhi-r £ta¯ yajurbhi-r antarik½a¯ sa

s¡mabhi-r yat tat kavay-µ v£dayant£ |
tam µ¯k¡r£³-ai-v-¡-yatan£n-¡-nv£ti vidv¡n
yat tac-ch¡ntam ajaram am»tam abhaya¯ para¯ ca, iti ||5.7||
iti pa²cama¦ pra¾na¦ |
Query No 6: SUKESHA’S QUESTION
atha h-ai-na¯ suk£¾¡ bh¡radv¡ja¦ papraccha - |

bhagavan hira³yan¡bha¦ kausaly-µ r¡japutr-µ
m¡m up£ty-ai-ta¯ pra¾nam ap»cchata |
½µ¢a¾a-kala¯ bharadv¡ja puru½a¯ v£ttha? ||6.1.1||
104
tam aha¯ kum¡ram abruva¯ :- n-¡-ham ima¯ v£da |
yad-y aham imam v£di½a¯, katha¯ t£ n-¡-vak½yam? iti |
samÀl-µ v¡ £½a pari¾u½yati y-µ :'n»tam abhivadati |
tasm¡n-n¡rh¡m-y an»ta¯ vaktum ||6.1.2||
sa tÀ½³§¯ ratham ¡ruhya pravavr¡ja |

ta¯ tv¡ p»cch¡mi | kv-¡-sau puru½a? iti ||6.1.3||
tasmai sa ha uv¡ca - |
ih-ai-v-¡-nta¦ ¾ar§r£ sµmya sa puru¾-µ
yasminn £t¡¦ ½µ¢a¾a-kal¡¦ prabhavanti, iti ||6.2||
THE 16 KALAS
sa §k½¡¯-cakr£ - |
kasminn-aham utkr¡nta utkr¡nt-µ bhavi¾y¡mi? |
kasmin v¡ prati½¿hit£ prati½¿h¡ sy¡m? iti ||6.3||
sa pr¡³am as»jata | pr¡³¡c-chraddh¡¯ |

kha¯ v¡yu-r jyµti-r ¡pa¦ p»thiv§- (i)ndriya¯ |
man-µ anna¯ | ann¡d v§rya¯ tap-µ mantr¡¦ |
karma lµk¡ | lµk£¾u ca n¡ma ca ||6.4||
sa yath-£-m¡ nadya¦ syandam¡n¡¦ |

samudr¡ya³¡¦ samudra¯ pr¡py-¡-sta¯ gacchanti |
bhidy£t£ t¡s¡¯ n¡ma-rÀp£ samudra it-y £va¯ prµcyat£ ||6.5.1||
£vam £v-¡-sya paridra½¿u-r im¡¦ ½µ¢a¾a-kal¡¦ |

puru¾¡ya³¡¦ puru½a¯ pr¡py-¡-sta¯ gacchanti |
bhidy£t£ t¡s¡¯ n¡ma-rÀp£ puru½a it-y £va¯ prµcyat£ ||6.5.2||
sa yath-£-m¡ nadya¦ syandam¡n¡¦ |

samudr¡ya³¡¦ samudra¯ pr¡py-¡-sta¯ gacchanti |
bhidy£t£ t¡s¡¯ n¡ma-rÀp£ samudra it-y £va¯ prµcyat£ ||6.5.1||
£vam £v-¡-sya paridra½¿u-r im¡¦ ½µ¢a¾a-kal¡¦ |

puru¾¡ya³¡¦ puru½a¯ pr¡py-¡-sta¯ gacchanti |
bhidy£t£ t¡s¡¯ n¡ma-rÀp£ puru½a it-y £va¯ prµcyat£ ||6.5.2||
sa £½-µ :'kal-µ :'m»t-µ bhavati

tad £½a ¾lµka¦ :- ||6.5.3||
ar¡ iva ratha-n¡bhau, kal¡ yasmin prati½¿hit¡¦ |

ta¯ v£dya¯ puru½a¯ v£da, yath¡ m¡ v-µ m»tyu¦ parivyath¡, iti ||6.6||
t¡n h-µ-v¡c-ai- |
t¡vad £v-¡-ham £tat para¯ brahma v£da |
105
n-¡-ta¦ param asti, iti ||6.7||
t£ tam arcayanta-s - |
tva¯ hi na¦ pit¡ y-µ :'sm¡kam avidy¡y¡ |
para¯ p¡ra¯ t¡rayasi, iti ||6.8||
nama¦ parama »½ibhy-µ

nama¦ parama »½ibhya¦ ||
|| iti ½a½¿ha¦ pra¾na¦ ||
|| iti pra¾³µpani½ad sam¡pt¡ ||

|| n¡r¡yan¡ya iti samarpay¡mi ||
*****
106

08 Prashna Upanishad

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08 Prashna Upanishad

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|| mÉëzlÉÉåmÉÌlÉwÉiÉç ||

“THE SANDEEPANY EXPERIENCE”

A NOTE ABOUT SANDEEPANY

Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda

SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE

About This Edition:

2. To Pujya Sri Swami Vimalanandaji Maharaj

3. To Pujya Sri Swami Tejomayanandaji (Guruji)

4. To Sri Swami Advayanandaji and Sri Swami Sharadanandaji

Add to End Add to Front

A (a) -L- (e) C (i)

C (i) -rÉç (y) unaffected

E (u) -uÉç (v) unaffected

È (h) -xÉç, -Uç, -zÉç unaffected

Introduction: General to All Upanishads 4

Query No 1: KABANDHI’S QUESTION: “Matter & Energy” 8

Verse 1.1: The Students Arrive With Firewood 8

Query No 2: BHARGAVA’S QUESTION: “The Supremacy of Power” 24

Query No 3: KAUSALYA’S QUESTION: “The Management of Power” 37

Verse 3.1 The Third Question: by Kaushalya 37

Query No 4: GAARGYA’S QUESTION: “The Experiencer of Power” 49

Verse 4.1 The Fourth Question: by Gargya 49

Query No 5: SATYAKAAMA’S QUESTION: “Development of Power” 65

Verse 5.1 The Fifth Question: by Satyakama 65

Query No 6: SUKESHAA’S QUESTION: “The Source of Power” 75

Split-Sandhee Samskrit Format (for Beginners) 87

LORD KRISHNA & RADHA-RANI

T HE FOLLOWING is a summary of the opening lecture of Guruji on the Upanishads in

Dharma: The Individual & Social Domain

Classification of the Vedas

The Number of Upanishads:

THE PRASHNA UPANISHAD:

Verse from the Atharva Veda:

Á zÉÉÎliÉÈ zÉÉÎliÉÈ zÉÉÎliÉÈ

1 Om bhadram karnebhih O ye Gods, may we hear with our ears

Verse 1.1: The Students Arrive With Firewood

1 Om Sukeshaa cha Bhaaradhwaajah; Om. Sukesha, the son of Bharadvaja;

WæûiÉå oÉë¼mÉUÉ oÉë¼ÌlÉ¸ÉÈ mÉUÇ oÉë¼ÉluÉåwÉqÉÉhÉÉ

Verse 1.2: The Guru’s Welcome

1 Taanha sa rishih uvaacha: To them the Rishi said:

2-3 They stayed in obedience.

Verse 1.3 The First Question: by Kabandhi

1 Atha kabandhee kaatyaayana Then Kabandhi, the son of Katyayana,

1 Atha: “then”, means ‘after the specified one year period’.

Verse 1.4 The Reply: Twin Aspects of Creation

1 Tasmai sah uvaacha: Then he (Pippalada) replied:

RAYI & PRANA: THE TERMINOLOGY

1 BRAHMAN = The Supreme Being, Non-Dual Reality

Verse 1.5 The Equality of Rayi & Prana – 1. All is Rayi

Rayi & Prana: Aspects of Creation

Verse 1.6 The Equality of Rayi & Prana – 2. All is Prana

3 Yad dakshinaam yat prateecheem Then follow the southern, western

Some Notes on Seeing Prana & Rayi as One

From Individuality to Universality

1 Vishwaroopam harinam “Possessed of all forms, resplendent full of rays,

UPASANAS ON PRAJAPATI (TIME)

Verse 1.9 The Southern Path of “Return”

Verse 1.10 The Northern Path of “No Return”

1 Pancha-paadam pitaram “As a Father having five feet (the 5 seasons),

A. Prajapati as the Supreme Above (in Heaven)

B. Prajapati as the Supreme Below (on Earth)

Verse 1.12 B. The Month as Time Cycle

1 Maaso vai prajaapatih; The month is Prajapati;

Time is a Symbol Here