Adhikarana IX — Prana is Brahman

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Vishaya: In the Chhandogya Upanishad we read as follows:

Then the Prastotri approached him, saying: «Sir, you said to me «Prastotri, if you without knowing the deity which belongs to the Prastava, are going to sing it, your head will fall off’, which then is the deity?»

He said: «Breath (Prana). For all these beings merge into Breath alone, and from Breath they rise again. This is the deity belonging to the Prastava. If without knowing that deity, you had sung forth your hymns, your head would have fallen off, after you had been warned by me».

The whole passage is given below, for the full understanding of the argument.

1. When (the crops in the land of) the Kurus were destroyed by hail stones, Ushasti Chakrayana lived a-begging with his young wife, at Ibhya-grama. Seeing the Lord or Ibhya eating beans, he begged some from him.

2. (The master of the elephants) said to Ushasti, «I have no more except these, which are placed before me for eating». Ushasti said, «Give me then some of these». He gave him some of those and said, «Here is some water to drink, in this bag». Ushasti said, «I shall drink impure water, if I drank what has already been drunk by another». The master of elephants said, «Are not these beans also impure, as I am eating of them?»

3. Ushasti replied, «No, (these beans should not be considered unclean) because without eating them I cannot live; while the drinking of (your) water (is not an absolute necessity and) depends on my pleasure, (for it can be obtained everywhere)». Ushasti having (eaten himself, brought the remainder to his wife. Rut she had already eaten before, therefore she took them and put them away.

4. Ushasti next morning, after leaving his bed, said to her, «Alas I If we could get a little of food, then we should get much wealth, for that king there is going to offer a sacrifice; he may choose me for all the priestly posts’.

5. His wife said to him, «Alas! O husband! (There is nothing else in the house) but these (stale) beans (which you brought yesterday)». Ushasti having eaten them, went to that big sacrifice (which was being performed). There he sat down near the Udgatrins who were singing hymns in the Astava ceremony: and then said to Prastotar priest.

6. Oh Prastotar! if thou, without knowing the Devata invoked in the particular Prastava, art going to sing it, thy head will fall off.

7. O Udgatar I if thou, without knowing the Devata invoked in the particular Udgitha, art going to sing it, thy head will fall off.

8. O Pratihartar! if thou, without knowing the Devata, invoked in the particular Pratihara, art going to sing it, thy head will fall off.

They indeed stopped and sat down ailent.

ELEVENTH KHANDA

1. Then the Sacrificer said to him, «I desire to know who you are, Sir». He replied, «I am Ushasti, the son of Chakrayana». The king said, «I had made up my mind, Sir, to appoint yon alone to all these priestly offices: but not having found you, I have appointed others (priests) to these offices. (But now that I have found you) Sir! I elect you for all these priestly offices».

2. «Very well», said Ushasti. «(These should not, however be sent away), but let them indeed sing the sacred hymns under my direction. And promise that you pay me as much wealth, as you give to all these (collectively)». The Sacrificer said, «Let it be so».

3. Then the Prastotri priest approached him respectfully, and said, «Sir, you said to me, ‘0 Prastotar! if not knowing the deity related to Prastava, thou shalt sing him. thy head will fall off’, which is that Devata?»

4. Chakrayana said, ‘ (Vishnu the Great Breath, or) the Chief Prana is the deity of creation. Verily all these creatures merge into Prana (at Pralaya), and they come out of him (at creation). he alone is the deity belonging to creation (Prastava). Hadst thon sung without knowing this Lord, thy head would have fallen off, by my saying (by my warning)».

5. Then the Udgatri priest approached him respectfully and said, «Sir, you said to me, ‘O Udgatri! if not knowing the deity related to Udgitham, thou shalt sing him, thy head will fall off!’ which is that Devata?» He said, «the sun».

6. Chakrayana said «(Vishnu residing in the sun is the deity of Udgitha) verily all these singing creatures chant His praises, because he is the best and the Highest. He alone is the deity belonging to Udgitha. Hadst thou sung without knowing this Lord, thy head would have fallen off, as I had warned thee».

7. Then the Pratihartri approached him respectfully and said, «Sir, you said to me, ‘O Pratihara, if not knowing the deity related to Pratihara, thou shalt sing him, then thy head will fall off’, which is that Devata»?»

8. He said, «(Vishnu residing in the) food (is the deity of Pratihara). Verily all these creatures eat Food, and Jive thereby (because Vishnu dwells In food and thus maintains them). He alone is the deity belonging to Pratihara. Hadst thou sung without knowing this Lord, thy head would have fallen off, as I had warned thee».

Doubt: Is this Prana, the breath that flows in and out of the lungs? Or is it the Supreme Brahman?

Purvapaksha: The Prana mentioned here is the air that circulates in the lungs. For such is the ordinary acceptance of this term, and the arising and merging of all beings in the Prana, mean that all living beings exist so long as this breath is in them, they perish when this breath goes out.

Siddhanta: To this; the author answers by the following Sutra.

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