Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad 3.2
The Upanishads, Part I (SBE 1) 3.2
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3.2
Indra said: 'I am prâna, meditate on me as the conscious self (pragñâtman), as life, as immortality. Life is prâna, prâna is life. Immortality is prâna, prâna is immortality. As long as prâna dwells in this body, so long surely there is life. By prâna he obtains immortality in the other world, by knowledge true conception. He who meditates on me as life and immortality, gains his full life in this world, and obtains in the Svarga world immortality and indestructibility.'
(Pratardana said): 'Some maintain here, that the prânas become one, for (otherwise) no one could at the same time make known a name by speech, see a form with the eye, hear a sound with the car, think a thought with the mind. After having become one, the prânas perceive all these together, one by one. While speech speaks, all prânas speak after it. While the eye sees, all prânas see after it. While the car hears, all prânas hear after it. While the mind thinks, all prânas think after it. While the prâna breathes, all prânas breathe after it.'
'Thus it is indeed,' said Indra, 'but nevertheless there is a pre-eminence among the prânas.
3.2.n1
Prânâs, in the plural, is supposed to stand for the five senses as modifications of breath. It would be better if we could read prânasya nihsreyasam. See before, II, 14.
Other recensions (1)
- Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇopaniṣad (complete text) — Sanskrit
Linked texts (1)
- Kauṣītakibrāhmaṇopaniṣad — Sanskrit