Prashna Upanishad 1

1.1

praśnopaniṣad

1.2

oṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devā bhadraṃ paśyemākṣibhiryajatrāḥ /
sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāṃ sastanūbhirvyaśema devahitaṃ yadāyuḥ //

1.3

oṃ śāntiḥ! śāntiḥ!! śāntiḥ!!!

1.4

svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ /
svasti nastārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatirdadhātu //

1.5

oṃ śāntiḥ!śāntiḥ!!śāntiḥ!!!

1.6

prathama praśnaḥ

1.7

mantroktasyārthasya vistarānuvādīdaṃ brāhmaṇamārabhyate /
ṛṣipraśnaprativacanākhyāyikā tu vidyāstutaye /
evaṃ saṃvatsarabrahmacaryasaṃvāsādiyuktairgrāhyā pippalādādivatsarvajñakalpairācāryairvaktavyā ca, na sā yena kenaciditi vidyāṃ stauti /
brahmacaryādisādhanāsūcanācca tatkartavyatā syāt /

This brāhmaṇafootnote{i.e. this Upaniṣad, occurring as the brāhmaṇa or Vedic explanation of the mantras of the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad.}, is begun as an elaborate reiteration of the subject matter already dealt with in the mantra portion.footnote{i.e. in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad which presented the knowledge of the Self and talked of two kinds of knowledge—the higher and the lower. The latter relates to both rites and meditation. Of these two kinds of lower knowledge, the first is dealt with in the saṁhitā portion of the Vedas, the second is elaborated in the Second and Third Questions of this Upaniṣad. The First Question clarifies the result of both rites and meditation so as to generate a dislike for them. The Fourth Question is meant as an elaboration of the two verses in the Muṇḍaka starting with "As from a blazing fire" (Mu. II. i. 1). The Fifth Question expands the meditation stated in the verse, "Om is the bow" etc. (Mu. II. ii. 4). The Sixth Question is for elucidating the remaining portion beginning with, "From this emerges Prāṇa" (Mu. II. i. 3)—A.G.} The story in the form of questions and answers by the ṛṣis is meant for eulogising the knowledge. Knowledge is thus praised by showing that it can be acquired by those who are endowed with self-control and who undergo such disciplines as living in the teacher's house for a year under the vow of brahmacaryafootnote{Celibacy and study of the Vedas with a pious attitude.} and that it can be imparted by people who are almost omniscient like Pippalāda and others but not by a nondescript person. Moreover, brahmacarya and other disciplines become obligatory from their reference (in the story):

1.8

oṃ