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The Philosophy of the Upanishads c11.s2.t4: 5. The Prâṇa and its Five Varieties

The Philosophy of the Upanishads c11.s2.t4

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5. The Prâṇa and its Five Varieties

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Prâṇa also, like manas, is a word of very varied meaning, which only gradually attained its later technical significance. Originally prâṇa is the “breath”; then the “life” as connected with the process of breathing. In this character the prâṇa frequently becomes an empirical and consequently symbolical representation of the âtman. In the older period¹ all the vital powers (speech, breath, eye, ear, manas, etc.), like the life, were called the prâṇas. Only gradually manas and the indriyas as the forces of conscious life were separated from the prâṇa, which with its five subdivisions is incessantly active in waking and in sleep, and is consequently the especial vehicle of life as such. In sleep manas enters into the prâṇa,² and causes the soul “to guard its lower nest by the prâṇa.”³ It is from this perhaps that the later conception is derived that in sleep, while the organs of sense are absorbed into manas, the fires of prâṇa keep watch in the city of the body.⁴ These fires of prâṇa, which are on the watch in sleep, are themselves five in number, viz. prâṇa, apâna, vyâna, samâna, udâna, and they are mentioned together both earlier and later numberless times, and employed in the most varied allegories, without its being possible to obtain a clear and consistent explanation of them. Sometimes only two (prâṇa and apâna) are named,⁵ or three⁶ (prâṇa, apâna, vyâna), or four⁷ (prâṇa, apâna, vyâna, udâna), usually however all five.⁸ This number is exceeded, as far as we know, only in Sarvopanishats. 10, where fourteen prâṇas are mentioned.⁹

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¹ Occasionally also later, e.g. Pras'na 3. 4. ² Chând. 6. 8. 2. ³ Bṛih. 4. 3. 12. ⁴ Pras'na 4. 3. ⁵ Taitt. Âr. 3. 14. 7; Atharvav. 11. 4. 13, Ait. Âr. 2. 1; Kâṭh. 5. 3; Muṇḍ. 2. 1. 7. ⁶ Bṛih. 3. 1. 10, 5. 14. 3, Chând. 1. 3. 3, Taitt. 1. 5. 3, 2. 2. ⁷ Bṛih. 3. 4. 1. ⁸ Bṛih. 1. 5. 3, 3. 9. 26, Chând. 3. 13. 1–5, 5. 19–23, Taitt. 1. 7, Pras'na 3. 5, 4. 4, Maitr. 2. 6, 6. 4, 6. 9, 6. 33, 7. 1–5, Amṛitab. 34–35, Prâṇâgnih. 1. 4, Kaṇṭhas'ruti 1, Nṛisimhott. 9, etc. ⁹ On their fourteen names, which the scholiast cites, cp. Vedântasâra 93–104.

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Often as the five prāṇas are enumerated in the Upanishads, it is rarely that anything is found which serves to explain them. We propose to attempt to determine the several conceptions involved, so far as is practicable.

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(1) Prāṇa and (2) Apāna. In the first place, it is certain from the witnesses cited on p. 264 that, according to Śaṅkara,¹ prāṇa denotes exspiration, apāna inspiration. The question is how this result is arrived at. Originally, in all probability prāṇa and apāna both denoted the same thing, viz. breath (without distinction of exspiration and inspiration) in general (whether with the slight difference that pra-an signifies “to begin to breathe,” apa-an “to cease to breathe,” in support of which view Ṛgv. X. 189. 2 is quoted, may be left undetermined considering the uncertainty of this passage). There is nothing in the prepositions to form the basis of a distinction, since pra (πρό) “forwards, onwards” is quite ambiguous, and apa (ἀπό, from) may just as well mean “from within outwards” as “from without inwards.” Prāṇa however is by far the more usual expression, and therefore where it stands alone frequently denotes the sense of smell, consequently inspiration, as in the passage Śatap. Br. X. 5. 2. 15 quoted by Böhtlingk, or in Bṛh. 1. 3. 3, Chând. 1. 2. 2, Ait. 1. 3. 4. So very clearly in Kaush. 2. 5:—yâvad vai purusho bhâshate, na tâvat prâṇitum s'aknoti. Where however prāṇa and apāna stand side by side, there (apart from the conception of apāna as the wind of digestion, as to which see below), so far as a distinction can be recognised, prāṇa is exspiration and apāna inspiration. This is the case probably as early as Chând. 1. 3. 3, because it is said previously² “this is hot,” and “as sound is it described.”

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¹ On Brahmasûtra, p. 723. 1-4, and on Chând. 1. 3. 3.

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² In 1. 3. 2, where prāṇa only can be the subject, since apāna has not yet been named.

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Both definitions apply better to exspiration than to inspiration. Though in Bṛih. 1. 3. 3 and Chând. 1. 2. 2 prâṇa as the vehicle of scent appears in its more general meaning of "breath" (inspiration and exspiration), in the parallel passage Tal. Up. Br. 2. 1. 16 the apâna takes its place:—"Its misfortune is that it inspires an evil odour by the apâna."¹ Here therefore apâna is certainly inspiration. So in Tal. Up. Br. 1. 60. 5:—*apânena jighrati*, "a man smells with inspiration," not "one smells with exhalation (!)." The same argument applies in Tal. Up. Br. 4. 22. 2–3; the world-producing waters "*huss* iti eva prâc'iḥ prâs'vasan; sa vâva prâṇo 'bhavat. Tâḥ prâṇya apânan, sa vâ apâno 'bhavat." The sound *huss* and the expression *prâc'iḥ prâs'vasan* point quite unmistakeably to prâṇa as exspiration, and consequently to apâna as inspiration. The principal passage is Bṛih. 3. 2. 2:—*prâṇo vai grahaḥ*; so 'pânena atigraheṇa gṛihîto; 'pânena hi gandham jighrati. Everyone sees that the context requires the meaning faculty of smell and smell, and Böhtlingk need not have reproached me on the supposition that I failed to see it. He might have assumed that I had other reasons for my inability to accept his suggestion of a simple correction here in the desired sense.

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My reason was, that there existed here something in the background which exercised possibly a stronger attraction on the author or redactor of the passage than analogy or consistency, viz.—the wish to join prâṇa and apâna together here also as *graha* and *atigraha* in accordance with their usual association. *Apâna* therefore, inspiration as the vehicle of smell, represented the latter, and the explanatory addition (*apânena hi gandham* jighrati) was employed in order to justify the connnection, not as before and usually between graha and atigraha, but between atigraha and the object which it represented. That apâna being inspiration, prâna by its side (in its general meaning of "breath") could not at the same time denote the sense of smell, as so often elsewhere, would therefore be overlooked. That the original author of the paragraph caused this confusion, I find myself unable to believe; but the mistake, if we must so call it, is older than the separation of the Kânvas and Mâdhyandinas, and therefore not much less than three thousand years old,¹ and certainly would not have maintained its ground all this time if apâna had not already at that period denoted the faculty of smell, and therefore inspiration. The same conclusion follows from the symbolical treatment in Br̥ih. 6. 4. 10–11, where the direction is given, if unfruitfulness is desired, abhiprânya apânyât, if fruitfulness, apânya abhiprânyât.

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The suppression of the vital power is symbolised by inspiration, its excitation by exspiration. Since however the emphasis lies not on the gerund but on the finite verb, apânyât signifies already in this passage "he inspires," abhiprânyât, "he exspires."² It is doubtful whether in Kâṭh. 5. 3 ûrddhvam prâṇam unnayati, apânam pratyag asyati, exspiration and inspiration are to be understood as suggested by 5. 5, or not rather already as breath and the wind of digestion. In contrast, that is to say, to the accepted idea of prâna as exspiration, apâna as inspiration, a disposition was formed, and grew stronger as time went on, to see in prâna the breath (exspiration and inspiration), and in apâna the wind of digestion dwelling in the bowels. For this view the following passages are cited. The prâna originates from the nose, the apâna from the navel of the primeval man;¹ Vâyu corresponds to the prâna, Mrityu to the apâna;² the prâna smells the food, the apâna overmasters it.³ So possibly in the passage quoted, Kâth. 5. 3. In Pras'na 3. 5, the prâna has its seat in eye, ear, mouth and nose, the apâna presides over the organs of evacuation and generation.⁴ The prâna makes its exit upwards, the apâna downwards, and carries off the excrements.⁵ The apâna serves for evacuation.⁶ The prâna dwells in the heart, the apâna in the bowels.⁷ The apâna is neighbour to the testicles.⁸ This is the view adopted also by Vedântasâra 94-95, and the commentary on Chând. 3. 13.

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3 and S'ankara's judgement on 1. 3. 3 maintains the same.

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¹ *pápam gandham apâniti*. These words cannot signify, as Oertel maintains is possible, "exhaling bad odour," since it is said previously of the prâṇa, *i.e.* breath in the mouth according to the parallel passages, *na pápam gandham apâniti*.

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¹ cp. Deussen, Upan., p. 377.

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² In the translation I allow myself to be betrayed into regarding it vice versâ.

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¹ Ait. 1. 1. 4.

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² Ait. 1. 2. 4.

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³ Ait. 1. 3. 4, 10.

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⁴ In Pras'na 4. 2-3, on the contrary, evacuation and generation are subordinated to the manas, not to the prânas; apparently therefore it follows the view first discussed.

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⁵ Maitr. 2. 6.

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⁶ Garbha 1.

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⁷ Amritabindhu 34.

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⁸ Sannyâsa 4.

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(3) Vyâna, “interspiration,” is “the bond between prâna and apâna.⁹ The conception of it is accommodated to that of apâna. If this is inspiration, then vyâna is the breath which sustains the life, when e.g. in drawing a stiff bow a man neither inspires nor exspires.¹⁰ If, on the contrary, apâna is the wind of digestion, then vyâna is the bond of union between it and the prâna,¹¹ rules in the veins,¹² and sweeps like a flame through all the limbs.¹³ So also in Vedântasâra 96.

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⁹ Chând. 1. 3. 3.

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¹⁰ Chând. 1. 3. 5.

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¹¹ Maitr. 2. 6.

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¹² Pras'na 3. 6.

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¹³ Amritab. 35. 37.

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(4) Samâna, “all-breathing,” bears the name because, according to Pras'na 4. 4, it “leads to union” (samam nayati) exspiration and inspiration. On the other hand, according to Pras'na 3. 5 and Maitr. 2. 6, it assimilates the food, and according to Amritab. 34, 37 dwells white as milk in the navel. Cp. Vedântasâra 98.

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(5) *Udâna*, or “up-breathing,” according to the usual view maintained also in Pras'na 3. 7, conducts the soul from the body at death, while according to Pras'na 4. 4 already in deep sleep it guides to Brahman; it is maintained however in Maitr. 2. 6 that udâna “either brings up again or swallows down that which is eaten and drunk.” Elsewhere it is represented as dwelling in the throat.¹ Similarly also in Vedântasâra 97, where it is otherwise explained as the wind of exit.

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¹ Amṛitab. 34.

Cites (19)