Prashna Upanishad

SHANTI MANTRA

Om bhadram karnebhih srunuyama devah I

Bhadram pasyemaksabhiryajatrah I

Sthirair angaistustuvagmsastanubhih I

Vyasema devahitam yadayuh I

Svasti na indro vrddhasravah I

Svasti nah pusa visvavedah I

Svasti nastarksyo aristanemih I

Svasti no brhaspatirdadhatu I

Om santih santih santih II

Translation by Swami Sivananda

Om. May we, O gods, hear with our ears what is auspicious! May we, O worshipful gods, see with our eyes what is good! May we, strong in limbs and body, sing your praise and enjoy the life allotted to us by Prajapati! Om. Peace! Peace! Peace!

https://shlokam.org/prashnopanishad-all-verses

INTRODUCTION

The Prashna Upanishad (Sanskrit: प्रश्नोपनिषद्, IAST: Praśnopaniṣad) is an ancient Sanskrit text, embedded inside Atharva Veda, ascribed to Pippalada sakha of Vedic scholars. It is a Mukhya (primary) Upanishad, and is listed as number 4 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads of Hinduism.

The Prashna Upanishad contains six Prashna (questions), with each chapter discussing the answers. The chapters end with the phrase, prasnaprativakanam, which literally means, “thus ends the answer to the question”.[1] In some manuscripts discovered in India, the Upanishad is divided into three Adhyayas (chapters) with a total of six Kandikas (कण्डिका, short sections).

Prashna Upanishad is notable for its structure and sociological insights into the education process in ancient India. In some historic Indian literature and commentaries, it is also called Shat Prasna Upanishad.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prashna_Upanishad

Prashnopanishad is a key philosophical text within the Indian spiritual tradition, part of the larger body of literature known as the Upanishads. It belongs to the Atharva Veda and consists of six questions posed by a group of seekers to the sage Pippalada. These inquiries delve into profound topics such as the nature of ultimate reality (Brahman), the self (Atman), the relationship between the two, and the significance of meditation and knowledge.

The Prashna Upanishad contains three Prashnams (parts), each with two sections. The first Prashnam defines the science of “Higher Knowledge” and “Lower Knowledge”, and then asserts that acts of oblations and pious gifts are foolish, and do nothing to reduce unhappiness in current life or next, rather it is knowledge that frees. The second Prashnam describes the nature of the Brahman, the Self, the relation between the empirical world and the Brahman, and the path to know Brahman. The third Prashnam expands the ideas in the second Prashnam and then asserts that the state of knowing Brahman is one of freedom, fearlessness, complete liberation, self-sufficiency and bliss.

https://shlokam.org/prashnopanishad-all-verses

I have compiled this write-up after listening to the lectures by Nikhilananda Saraswati (Spiritual Head, Chinmaya Mission centres in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad. Expertise: teaching Bhagavad Geeta, Upanishad and meditation) and referring to various websites. This is purely, as I have understood from my learning, and not a translation but the essence to the best of my knowledge.

My spiritual/theological/philosophical knowledge is very limited and I have not studied Sanskrit. Therefore, I would like to request the readers to acknowledge this while reading, should they come across some inconsistencies.

Padma Bharadwaj

FOREWORD

I commend this effort as a sincere step on the path of Vedāntic reflection. May it inspire readers to move beyond mere interpretation toward contemplation, and beyond contemplation toward direct insight. For ultimately, Prashna Upaniṣad is not asking us to believe something new, but to notice that which has always been present: the silent witness of thought, perception, and life itself.

What I find particularly heartening Padma’s work is the sincerity of approach. In an age where sacred texts are often reduced either to dry academic artefacts or to superficial spiritual slogans, this write-up reflects a genuine attempt to listen — not merely to the words of the Upaniṣad, but to its silence.

As a teacher, I am particularly gratified to see students engaging with such texts not merely as inherited tradition, but as living philosophy. The Upaniṣads are not relics of a bygone age; they are mirrors held up to consciousness across time. Each generation must rediscover their truths through reflection, inquiry, and lived practice. Scholarship without contemplation becomes sterile; contemplation without study risks vagueness. This work, I am pleased to observe, attempts to hold both together.

May the spirit of inquiry (jijñāsā) awakened by this work lead the reader from curiosity to clarity, from clarity to contemplation, and from contemplation to that quiet recognition which the Upaniṣads so gently reveal.

Pandit Sri Rama Ramanujachari

Sydney

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

My esteemed Guru Shri Ramanuja Acharya has been continuously encouraging me in this path of spiritual writing and I deem it my good fortune and a great privilege to have known him and being a student under his tutelage. I kindly thank Acharya for taking time, amidst his busy schedule, to read my work and providing a foreword for my work. This is a great motivation for me to learn and write more, to the best of my ability.

REFERENCES:

The first three questions focus on the cause and effect of the transient, empirical world

Question 1

atha kabandhī kātyāyana upetya papraccha .
bhagavan kute ha vā imāḥ prajāḥ prajāyanta

This question is about the creation
And who was responsible behind mystery of creation
When are these creatures born
Sought the answer from the learned Guru

Gist of Answer to Question 1

Hiranyagarbha (universal womb) first to emerge from the Supreme
            Self-manifested through Prajapathi (disambiguation)
From the universal womb, was created Rayi (Gross matter or physical body)
              And Prana (Subtle matter, life that keeps body breathing)
All creatures emerged from Rayi And Prana
             Humans ,Flora, Fauna and other sentient and insentient
Thus, Beings are made of gross body (visible) and subtle body (invisible)
            Body is dependent and Prana (Self) is independent and self-existing
Aditya (The Sun) is Spirit/life
           Chandra (The Moon) is matter
Rayi (matter; feminine) is matter
           Prana (Spirit; masculine) or energy that activates matter
At sunrise, Sun rises in the East
             Yet it illuminates all directions, up, above, North, South and West
So, the life giver the Sun (Prana) is the source of all energy
           Unconditionally radiating light everywhere
Sun exists in the body as Vaisvanara (in-dwelling fire)
             He circulates the body as five breaths¹
To ensure functioning of body organs
            Being the life source of all organisms
Matter and energy together
            Created the universe
Flora Fauna and Human species
        Emanate from Him and dissolute in Him
As a house-holder, by leading a disciplined and virtuous life
            Through karma yoga (actions), one moves towards Moksha (liberation)
As an ascetic, by leading a saintly and austere life
           Through Sharanagathi (complete surrender), one attains Moksha

¹
Prana Vayu governs the movement of energy from the head down to the navel, which is the Pranic center in the physical body.
Apana Vayu governs the movement of energy from the navel down to the root chakra.
Samana Vayu governs the movement of energy from the entire body back to the navel.
Vyana Vayu governs the movement of energy out from the navel throughout the entire body.
Udana governs the movement of energy from the navel up to the head.

https://www.vedanet.com/the-secrets-of-the-five-pranas/

Question 2

atha hainaṃ bhārgavo vaidarbhiḥ papraccha . bhagavan katyeva
devāḥ prajāṃ vidhārayante katara etat prakāśayante kaḥ
punareṣāṃ variṣṭha iti .

This question is about the microcosm
As opposed to the first question about macrocosm
How many golds manifest their power
Amongst them, who has the best power

Gist of Answer to Question 2

The Master thus replied
Aakaasha (Space) is the foremost god
Then Vaayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Aapah (Water) and Prithivee (Earth) gods
Followed by Vaang(Speech), Manas (Mind),Chakshuh (Eye) and Shrotram (ear)
Each of one of the gods let their ego out
Tried to get credit they are the best
Prana (life energy), is the sole life-source
Without Prana, other elements/organs fail
Prana prevails in Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth
Prana is all knowledge and all that is administered within
Prana performs all actions and offer oblations through creatures
Prana supports the Mind and all senses
Prana has the power of creating, preserving and Destroying
Prana brings all pleasures and pains
Prana is pure and unaffected one
Therefore, Prana is the supreme one
All the gods understood the essence
And acknowledged the best of the best
The analogy learnt from this
Humans, with selfish instinct
Claim they are accomplishing everything
Forgetting we aren’t indispensable and Brahman makes us do everything Let us not be egoistic and live with kindness and compassion
And lead a virtuous life to attain liberation

Question 3

atha hainaṃ kauśalyaścāśvalāyanaḥ papraccha . bhagavan kuta eṣa prāṇo jāyate kathamāyātyasmiñśarīra ātmānaṃ vā pravibhajya kathaṃ pratiṣṭhate kenotkramate kathaṃ bāhyamabhidhatte kathamadhyātmamiti

The third question takes further into the subtle realm Delves into the origin of Prana (life energy) How and where Prana Comes into the body? How does it abide in the body and how does it depart the body?

Gist of Answer to Question 3

Prana’s origin is from Atman (Self)
Relationship between Self and Prana
Can be compared to a Body and Shadow, inseparable
Prana enters a body through action of Mind (Manas)
Just as King delegates his ministers in a Kingdom
Prana delegates the other elements, various functions
The 5 breaths (Apana, Prana, Samaana, Vyana and Udana) perform their own functions
That are performed in the body within certain locations
Apana dwells in the lower regions that support excretion
Prana in the Upper portion, eyes, ears, mouth and nostril location
Samaana looks after the torso, with digestion function
Vyaana governs nervous/circulatory system
Udana which is ascending, has an important part
Takes away the life source at the time of death What’s learnt from the answer to this question
Ebbs and flows of pleasure and pain Inevitable in life and cannot be avoided       We need to lead a life that is well balanced
Those who get the awareness of origin of Prana, its place and its five-fold distribution
Both internal and external aspects, will obtain liberation

The fourth question has five questions What Sleeps in man?What’s awake when the man is sleeping?Which deva (Deity, organ) in man that sees the dreamsWhat is in the man that experiences happinessWhat’s the foundation for all these?

Question 4

atha hainaṃ sauryāyaṇi gārgyaḥ papraccha . bhagavannetasmin puruṣe
kāni svapanti kānyasmiñjāgrati katara eṣa devaḥ svapnān paśyati
kasyaitat sukhaṃ bhavati kasminnu sarve sampratiṣṭhitā bhavantīti

The fourth one queries about the devas different states
Whilst one is asleep and one is awake
What power (deva) is that is it that sees dreams
The power behind the bliss (happiness) and their dependencies

Gist of Answer to Question 4

The master answers the questions
Of the disciples with various similes
Like sun rays projected are withdrawn
All the five senses are withdrawn
When one is sleeping Prana (life source) is awake
But actions of some organs (upa-pranas) may not be active
Atma is the one that sees, feels and hears everything
Atma is the one that experiences everything
Purusha (Life energy) is the foundation for all, through Prana
There is no life after the departure of Prana

Question 5

This question pertains to Om(Aum) meditation. When student asks the question, the teacher introduces the techniques that would instigate a practical change in one’s mental make-up. These techniques are called Upasanas in the Vedas.

Atha hainam Shaibhah Satya kaamah prapachha,
sa yo havaitad, Bhagavan, manushyeshu
praanaaantam Omkaaraam abhidhyaaeeta,
katamam vaa va sa tena lokam jayateet

Gist of Answer to Question 5

Om is both higher and lower Brahman
Someone who understands this surely reaches either of them
If one meditates on only the first Mantra (the A)
Enlightened and soon comes to earth
With penance, abstinence and faith
He will enjoy a great experience
If one mediates on two Mantras (A + U)
He enters the intermediate space, world of Moon
Having enlightened and enjoyed the experience
He returns to the earth again
If one meditates with the whole Syllable AUM (all 3 mantras)
He comes to light and to the Sun
As snake sheds its skin and walks away
So one is freed from Sorrows of the material world (samsara)
That’s the path to liberation
Path is sincere devout and meditation

Question 6

The final question is the most direct and spiritual of the entire Upanishad. The question concerns the Atman, the inmost reality. With the answer, the Essence of Prashna Upanishad Sixth Question becomes clearer, showing the subtlety of the inner Self.

tam tvaa pricchhaami
kva asau purushah, iti.
Tasmai sah ha uvaacha:
Iha eva antah shareere, Somya,
sah purushah yasmin etaah
shodasha-kalaah prabhavanti, iti

Gist of Answer to Question 6

Student made a query
About the Purusha, the Supreme
From whom the 16 limbs (kalas)
Seem to originate Purusha is none other than Brahman
Who pervades our within
Next question of departure (death) from this world
The process of departure from this world Everything emanates and culminates
From Brahman, the only source
16 limbs (kalas) were explained thus
And they are as follows:
1. He created Prana; (the sum-total of all Pranas)
2. From Prana, came Faith; (the intrinsic trust in Brahman)
3 to 7. From that came the five great elements; (that give material support to this body; note their order)
8. From them came the 10 senses; (the 5 organs of perception, and the 5 organs of action.)
9. From them came the Mind; (to control them)
10. From that came food;
11.From food came the vigour; (vitality or power
12. From that came austerity; (self-control or the laws)
13. From that came the Mantras;
14. From that came Karma; (all the rites & rituals)
15. From that came the Worlds; (the rewards of those rites)
16. And for all the things in them, He gave Names
There are many rivers and streams
Eventually they join the big sea
They lose their names and form
And merge into one, the ocean Entire world, our lives (nothing but Brahman) and the sixteen facets (kalas)
Are like a nave of a wheel attached with sixteen spokes Without Brahman nothing can exist
One who’s aware of this will not fear death
Brahman is the Highest concluded the Teacher
Students from the students for the great insight provided by the teacher

Prashna Upanishad

Share this:

Leave a comment Cancel reply