Prsnopanishad is embedded in Adharva Veda and ascribed to
Pippilada sakha. In each chapter philosophical questions are raised by the
disciples and the preceptor gives profound answers for them. Sukesa, satyakama, Kausalya, Bhargava and Kabandhi, disciples of Pippilada,
approach him to know all about BRAHMAN. The teacher asks them to spend a year
with him with faith, austerity and chastity. He further says that if he knows
about the Brahman he would reveal everything.
One year rolled by and Kabandhi asked his teacher the first question ” Whence are
all these creatures born?”The mentor replied that the Lord Creator wanted to
have children and created Matter and Life who could bring forth creatures for
Him. Then, another disciple, Bhargava wanted to know how many powers support a
creature and illumine it and which of these is the most important. “Space—and
air,fire, water, earth, as well as
speech, mind, eye and ear illumine creatures and they sustain and support the body!” replied
the teacher. But Life, the most important of all these, asked them not to be
under any delusion. LIFE said that it divided itself into five and sustained
and supported the body! The others did
not believe in the words of Life.
To
demonstrate its importance, Life rose with pride when all others too rose with
Life. When it came down all others too
settled down! Like the bees that rise and settle according to the movement of
the king Bee, others like speech, and mind followed the movement of Life and
sang its praise! ” Life is Fire, the sun and the rain god Indra. He is also
wind, earth, and matter. He is being and non being and what is immortal.”
Everything including the Rig, Yajus, Sama is established in LIFE. As spokes in
the hub of the wheel Life dwells with the vital Breaths and all others paid
their homage to Life! Life or Prana is eulogized as Indra and Rudra and the
protector. Prana moves in the air; He is the Sun, lord of lights!
When Prana
comes down as rain, entire universe is in a state of bliss and breathes freely!
They have food in plenty and to their heart’s content! The other creatures sing
the praise of this Prana as ever pure! He is the seer, the eater and the real
lord of the universe! Prana is the father of these creatures that feed all! It
is all pervading! Speech, hearing, and vision and the mind are infused with the
power of Prana and make them propitious!
Thus
Pippalada, the preceptor, answers the questions of his disciples Kabandhi and
Bhargava and establishes the supremacy of Prana or the life sustaining force
that permeates everything in the universe!
The other disciples gear themselves up to ask different questions on profound topics
in the next section. (continued)
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