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Body in Hinduism VIII

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Sharir – Tattvas Part III (contd.):

Prans – in General I

According to Hinduism, the structural body (sthul sharir) of the jiv consists of five gross (sthul) elements called Panch-bhuts, namely, Pruthvi, Jal, Tej, Vāyu, and Ākāsh.

The functional body (sukshma sharir) of the jiv consists of nineteen elements: Five motor organ systems called Panch-karmendriyas, namely, speech organs – Vāk, upper extremities – Pāni, lower extremities – Pād, excretory organs – Pāyu, and reproductory organs – Upastha.; Five sensory organs systems called Panch-gnanendriyas, namely, ear – Karna, skin – Tvak, Eyes – Chakshu, Tongue – Jihvā, and Nose – Ghran; Four psyches called Antahkarans, namely, Man, Buddhi, Ahamkar, and Chitt; and five vital functions or processes called Panch-Prans, namely, Prān, Apān, Vyān, Samān, and Udān. Five prans are part of the five subtle elements called Panch-vishays or five tanmatras, namely, sound – Shabda, touch – Sparsh, light – Rup (Roop), taste – Ras (Rasa), and smell – Gandh.

Panch-prans are grouped under a common heading or common noun “pran.” Prans are important subtle elements of the body. They are important for sustaining the life. Just as Panch-vishays and Panch-tanmatras, Panch-prans are also considered as five subtle elements. As such, Panch-Vishays are not elements but they are processes of perceiving sensory stimuli by five types of sensory organ systems. They are neurological processes by which the recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli are effected or resulted. Panch-vishays are also considered as the objects of enjoyments for the jiv via body. Similarly, Panch-prans are also physiological, but vital, processes for sustaining the life. Because of their subtleness, in Hinduism, both the panch-vishays and panch-prans are categorized under the heading of Tanmatras.

Hindu scriptures describe that, five prans are like five flames of one single fire collectively called as “pran”. Of all the 24 elements, pran is the main vital force of the body that is necessary for the life, through which all the functions of the functional body and its organs are carried out. From the Upanishadic story of pran one can easily conclude that pran is life of the body. So, could it be the soul (jiv)? From the ancient time Hinduism knows and explains that the pran, the vital force of the body, is different than jiv (soul), the life force of the body. Jiv is ontologically different entity than the pran. Both prān and jiv (soul) are quite distinct and different entities. So, prān as an element is prān and cannot be translated as “soul” or “jiv”. Pran (the proper noun) is also the name of one of the five prans. It represents the group of five prans. So, just like other proper names, Pran should not be translated. Sometimes pran, as an element, is translated as “vāyu,” “breath,” “energy,” etc. These kind of explanatory translations misrepresent the pran. So, it should also be avoided. Similarly, Apan, Vyan, Udan, Saman are also proper nouns or proper names and should not be translated also,

Panch-Prān:

Prān and jiv (soul) are two ontologically distinct entities. Prān is decayable, destructible, able to cease, or able to stop functioning, whereas, jiv is eternal and sustain forever, not destructible, and not decayable. Jiv is called the knower of the pran. Prān is the vital force of the body that regulates other body processes. Without pran, jiv would leave the body instantaneously. Without pran life cannot sustain. Therefore, prān has become almost synonymous with the jiv. Hinduism describes 10 Prāns – five Prans and five Upa-prāns. Five Prans are: Prān (prāna), Apān (apāna), Vyān (vyāna), Samān (samāna) and Udān (udāna). Five Upa-prans are: Nāg (Naga), Kurm (Koorma), Krikar (Krikara), Devdatt (Devadatta) and Dhananjay (Dhananjaya). Prāns are superior to the Antahkarans (or mind in general) and to all the other elements derived from Mahattattva. When the new body is created around the soul or jiv, among the other non-divine things, prans are the first to enter or appear in the body and last to go. Dhananjay pran remain for a while even after death and is the last one to leave the body.

Chhandogya Upanishad describes Pran as the oldest and the greatest of all the functional elements of the body. “yo ha vai jyeṣṭhaṃ ca śreṣṭhaṃ cha veda jyeṣṭhaś cha ha vai śreṣṭhaś cha bhavati | prāṇo vāva jyeṣṭhaś cha śreṣṭhaś cha ||” Meaning, “He who knows what is the oldest and greatest becomes himself the oldest and greatest. The pran, indeed, is the oldest and greatest.” (Chhandogya Upanishad: 5.1.1.)

Prāns appear in the body first then the Antahkaran develops. After chitt (the site of basal instincts), ahamkar (self or ego) is evolved. Then, man and buddhi are evolved. During the deep sleep, antahkarans (mind) becomes inactive but prāns still remain active and functional. Prans play major vital role in the body compared to antahkarans (mind). Without cognitive functions (functions of antahkaran) a person can still survive or remain alive but without vital functions (functions of prans) the person surely dies.

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Body in Hinduism VII

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Sharir – Tattvas Part III (contd.):

Pran – the story, with Sanskrit reference

The Sanskrit Text for the previous story of Chhandogya (Chandogya) Upanishad (Ch. Up: 5.1, Shlok: 1-15) goes as below:

“yo ha vai jyeṣṭhaṃ ca śreṣṭhaṃ ca veda jyeṣṭhaś ca ha vai śreṣṭhaś ca bhavati | prāṇo vāva jyeṣṭhaś ca śreṣṭhaś ca” || ChUp_5,1.1 ||

“yo ha vai vasiṣṭhaṃ veda vasiṣṭho ha svānāṃ bhavati | vāg vāva vasiṣṭhaḥ” || ChUp_5,1.2 ||

“yo ha vai pratiṣṭhāṃ veda prati ha tiṣṭhaty asmiṃś ca loke ‘muṣmiṃś ca |

cakṣur vāva pratiṣṭhā” || ChUp_5,1.3 ||

“yo ha vai saṃpadaṃ veda saṃ hāsmai kāmāḥ padyante daivāś ca mānuṣāś ca | śrotraṃ vāva saṃpat” || ChUp_5,1.4 ||

“yo ha vā āyatanaṃ vedāyatanaṃ ha svānāṃ bhavati |

mano ha vā āyatanam” || ChUp_5,1.5 ||

“atha ha prāṇā ahaṃśreyasi vyūdire |

ahaṃ śreyān asmy ahaṃ śreyān asmīti” || ChUp_5,1.6 ||

“te ha prāṇāḥ prajāpatiṃ pitaram etyocuḥ bhagavan ko naḥ śreṣṭha iti |

tān hovāca |

“yasmin va utkrānte śarīraṃ pāpiṣṭhataram iva dṛśyeta sa vaḥ śreṣṭha iti” || ChUp_5,1.7 ||

“sā ha vāg uccakrāma | sā saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca |

katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti |

yathā kalā avadantaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena paśyantaś cakṣuṣā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇa dhyāyanto manasaivam iti |

praviveśa ha vāk” || ChUp_5,1.8 ||

“cakṣur hoccakrāma | tat saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca |

katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti |

yathāndhā apaśyantaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena vadanto vācā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇa dhyāyanto manasaivam iti |

praviveśa ha cakṣuḥ” || ChUp_5,1.9 ||

“śrotraṃ hoccakrāma | tat saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti | yathā badhirā aśṛṇvantaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena vadanto vācā paśyantaś cakṣuṣā dhyāyanto manasaivam iti |

praviveśa ha śrotram” || ChUp_5,1.10 ||

“mano hoccakrāma | tat saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca |

katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti |

yathā bālā amanasaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena vadanto vācā paśyantaś cakṣuṣā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇaivam iti |

praviveśa ha manaḥ” || ChUp_5,1.11 ||

“atha ha prāṇa uccikramiṣan sa yathā suhayaḥ paḍvīśaśaṅkūn saṃkhided evam itarān prāṇān samakhidat |taṃ hābhisametyocuḥ |

bhagavann edhi |tvaṃ naḥ śreṣṭho ‘si |

motkramīr iti” || ChUp_5,1.12 ||

“atha hainaṃ vāg uvāca |

yad ahaṃ vasiṣṭho ‘smi tvaṃ tadvasiṣṭho ‘sīti |

atha hainaṃ cakṣur uvāca |

yad ahaṃ pratiṣṭhāsmi tvaṃ tatpratiṣṭhāsīti” || ChUp_5,1.13 ||

“atha hainaṃ śrotram uvāca |

yad ahaṃ saṃpad asmi tvaṃ tatsaṃpad asīti |

atha hainaṃ mana uvāca |

yad aham āyatanam asmi tvaṃ tadāyatanam asīti” || ChUp_5,1.14 ||

“na vai vāco na cakṣūṃṣi na śrotrāṇi na manāṃsīty ācakṣate |

prāṇā ity evācakṣate |

prāṇo hy evaitāni sarvāṇi bhavati” || ChUp_5,1.15 ||)

“The meaning, in short, is as follows:

Once, five main faculties of our body – the mind (antahkaran), breath (pran), speech (tongue), hearing (ear) and vision or sight (eye) – were arguing with each other as to which one of them was the best and most important. To resolve their dispute they decided that each one would leave the body and see whose absence was most missed. First speech left the body but the body, though mute, continued to live. Next the eyes left but the body, though blind, continued to live. Next the ears left but the body, though deaf, continued to live. Then, the mind left but the body, though unconscious, continued to live. Finally the Pran (vital functions), one by one, began to leave and the body began to die and all the other faculties began to lose their energy and functions. They all rushed to Pran and told it to stay, accepting its supremacy. Clearly Pran won the argument. Pran gives energy or vitality to all our faculties of the body, without which they cannot function. Control of the pran is very important to sustain our lives.

The importance of Pran is also described in Question (Prashna) II of Prashna Upanishad.

Shlok 3: “Tānvarishthaha prana uvacha mā mohamāpadhyathāhamevaitatpanchadhāmātmanam pravibhajyaaitadbanamavashtabhya vidharayāmiti teashradhhānā bavabhuvuhu ||”

(Pr. Up: Q 2, Shlok: 3)

To them pran, the chief, said: “Do not fall into delusion. I alone, dividing myself into five parts, support this body and uphold it.” Meaning, five prans are in fact five different types of just one pran.

In Hinduism, whatever is described for the body is also described for the universe (Brahmand), because, Brahmand is also considered the body – the body of Ishwar. In Hinduism, similarity is described between the individual body and the universe. It is believed that whatever exists in the body also exists in the universe; only at different scale and in the different form. Shlok 4 – 11 of Question II of Prashna Upanishad describes the importance of the universal Pran in detail.

Shlok 12: That form of your which abides in speech, which abides in the ear, which abides in the eye and which pervades the mind, is very important so do not go away!

Shlok 13: All that exists here (in the body) is under the control of pran (bodily pran) and also what exists in heaven is controlled by the pran (universal pran).

Pran is also described in Question III of the same Prashna Upanishad.

Shlok 1: Then Kaushalya, the son of Ashval, asked Pippalād Rishi: Sir, whence is this pran born? How does it come into this body? How does it abide in the body after it has divided itself? How does it depart? How does it support the external and how the internal?

Shlok 3: This pran is born of Atman or ātmā (meaning, pran and ātmā – soul are two different things). As a shadow is cast by a person, so this pran is, by Atman. Through the activity of the mind it comes into this body.

Shlok 4: As an emperor commands his officials, saying; “Rule these villages or those,” so this pran employs the other prans, each in its separate place.

Shlok 11: The wise man who thus knows pran does not lose his offspring and becomes immortal. As to this there is the following verse:

Shlok 12: He who knows the origin of pran, its entry, its place, its fivefold distribution, its internal aspect and also its external, obtains immortality; yes, he obtains immortality.

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Body in Hinduism VI

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Sharir – Tattvas Part III:

Pran – the story from Upanishad

What is pran in Hinduism? What is its important in life? To know that we have to first study the old Vedic story found in Upanishads. Chhandogya Upanishad describes the story as follows:

“Chhandogya Upanishad: Part Five – Chapter I — Supremacy of the pran

The story of Pran:

1. He who knows what is the oldest and greatest becomes himself the oldest and greatest. The pran, indeed, is the oldest and greatest.

2. He who knows what is the most excellent or very special (vashishta) becomes the very special among his related. The organ of speech, indeed, is the very special.

3. He who knows what well established (pratishtha) is becomes well established in this world and the next. The eye, indeed, has its status well established.

4. He who knows prosperous or fortunate one (sampad), his both divine and human wishes are fulfilled. The ear, indeed, is that prosperous or fortunate one.

5. He who knows the home or resting place (āyatana) for others becomes the abode or resting place for of his fellows. The mind, indeed, is such an abode or resting place for all other indriyas.

6. Thus pran, indriyas, and antahkarans all disputed among themselves about who was good (shreyasi) among them, each saying: “I am the best,” “I am the best.”

7. They went to Prajapati, their progenitor (pitaram) and said: “O revered Sir (Bhagwān) (Bhag means Aishvarya. Bhagwan here is used as the powerful person also called bhāgyavant), who is the best among us?” He said to them: “He by whose departure the body looks worse than the worst (pāpishthataram iva drashyeta) is the best (shreshtha) among you.”

8. The organ of speech departed. After being away for a whole year, it came back and said: “How have you been able to live without me?” The other organs replied: “We lived just as dumb people live, without speaking, but living with the pran (prānantah prānena), seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear and thinking (dhyāyanto) with the mind.” Then the organ of speech entered the body.

9. The eye departed. After being away for a whole year, it came back and said: “How have you been able to live without me?” The other organs replied: “We lived just as blind people live, without seeing, but living with the pran, speaking with the tongue, hearing with the ear and thinking with the mind.” Then the eye entered the body.

10. The ear went out. After being away for a whole year, it came back and said: “How have you been able to live without me?” The other organs replied: “We lived just as deaf people live, without hearing, but living with the pran, speaking with the tongue, seeing with the eye and thinking with the mind.” Then the ear entered the body.

11. The mind went out. After being away for a whole year, it came back and said: “How have you been able to live without me?” The other organs replied: “We lived just like children whose minds are not yet developed, that is, unintelligent or mindless (amanasah), without thinking with the mind, but living with the pran, speaking with the tongue, seeing with the eye and hearing with the ear.” Then the mind entered the body.

12. Then as the pran was about to depart, he uprooted (samakhidat) the colleagues or associates (suhayah) from their places just as a noble horse tears up the pegs to which its feet are tied. They came to him and said: “Revered Sir, you are our lord or the most respected person (bhagvann); you are the best among us (shreshto’si). Do not depart from us (motkramīr iti).”

13. Then the organ of speech said to him: “That attribute of being most excellent or very special which I possess belongs to you.” Then the eye said: “That attribute of greatness or fame which I possess belongs to you.”

14. Then the ear said: “That attribute of power o virtue which I possess belongs to you.” Then the mind said: “That attribute of being the chief or controller which I possess belongs to you.”

15. Thus, people do not call them (navai vācho) as the sense organs like, the organs of speech, the eyes, the ears, or the mind, but they call or understand them as nothing but prans. The pran alone is in all of them (prāṇo hy evaitāni sarvāṇi bhavati) and everything in them is because of pran.”

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Body in Hinduism V

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Sharir – Tattvas Part II:

Panch-bhuts and Panch-tanmatras

Panch-Bhuts:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     “Panch” means five. Panch-bhuts are five gross physical elements or tattvas, namely, Pruthvi, Jal, Tej, Vāyu, and Ākāsh. These elements are mentioned in Hinduism at different places with different meanings in different contexts using the same names. At places they are simply meant to be as natural substances, for example, earth, water, fire, air, and space or sky. At places, they are also meant to be, in esoteric context, five states-of-matter, namely, solid, liquid, radiation (or matter in the form of rays or waves, such as, in alpha, beta, and gamma irradiation), gas, and the fifth one vacuum state. At places they are also meant to be fundamental forces of nature, with the same names as mentioned above, of which we know four of them. They are gravitational force, weak force, electromagnetic force, strong force, and not yet known or defined, the fifth force.

Hinduism describes that, all of these five physical elements are ontologically evolved from each other as well as subtler than each other. Pruthvi is evolved from Jal, Jal is evolved from Tej, Tej is evolved from Vāyu, and Vāyu is evolved from Ākāsh. Jal is subtler than Pruthvi as well as cause of Pruthvi, Tej is subtler than as well as cause of Jal, Vāyu is cause of Jal as well as subtler than Jal, and Ākāsh is the most subtler as well as cause of Vāyu and all four elements. Hinduism also describes that all of these five physical elements as matter are successively 10 times more abundant than each other and as forces are successively 10 times stronger than each other. Akash as a force is ten times stronger and as an element ten times more abundant than Vayu, Vayu is ten times stronger and ten times more abundant than Tej, Tej as the electromagnetic force is ten times stronger and more abundant than Jal and Jal is ten times stronger and abundant than Pruthvi as the gravitational force. According to science, gravitational force or gravity is the weakest force of nature.

Panch-Vishays and Panch-Tanmātrās:

Panch-vishays or Panch Tanmatras are five subtle elements, namely, Shabda, Sparsh, Rup (Roop), Ras (Rasa), and Gandh. In English, they are translated as sound, touch, light or sight, taste, and smell. In the scriptures, both are used synonymously using the same names. As a type of sensation it is called “Vishay” and as a carrier of vishay in the form of tiny portion, measure, or unit it is called “Tanmātrā”. Five vishays are five types of sensations or vibrations that can be perceived or experienced pleasurably or painfully by five types of sensory organ systems. Five tanmatras are five kinds of disturbances, waves, objects of perceptions. Five tanmatras are five kinds of carriers of panch-vishays, just like kinds of force carriers of science, which can be propagated through the five types of gross elements and can be perceived by five types of sensory organs causing five kinds of pleasurable or painful sensations.

Just like five kinds of force carriers of the science, according to the philosophy of Hinduism, tanmatras carry panch-vishays. Sound is carried in space but not in vacuum. Sound or shabda is the tanmatra (tiny measure or unit) of akash (ether or space) and is perceived by the ears. Touch is carried by vayu. Touch or sparsh is the tanmatra of vayu element and is perceived by the skin. Sight is carried by light. One cannot see in darkness or in the absence of light. Sight or rup is the tanmatra of tej and is perceived by the eyes. Taste is carried by jal element. Taste or rasa is the tanmatra of jal and is perceived by the tongue. Smell is carried by pruthwi element. Smell or gandh is the tanmatra of pruthvi and is perceived by the nose.

In the scriptures, at places, five bhut, namely, pruthwi, jal, tej, vayu, and akash, are also mentioned as the forces of nature. If panch-bhuts (five gross elements) are mentioned in the scriptures as natural forces, then five tanmatras can be considered as force carriers. Tanmatra of Pruthvi (as the gravitational force or gravity) turns out to be Graviton, tanmatra of Jal (as the weak force) becomes W and Z particles, tanmatra of Tej (as the electromagnetic force) becomes Photon, tanmatra of Vayu (as the strong force) becomes Gluon, and tanmatra of Akash (as the unknown fifth force) becomes Ether (Aether).

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Body in Hinduism IV

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Sharir – Tattvas Part I: 

Mahattattva and Ahamkar

Hinduism describes three types of body of jiv. On liberation jiv leaves its three types of body and goes to the abode of God called Brahmdhām. For souls those are not liberated remain attached to their Kāran Sharir (causal body) and is absorbed within Māyā. This kāran sharir is of a form of avidyā and carries accumulated deeds (sanchit karmas) of the jiv. The jiv and its kāran sharir have eternal relationship. On creation, those jivs that are not liberated from the cycle of birth and death and have resided in Māyā along with their kāran sharir get various types of bodies of organisms or creatures including plants and animals, according to their individual karmas, by God’s will. Just as the judge decides the final outcome of the case and sets the reward for the defendant and the punishment to be inflicted on a convicted person after consideration or liberation, God decides which jiv gets which kind of body depending on its deed or karma. This is the reason why, in Hinduism, God is also described as “karma-fal-pradātā”, meaning giver of the fruits of karmas. Both, the Sukshma and Sthul bodies are intimately associated and remained within Kāran body, just as a tree is remained within its seed.

Hinduism also describes that the body of a jiv consists of 24 different elements as enumerated in previous part. These 24 elements are not eternal because they are derived from three types of Ahamkārs, which in turn are derived from Mahattattva. Mahattattva is also not eternal. It is derived from Pradhān-Prakruti, which in turn is derived from Mul-prakruti or Mahāmāyā. According to Hinduism, this Māyā is eternal. Now, let us discuss some of the elements of the body in further detail.

Mahattattva:

Mahattattva is the primordial form of universe (brahmand). The entire world inherently resides in a subtle form within mahattattva, just as a whole tree resides in a seed or an entire human body resides in an embryo. Mahattattva is like the matter in the fireball from which the whole Brahmānd (Universe) is evolved. It is very bright or luminous (prakāshmān), crystal clear (swachha), without any deformities (nirvikār), without any kind of disturbances or activities meaning quiet (shānt), and is extremely neutral in qualities or gunas (shuddha sattvamaya). It is created from Pradhān–prakruti and is a source of 51 elements, namely, three kinds of ahamkars (the source of all other elements), fourteen deities of indriyas and antahkarans, four antahkarans, ten indriyas, ten prans, panch-bhuts and panch-tanmatras. From Mahattattva three types of Ahamkār are evolved and from Ahamkars the 24 elements, the constituents of whole Brahmānd (Universe), are evolved. Mahattattva and chitt are indifferent (abhed). Just as Mahattattva is the primordial form of universe, Chitt is the primordial form of body (sharir). Just as the universe is evolved from Mahattattva, whole body of living organism is evolved from Chitt.

Ahamkār:

Ahamkar is evolved from Mahattattva. It is of 3 types. Ahamkār is equivalent to the primordial matter in three forms from which the remaining elements of the universe (Brahmānd) are evolved. Ahamkar is “trigunātmak” meaning, it carries the three intrinsic or inherent properties, qualities, or attributes of Māyā, namely, Sattvagun, Rajogun, and Tamogun. By nature ahamkar is quiet (without any internal activities) or passive (shānt), dense (ghor), and totally ignorant or without any physical or cognitive activity (vimudh). Ahamkār is the cause of gross and subtle physical elements (bhuts); indriyas, antahkarans, and their deities; and prāns.

A. Sāttvik Ahamkār:

The main characteristic of sāttvik-gun (sattvagun) is purity, awareness, wakefulness, goodness, neutrality or indistinctiveness, balance, tranquility, wisdom, knowledge, etc. From Sattvik ahamkar the man and the presiding deities (also called Pratyādhi or Devatās) of the indriyas, divine or higher elements, are evolved.

B. Rājas Ahamkār:

The main characteristic of rājas-gun (rajogun) is passion, incoherence, cloudiness, lack of clarity, lacking harmony, lacking connection, impurity, unintelligibility, etc. From Rajas ahamkar ten indriyas, Buddhi, and prāns, basic functional elements, are evolved.

C. Tāmas Ahamkār:

The main characteristic of tāmas-gun (tamogun) is darkness, unconsciousness, passiveness, emptiness, ignorance, etc. From Tamas ahamkar five bhuts (gross elements), and five tanmātrās (subtle elements), basic structural elements, are evolved.

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