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.”
