Sutra 1
tatha pranah
tatha - so; pranah - the pranas. The pranas are like that.
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
As ether and the other elements were manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so the pranas and the senses were also manifested from Him. That is the meaning here. In the beginning of creation the ingredients of the material world were merged together into one. Then the different ingredients were manifested. This is described in Mundaka Upanisad (2.1.3):
etasmaj jayate prano manah sarvendriyani ca "From this are born prana, mind, and all the senses."
The creation of the material senses is not like the creation of the conscious individual spirit souls, because the souls are free from the six transformations that are always present in matter. When they describe the creation of the individual spirit souls, the words of the scriptures are all allegories, but when they describe the creation of the senses, the words of the scriptures are literal descriptions. This is so because the senses are by nature material. This being so, the words prana and rsi (sages) in this passage refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is so because both these words are names of the all-knowing Supreme Person.
Here someone may object: Is it not so that because the words "pranah" and "rsayah" (sages) are both in the plural it is not possible that they can here be names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
In the following words the author of the sutras answers this objection.
Sutra 2
gauny asambhavat
gauni - secondary meaning; asambhavat - because of impossibility. This must be a secondary use of the word, because the primary use is impossible. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The use of the plural in this passage from the Sruti-sastra must be a secondary usage of the plural. Why is that? Because there are not many Gods, there is only one God, the plural cannot be used to describe Him. Still, the plural may be applied to Him to refer to His many different manifestations. Although the Supreme Lord is one, He appears in His many incarnations like an actor assuming different roles or a vaidurya jewel displaying different colors. In this secondary sense the plural is appropriate in relation to Him. This is confirmed by the following words of the Sruti-sastra:
ekam santam bahudha drcyamanam
"Although He is one, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is seen to be many."
The Smrti-sastra also explains: ekaneka-svarupaya
"Although He is one, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in many forms." Sutra 3
tat prak crutec ca
tat - that; prak - before; sruteh - from the Sruti-sastra; ca - and. Because the Sruti-sastra declares that He existed before the creation. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Because in the beginning of creation the varieties of material nature were not yet manifested, and thus the material world was all one, it is also not proper to accept the use of the plural here in a literal sense. This is so because the Sruti- sastras declare that in the beginning of material creation only the Supreme Personality of Godhead existed. Therefore the plural here must be used in a secondary sense.
In the following words the author of the sutras gives another reason why the word "prana" should be interpreted as a name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sutra 4
tat-purvakatvad vacah
tat - that; purvakatvat - because of being before; vacah - speech. Because speech existed before the material creation. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The word "vacah" (speech) here means "the names of things other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of many spiritual potencies". This speech existed before the pradhana, the mahat-tattva, and the other features of the material world were created. Because the names and forms of the various material features were not yet created, and because the material senses also were not yet created at that time in the beginning of creation, the word "prana" here must be used as a name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Brhad- aranyaka Upanisad (1.4.7) explains:
tad dhedam tarhi
"In the beginning they were not manifested. Only later were the material forms and names manifested."
This explains that in the beginning of the material creation the material names and forms were not yet manifested. Thus at that time the material senses as well as the elements beginning with ether, were not yet manifested. .pa
Adhikarana 2
The Senses Are Eleven
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
After refuting this false idea about the senses, an idea that contradicts the descriptions in Sruti-sastra, the author of the sutras refutes a false idea about how many senses there are. In the Mundaka Upanisad (2.1.8) it is said:
sapta pranah prabhavanti tasmat
saptarcisah samadhih sapta-homah sapteme loka yesu saYcaranti prana guhacaya nihita sapta sapta
"From Him come the seven pranas, the seven arcis, the seven homas, and the seven lokas. These seven are placed in every heart."
However, in the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (3.9.4) it is said:
daceme puruse prana atmaikadaca
"In the living entity there are ten pranas. The soul is the eleventh." Samcaya (doubt): Are the pranas seven or eleven?
Purvapaksa (the opponent speaks): The purvapaksa speaks the following sutra. Sutra 5
sapta-gater vicesitvac ca
sapta - of seven; gateh - because of going; vicesitvat - because of the specific description; ca -
also.
Because of the departure of seven and also because of a specific description. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The pranas are seven. Why is that? Because that is the opinion of scripture. In the Sruti-sastra it is said:
saptanam eva jivena saha saYcara-rupaya gateh "Accompanied by the seven pranas, the soul leaves the body." In the Katha Upanisad (6.10) it is said:
yada paYcavatisthante jnanani manasa saha buddhic ca na vicesteta tam ahuh paramam gatim
"The sages say that the supreme goal is attained when the five knowers are at peace and the mind and intelligence are no longer active."
This passage describes the condition of the senses in the state of yogic trance. This passage describes five senses, which begin with the ears. To them are added the mind and intelligence. In this way the living entity has seven senses. The Sruti-sastra also describes five working instruments, beginning with the voice and hands, but these cannot be called senses in the primary meaning of the word because these instruments do not accompany the soul when he leaves the material body and also because these instruments are less useful to the soul than the seven primary senses.
Siddhanta (conclusion): If this is said, the author of theSutras replies with the following conclusion.
Sutra 6
hastadayas tu sthite 'to naivam
hasta - the hands; adayah - beginning with; tu - but; sthite - situated; atah - therefore; na - not; evam - like that.
But when he is situated in that way, the hands and other instruments are also present. Therefore it is not like that.
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The word "tu" (but) is used here to begin the refutation of the Purvapaksa's objection. Although they are not included among the seven, the instruments beginning with the hands are to be considered among the pranas. Why is that? Because as long as the soul is situated in the material body these instruments help in experiencing various things and in performing various tasks. In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad it is said:
hastau vai grahah sarva-karmanabhigrahena grhitah hastabhyam karma karoti. "The hands are a sense, for with the hands one grasps things and performs actions."
In this way there are more than seven senses. There are five knowledge-acquiring senses, five working senses, and the mind. In this way there are eleven senses. In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (3.9.4) it is said:
atmaikadaca
"The atma is the eleventh sense."
The word "atma" here means "the mind". In this way it should be understood. There are five objects of perception: sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. To perceive these objects there are five knowledge-acquiring senses: ears, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose. There are five kinds of action: speech, grasping, moving, excretion, and reproduction. To perform these actions there are five working senses: voice, hands, feet, anus, and genital.
To co-ordinate the actions of all these and to take consideration of the three phases of time (past, present, and future), there is the mind. Sometimes the mind is considered to have four aspects. In this way the actions of the mind are: desiring, coming to conclusions, understanding one's identity, and thinking. To perform these actions the mind is divided into the heart (manah), intelligence (buddhi), false-ego (ahagkara), and thinking (citta). In this way there are eleven senses. .pa
Adhikarana 3
The Senses Are Atomic in Size Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Next the author of the sutras considers the question of the nature and size of the senses. Samcaya (doubt): Are the senses all-pervading or are they atomic?
Purvapaksa (the opponent speaks): The senses must be all- pervading, for things can be seen or heard from far away.
Siddhanta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sutras gives his conclusion. Sutra 7
anavac ca
anavah - atoms; ca - and. They are also atoms. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The word "ca" (also) is used here to indicate certainty. The eleven senses are atomic in size. This is so because the Sruti-sastra declares that the senses leave the material body. Things can be heard from far away and in other ways be perceived from far away because the quality, or power, of the senses extend beyond the senses themselves. As the individual spirit soul is all-pervading within the material body, from the head to the feet, so the senses can also act at a distance. In this way the theory of sagkhya philosophers, that the senses are all-pervading, is refuted. .pa
Adhikarana 4
The Principal Prana (the Life-Force) Has an Origin
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana In the Mundaka Upanisad (2.1.3) it is said:
etasmaj jayate pranah
"From Him the prana (life-force) is born."
Here the word "prana" means "the principal prana".
Samcaya (doubt): Is the principal prana (life-force) created in the same way the individual spirit soul is "created" or is this prana created in the same way ether and the other elements are created?
Purvapaksa (the opponent speaks): The Sruti-sastra declares:
naisa prana udeti nastam eti
"This prana is never born and never dies."
The Smrti-sastra also declares:
yat-praptir yat-parityaga utpattir maranam tatha tasyotpattir mrtic caiva katham pranasya yujyate
"Birth and death come and go. How can birth and death affect the prana?"
Therefore it is concluded that the principal prana is {.sy 168}created" in the same way the individual spirit soul is {.sy 168}created".
Siddhanta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sutras gives His conclusion.
Sutra 8
cresthac ca
cresthac - the principal one; ca - also. The principal one also. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The principal prana (life-force) is created in the same way ether and the other elements are created. This is confirmed in the words of the Mundaka Upanisad (2.1.3):
jayate pranah
"The prana was created."
In its pratijYa statement the Mundaka Upanisad declares:
sa idam sarvam asrjata "He created everything."
To avoid contradicting these words it must be accepted that the principal prana was also created. For this reason the scriptural passages stating that the prana was never created should be understood allegorically and not literally. One prana is called the principal prana because it maintains the material body. So its meaning can be carried into the next sutra, this Sutra is given separately and not joined to the previous sutra. .pa
Adhikarana 5
The Principal Prana (Life-Force) Is Not Air
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Now the nature of the principal prana (life-force) will be examined.
Samcaya (doubt): is the principal prana air alone, the vibration of air, the activities of air, or a condition of air when it goes to another place? Which is it?
Purvapaksa (the opponent speaks): It is the external element of air. This is confirmed in the following statement of Brhad- aranyaka Upanisad (3.1.5):
yo 'yam pranah sa vayuh "The prana is air."
Or, perhaps the principal prana is the activities of air, the inhalation and exhalation of breath. In this way it is proved that the principal prana is air.
Siddhanta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sutras gives His conclusion. Sutra 9
na vayu-kriye prthag upadecat
na - not; vayu - air; kriye - action; prthak - different; upadecat - because of the teaching. It is neither air nor the activities of air, because the teaching is that it is different. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The principal prana (life-force) is neither air nor the movements of air. Why is that? The sutra explains: "Because the teaching is that it is different". The previously quoted passage of the Mundaka Upanisad (2.1.3) said that both air and prana are born from the Supreme. In this way it should be understood that air and prana are different, for they are mentioned separately. If air and prana were identical, then there would be no need to mention them separately in this passage. If prana were the movement of air then there would also be no need to mention them both in this way. It is seen that the movements of fire and the other elements are not separately mentioned in this passage. The statement of the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, that "Prana is air" means that prana is a specific kind of air, and that prana is not a separate element, like fire and the other elements. That is the meaning here. In the Kapila-sutra (2.31) it is said:
samanya-karana-vrttih pranadya vayavah paYca
"The five airs, beginning with prana, perform that actions of the senses in general."
Thus the sagkhya philosophers claim that prana performs the actions of all the senses. This cannot be, for it is not possible for the single prana to perform all the actions of all the senses. .pa
Adhikarana 6
The Principal Prana (Life-Force) Is An Instrument Used By the Soul
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad it is said:
suptesu vag-adisu prana eko jagarti. prana eko mrtyunanaptah. pranah samvargo vag-adin samvrgkte. prana itaran pranan raksati mateva putran.
"When speech and the other senses sleep, prana alone remains awake. Prana alone is untouched by death. Prana controls speech and the other senses. As a mother protects her children, so one prana protects the other pranas."
Samcaya (doubt): Is this principal prana identical with the independent spirit soul residing in the material body or is this principal prana an instrument that assists the spirit soul?
Purvapaksa (the opponent speaks): Because the Sruti-sastra describes this prana as having many powers and glories, therefore this principal prana is the independent spirit soul.
Siddhanta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sutras gives His conclusion. Sutra 10
caksur-adi-vat tu tat saha cisthyadibhyah
caksuh - the eyes; adi - beginning with; vat - like; tu - indeed; tat - that; saha - with; cisthya -teaching; adibhyah - because of beginning with.
Indeed, it is like the eyes and other senses, because it is taught along with the senses.
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Here the word "tu" (indeed) is used to dispel doubt. The prana (life-force) is an instrument used by the individual spirit soul. It is like the eyes or the other senses. Why is that? TheSutra explains: "Because it is taught along with the senses." The prana is described along with the eyes and senses. Things of a like nature are generally described together. as example of that is the Brhadratha meters, which are described together. This is also confirmed by the use of the word {.sy 168}adi" (beginning with) in the sutra.
That the prana is here grouped with the senses is seen in the following passage:
yatra vayam mukhyah pranah sa evayam madhyamah pranah "There is a principle prana and there is a secondary prana."
In this way the idea that the prana is the independent spirit soul is refuted. .pa
Adhikarana 7
The Principal Prana (Life-Force) is the Primary Instrument of the Soul Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Here someone may object: Is it not so that if it is to be counted among the senses, the principal prana must have a function to perform where it assists the soul? The principal prana has no such function. Also, if the principal prana is one of the senses, then the senses, beginning with the eyes, would be twelve in number.
In the following words the author of the sutras answers this objection.
Sutra 11
akaranatvac ca na dosas tatha hi darcayati
akaranatvat - because of not having a sepcific function; ca - and; na - no; dosah - fault; tatha -so; hi - indeed; darcayati - shows.
Also, there is no fault in not having a function, for the scriptures show it.
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The word "ca" (also) is used to answer the previous objection. The word "karana" here means {.sy 168}activity". It is not a defect on the part of the prana that is has no specific function to assist the soul, for it does have an important function in that it is the support and the resting place of the physical senses. That is the meaning here. In the following passage, the Chandogya Upanisad (5.1.1) shows this:
atha ha prana aham creyasi vyudire. . . .
"The senses argued among themselves. Each one said: 'I am the best.' They then approached their father, Lord Brahma, and asked him, 'O lord, who among us is the best?' Brahma replied, He whose departure causes the greatest calamity for the body is the best.
"Then the voice departed from the body and stayed away for an entire year. When he returned, he asked: 'How is it that you were able to live without me?' Although it could not speak, still the body could breathe with the prana, see with the eyes, hear with the ears, and think with the mind. Then the voice again entered the body.
"Then the eyes departed from the body and stayed away for an entire year. When they returned, they asked: 'How is it that you were able to live without me?' Although it could not see, the body could breathe with the prana, speak with the voice, hear with the ears, and think with the mind. Then the voice again entered the body.
"Then the ears departed from the body and stayed away for an entire year. When they returned, they asked: 'How is it that you were able to live without us?' Although it could not hear, still the body could breathe with the prana, see with the eyes, speak with the voice, and think with the mind. Then the ears again entered the body.
"Then the mind departed from the body and stayed away for an entire year. When he returned, he asked: 'How is it that you were able to live without me?' Although it could not think, still the body could breathe with the prana, see with the eyes, speak with the voice, and hear with the ears. Then the mind again entered the body.
"When the prana was about to depart it began to uproot all the senses. It became like a spirited horse uprooting the posts to which it is tethered. Then the other senses appealed to the prana, "Please do not go. Please stay with us. You are the best of all of us."
In this way it is seen that the principal prana has an important function to perform in relation to the spirit soul. The soul is the enjoyer and the performer of actions. The soul is like a king, the senses his royal attendants, and the principal prana his prime minister, who helps attain the king's objectives. In this way the prana is the most important of the soul's instruments. However, the prana is still not independent of the soul itself. .pa
Adhikarana 8
The Principal Prana Has Five Functions
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (1.5.3) it is said:
sa esa vayuh paYca-vidhah prano 'pano vyana udanah samanah
"The prana is air. There are five pranas: prana, apana, vyana, udana, and samana."
Samcaya (doubt): Are these five, beginning with apana, different from prana, or are they merely different functions of prana?
Purvapaksa (the opponent speaks): Because they have different names and functions, therefore they are different.
Siddhanta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sutras gives his conclusion. Sutra 12
paYca-vrttir mano-vad vyapadicyate
paYca - five; vrttih - functions; manah - the mind; vat - like; vyapadicyate - is said. Like the mind, it is said to have five functions. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The prana is one, although it assumes five different functions when present in the different places, such as the heart, of the body. In this way the prana is described. In this way these are different functions of prana and not different pranas themselves. Because these functions are different, therefore different names are employed. Still, there is no difference in their natures. In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (1.5.3) it is said:
prano 'pano vyana udanah samana iti. etat sarvam prana eva.
"There are five pranas: prana, apana, vyana, udana, and samana. These five are all one prana."
In this way prana is like the mind. In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (1.5.3) it is said:
kamah sagkalpo vikalpo vicikitsa craddha dhrtir adhrtir hrir dhir bhir ity etat sarvam mana eva. "The mind's functions are: desire, determination, doubt, error, faith, steadfastness, unsteadiness, shame, intelligence, and fear. All these are mind."
All these have different functions and different names, but they are not different from mind itself. They are the various functions of the mind. In the yoga-sastra, also, it is said that the mind has five functions. This is the meaning of the scriptures, either hinted at or explicitly shown in the texts. .pa
Adhikarana 9
The Principal Prana Is Atomic
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Samcaya (doubt) Is the principal Prana atomic or all- pervading?
Purvapaksa (the opponent speaks): In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (1.3.22) it is said:
sama ebhis tribhir lokaih "Prana is equal to the three worlds."
This and other passages of Sruti-sastra declare that prana is all-pervading. Siddhanta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sutras gives his conclusion. Sutra 13 anuc ca
anuh - atomic; ca - also. It is also atomic. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The principal prana is also atomic in size. This is so because the Sruti-sastras declare that the principal prana leaves (the material body at the time of death). Scriptural passages describing the principal pranas as atomic should be understood to mean that living entities everywhere are dependent on the principal prana. .pa
Adhikarana 10
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Moving Force Behind the Prana
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad it is said:
suptesu vag-adisu prana eko jagarti.
"When speech and the other senses sleep, prana alone remains awake. Prana alone is untouched by death. Prana controls speech and the other senses. As a mother protects her children, so one prana protects the other pranas."
In this way the function of the principal prana is described.
The functions of the secondary pranas are described in the following passage:
sapteme loka yesu saYcaranti "The panas move in seven realms."
Thus the secondary pranas move among the senses.
Samcaya (doubt): Do the secondary pranas move by their own power among the senses, or does something else create the movement of the pranas? Are the pranas moved by the demigods, the individual spirit soul, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Purvapaksa (the opponent speaks): Endowed with the power of action, the pranas move themselves. Or perhaps the demigods move them. In the Aitareya Upanisad (2.4) it is said:
agnir vag bhutva mukham pravisad
"Becoming speech, Agnideva entered the mouth."
Or perhaps the individual spirit soul moves the pranas. This may be so because the pranas are instruments the soul uses to attain enjoyment.
Siddhanta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sutras gives His conclusion.