Verse 1
तृतीयः प्रश्नःअथ हैनं कौशल्यश्चाश्वलायनः पप्रच्छ । भगवन् कुतएष प्राणो जायते कथमायात्यस्मिञ्शरीर आत्मानं वाप्रविभज्य कथं प्रतिष्ठते केनोत्क्रमते कथं बाह्यमभिधत्तेकथमध्यात्ममिति ॥ ३.१॥
atha hainaṃ kauśalyaścāśvalāyanaḥ papraccha . bhagavan kutaeṣa prāṇo jāyate kathamāyātyasmiñśarīra ātmānaṃ vāpravibhajya kathaṃ pratiṣṭhate kenotkramate kathaṃ bāhyamabhidhattekathamadhyātmamiti .. 3.1..
Translation by Swami Sivananda1 Then Kausalya, the son of Asvala, asked Pippalada: Sir, whence is this prana 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?Translation by Max Mueller1. Then Kausalya Âsvalâyana asked: Sir, whence is that Prâna (spirit) born? How does it come into this body? And how does it abide, after it has divided itself? How does it go out? How does it support what is without, and how what is within?
Verse 2
तस्मै स होवाचातिप्रश्नान् पृच्छसि ब्रह्मिष्ठोऽसीतितस्मात्तेऽहं ब्रवीमि ॥ ३.२॥
tasmai sa hovācātipraśnān pṛcchasi brahmiṣṭho’sītitasmātte’haṃ bravīmi .. 3.2..
Translation by Swami Sivananda2 To him the teacher replied: You are asking difficult questions; you must be exceedingly devoted to Brahman. Therefore I will answer you.Translation by Max Mueller2. He replied: You ask questions more difficult, but you are very fond of Brahman, therefore I shall tell it you.
Verse 3
आत्मन एष प्राणो जायते । यथैषा पुरुषेछायैतस्मिन्नेतदाततंमनोकृतेनायात्यस्मिञ्शरीरे ॥ ३.३॥
ātmana eṣa prāṇo jāyate . yathaiṣā puruṣechāyaitasminnetadātataṃmanokṛtenāyātyasmiñśarīre .. 3.3..
Translation by Swami Sivananda3 This prana is born of Atman. As a shadow is cast by a person, so this prana is, by Atman. Through the activity of the mind it comes into this body.Translation by Max Mueller3. This Prâna (spirit) is born of the Self. Like the shadow thrown on a man, this (the prâna) is spread out over it (the Brahman). By the work of the mind does it come into this body.
Verse 4
यथा सम्रादेवाधिकृतान् विनियुङ्क्ते । एतन् ग्रामानोतान्ग्रामानधितिष्ठस्वेत्येवमेवैष प्राण इतरान् प्राणान् पृथक्पृथगेव सन्निधत्ते ॥ ३.४॥
yathā samrādevādhikṛtān viniyuṅkte . etan grāmānotāngrāmānadhitiṣṭhasvetyevamevaiṣa prāṇa itarān prāṇān pṛthakpṛthageva sannidhatte .. 3.4..
Translation by Swami Sivananda4 As an emperor commands his officials, saying; “Rule these villages or those,” so this prana employs the other pranas, each in its separate place.Translation by Max Mueller4. As a king commands officials, saying to them: Rule these villages or those, so does that Prâna (spirit) dispose the other prânas, each for their separate work.
Verse 5
पायूपस्थेऽपानं चक्षुःश्रोत्रे मुखनासिकाभ्यां प्राणः स्वयंप्रातिष्ठते मध्ये तु समानः । एष ह्येतद्धुतमन्नं समं नयतितस्मादेताः सप्तार्चिषो भवन्ति ॥ ३.५॥
pāyūpasthe’pānaṃ cakṣuḥśrotre mukhanāsikābhyāṃ prāṇaḥ svayaṃprātiṣṭhate madhye tu samānaḥ . eṣa hyetaddhutamannaṃ samaṃ nayatitasmādetāḥ saptārciṣo bhavanti .. 3.5..
Translation by Swami Sivananda5 Prana engages apana in the organs of excretion and generation; he himself moves through the mouth and nose and dwells in the eye and ear. In the middle is samana; it distributes equally what has been offered as food in the fire in the stomach. From this prana fire arise the seven flames.Translation by Max Mueller5. The Apâna (the down-breathing) in the organs of excretion and generation; the Prâna himself dwells in eye and ear, passing through mouth and nose. In the middle is the Samâna (the on-breathing); it carries what has been sacrificed as food equally (over the body), and the seven lights proceed from it.
Verse 6
हृदि ह्येष आत्मा । अत्रैतदेकशतं नाडीनां तासां शतंशतमेकैकस्या द्वासप्ततिर्द्वासप्ततिः प्रतिशाखानाडीसहस्राणिभवन्त्यासु व्यानश्चरति ॥ ३.६॥
hṛdi hyeṣa ātmā . atraitadekaśataṃ nāḍīnāṃ tāsāṃ śataṃśatamekaikasyā dvāsaptatirdvāsaptatiḥ pratiśākhānāḍīsahasrāṇibhavantyāsu vyānaścarati .. 3.6..
Translation by Swami Sivananda6 The atman dwells in the heart, where there are one hundred and one arteries (nadi); for each of these there are one hundred branches and for each of these branches, again, there are seventy two thousand subsidiary vessels. Vyana moves in these.Translation by Max Mueller6. The Self is in the heart. There are the 101 arteries, and in each of them there are a hundred (smaller veins), and for each of these branches there are 72,000. In these the Vyâna (the back-breathing) moves.
Verse 7
अथैकयोर्ध्व उदानः पुण्येन पुण्यं लोकं नयति पापेनपापमुभाभ्यामेव मनुष्यलोकम् ॥ ३.७॥
athaikayordhva udānaḥ puṇyena puṇyaṃ lokaṃ nayati pāpenapāpamubhābhyāmeva manuṣyalokam .. 3.7..
Translation by Swami Sivananda7 And then udana, ascending upward through one of them, conducts the departing soul to the virtuous world, for its virtuous deeds; to the sinful world, for its sinful deeds; and to the world of men, for both.Translation by Max Mueller7. Through one of them, the Udâna (the out-breathing) leads (us) upwards to the good world by good work, to the bad world by bad work, to the world of men by both.
Verse 8
आदित्यो ह वै बाह्यः प्राण उदयत्येष ह्येनं चाक्षुषंप्राणमनुगृह्णानः । पृथिव्यां या देवता सैषा पुरुषस्यअपानमवष्टभ्यान्तरा यदाकाशः स समानो वायुर्व्यानः ॥ ३.८॥
ādityo ha vai bāhyaḥ prāṇa udayatyeṣa hyenaṃ cākṣuṣaṃprāṇamanugṛhṇānaḥ . pṛthivyāṃ yā devatā saiṣā puruṣasyaapānamavaṣṭabhyāntarā yadākāśaḥ sa samāno vāyurvyānaḥ .. 3.8..
Translation by Swami Sivananda8 The sun, verily, is the external prana; for it rises, favouring the prana in the eye. The deity that exists in the earth controls the apana of man. The space, akasa, between heaven and earth is samana. The air is vyana.Translation by Max Mueller8. The sun rises as the external Prâna, for it assists the Prâna in the eye. The deity that exists in the earth, is there in support of mans Apâna (down-breathing). The ether between (sun and earth) is the Samâna (on-breathing), the air is Vyâna (back-breathing).
Verse 9
तेजो ह वा उदानस्तस्मादुपशान्ततेजाः । पुनर्भवमिन्द्रियैर्मनसिसम्पद्यमानैः ॥ ३.९॥
tejo ha vā udānastasmādupaśāntatejāḥ . punarbhavamindriyairmanasisampadyamānaiḥ .. 3.9..
Translation by Swami Sivananda9 Fire, verily, is udana; therefore he whose fire has been extinguished goes out for rebirth, with the senses absorbed in the mind.Translation by Max Mueller9. Light is the Udâna (out-breathing), and therefore he whose light has gone out comes to a new birth with his senses absorbed in the mind.
Verse 10
यच्चित्तस्तेनैष प्राणमायाति । प्राणस्तेजसा युक्तः सहात्मनातथासङ्कल्पितं लोकं नयति ॥ ३.१०॥
yaccittastenaiṣa prāṇamāyāti . prāṇastejasā yuktaḥ sahātmanātathāsaṅkalpitaṃ lokaṃ nayati .. 3.10..
Translation by Swami Sivananda10 Whatever one’s thinking, with that one enters into prana. Prana joined with fire, together with the soul, leads to whatever world has been fashioned by thought.Translation by Max Mueller10. Whatever his thought (at the time of death) with that he goes back to Prâna, and the Prâna, united with light, together with the self (the jîvâtmâ) leads on to the world, as deserved.
Verse 11
य एवं विद्वान् प्राणं वेद न हास्य प्रजा हीयतेऽमृतोभवति तदेषः श्लोकः ॥ ३.११॥
ya evaṃ vidvān prāṇaṃ veda na hāsya prajā hīyate’mṛtobhavati tadeṣaḥ ślokaḥ .. 3.11..
Translation by Swami Sivananda11 The wise man who thus knows prana does not lose his offspring and becomes immortal. As to this there is the following verse:Translation by Max Mueller11. He who, thus knowing, knows Prâna, his offspring does not perish, and he becomes immortal. Thus says the Sloka:
Verse 12
उत्पत्तिमायतिं स्थानं विभुत्वं चैव पञ्चधा ।अध्यात्मं चैव प्राणस्य विज्ञायामृतमश्नुतेविज्ञायामृतमश्नुत इति ॥ ३.१२॥इति प्रश्नोपनिषदि तृतीयः प्रश्नः ॥
utpattimāyatiṃ sthānaṃ vibhutvaṃ caiva pañcadhā .adhyātmaṃ caiva prāṇasya vijñāyāmṛtamaśnutevijñāyāmṛtamaśnuta iti .. 3.12..iti praśnopaniṣadi tṛtīyaḥ praśnaḥ ..
Translation by Swami Sivananda12 He who knows the origin of prana, its entry, its place, its fivefold distribution, its internal aspect and also its external, obtains immortality; yea, he obtains immortality.Translation by Max Mueller12. He who has known the origin, the entry, the place, the fivefold distribution, and the internal state of the Prâna, obtains immortality, yes, obtains immortality.