Narada and Devamata on the Breaths

Verse 1 (14.25.1)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । नारदस्य च संवादमृषेर्देवमतस्य च ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | nāradasya ca saṃvādamṛṣerdevamatasya ca

On this subject too they recall an ancient account: the conversation between Narada and the sage Devamata.

Verse 2 (14.25.2)

जन्तोः संजायमानस्य किंनु पूर्वं प्रवर्तते । प्राणोऽपानः समानो वा व्यानो वोदान एव च ॥

jantoḥ saṃjāyamānasya kiṃnu pūrvaṃ pravartate | prāṇo'pānaḥ samāno vā vyāno vodāna eva ca

"When a creature is being born, which of these comes into play first: Prana, Apana, Samana, Vyana, or Udana?"

Verse 3 (14.25.3)

येनायं सृज्यते जन्तुस्ततोऽन्यः पूर्वमेति तम् । प्राणद्वन्द्वं हि विज्ञेयं तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधश्च यत् ॥

yenāyaṃ sṛjyate jantustato'nyaḥ pūrvameti tam | prāṇadvandvaṃ hi vijñeyaṃ tiryagūrdhvamadhaśca yat

"This creature is brought forth by one thing, and another goes before it. You should know the pairs among the breaths: that which moves sideways, and that which moves upward and downward."

Verse 4 (14.25.4)

केनायं सृज्यते जन्तुः कश्चान्यः पूर्वमेति तम् । प्राणद्वन्द्वं च मे ब्रूहि तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधश्च यत् ॥

kenāyaṃ sṛjyate jantuḥ kaścānyaḥ pūrvameti tam | prāṇadvandvaṃ ca me brūhi tiryagūrdhvamadhaśca yat

"By what is this creature brought forth, and what else goes before it? Tell me also of the pairs of breaths that move sideways, upward and downward."

Verse 5 (14.25.5)

सङ्कल्पाज्जायते हर्षः शब्दादपि च जायते । रसात्संजायते चापि रूपादपि च जायते ॥

saṅkalpājjāyate harṣaḥ śabdādapi ca jāyate | rasātsaṃjāyate cāpi rūpādapi ca jāyate

"Delight arises from resolve, and it arises from sound; it arises from taste, and it arises from form."

Verse 6 (14.25.6)

स्पर्शात्संजायते चापि गन्धादपि च जायते । शुक्राच्छोणितसंसृष्टात्पूर्वं प्राणः प्रवर्तते । प्राणेन विकृते शुक्रे ततोऽपानः प्रवर्तते ॥

sparśātsaṃjāyate cāpi gandhādapi ca jāyate | śukrācchoṇitasaṃsṛṣṭātpūrvaṃ prāṇaḥ pravartate | prāṇena vikṛte śukre tato'pānaḥ pravartate

"It arises from touch, and it arises from smell. From semen mingled with blood, Prana first comes into action; when the semen has been altered by Prana, Apana then comes into action."

Note on the text: Critical edition: the first line is CE 14.24.6a; the second and third lines are CE 14.24.8a, 8c (in the CE they follow the verse that Wikisource gives as verse 8). Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 7 (14.25.7)

शुक्रात्संजायते चापि रसादपि च जायते । एतद्रूपमुदानस्य हर्षो मिथुनमन्तरा ॥

śukrātsaṃjāyate cāpi rasādapi ca jāyate | etadrūpamudānasya harṣo mithunamantarā

"It arises from semen, and it arises from taste. This is the form of Udana: the delight that arises between a pair."

Note on the text: Critical edition: the second line is CE 14.24.6c; the first line has no counterpart in the CE (it echoes the pattern of CE 5c-6a). Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 8 (14.25.8)

कामात्संजायते शुक्रं शुक्रात्संजायते रजः । समानव्यानजनिते सामान्ये शुक्रशोणिते ॥

kāmātsaṃjāyate śukraṃ śukrātsaṃjāyate rajaḥ | samānavyānajanite sāmānye śukraśoṇite

"From desire semen arises, and from semen the female fluid arises. Semen and blood are the common substance, produced by Samana and Vyana."

Note on the text: Critical edition: CE 14.24.7a, 7c; Wikisource reads रजः for the CE's rasaḥ in the first line, a recension variant.

Verse 9 (14.25.9)

प्राणापानाविदं द्वन्द्वमवाक् चोर्ध्वं च गच्छतः । व्यानः समानश्चैवोभौ तिर्यग्द्वन्द्वत्वमुच्यते ॥

prāṇāpānāvidaṃ dvandvamavāk cordhvaṃ ca gacchataḥ | vyānaḥ samānaścaivobhau tiryagdvandvatvamucyate

"Prana and Apana are this pair: they go downward and upward. Vyana and Samana are the two together; that is called the sideways pair."

Verse 10 (14.25.10)

अग्निर्वै देवताः सर्वा इति देवस्य शासनात् । संजायते हि प्राणेषु ज्ञानं बुद्धिसमन्वितम् ॥

agnirvai devatāḥ sarvā iti devasya śāsanāt | saṃjāyate hi prāṇeṣu jñānaṃ buddhisamanvitam

"All the deities are Agni — so the god's command has it. Knowledge joined with understanding arises in the vital breaths."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 11 (14.25.11)

तस्य धूमस्तमोरूपं रजो भस्म सुतेजसः । सर्वं संजायते तस्य यत्र प्रक्षिप्यते हविः ॥

tasya dhūmastamorūpaṃ rajo bhasma sutejasaḥ | sarvaṃ saṃjāyate tasya yatra prakṣipyate haviḥ

"His smoke is the form of darkness, and the ash of that radiant one is passion. Everything arises in him into whom the oblation is cast."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition and is kept (recension variant).

Verse 12 (14.25.12)

हविः समानो व्यानश्च इति यज्ञविदो विदुः । प्राणापानावाज्यभागौ तयोर्मध्ये हुताशनः ॥

haviḥ samāno vyānaśca iti yajñavido viduḥ | prāṇāpānāvājyabhāgau tayormadhye hutāśanaḥ

"Samana and Vyana are the oblation, so those who know sacrifice say; Prana and Apana are the two portions of ghee; and between them is the Eater of Oblations, Agni."

Note on the text: Critical edition: lines 12a and 12c of CE 14.24.12 (12e is the first line of the next verse). Wikisource reads हविः for the CE's āghārau (the two streams of ghee), a recension variant.

Verse 13 (14.25.13)

एतद्रूपमुदानस्य परमं ब्राह्मणा विदुः । निर्द्वन्द्वमिति यत्त्वेतत्तन्मे निगदतः शृणु ॥

etadrūpamudānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ | nirdvandvamiti yattvetattanme nigadataḥ śṛṇu

"This, the Brahmins know, is the supreme form of Udana. Now hear from me, as I tell it, what is called free of pairs."

Note on the text: Critical edition: the first line is CE 14.24.12e, the second is CE 14.24.13a. Corrected शृणुः → शृणु (misprint in Wikisource; imperative; stray visarga; the critical edition reads śṛṇu).

Verse 14 (14.25.14)

अहोरात्रमिदं द्वन्द्वं तयोर्मध्ये हुताशनः । एतद्रूपमुदानस्य परमं ब्राह्मणा विदुः ॥

ahorātramidaṃ dvandvaṃ tayormadhye hutāśanaḥ | etadrūpamudānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ

"Day and night are a pair, and between them is the Eater of Oblations. This, the Brahmins know, is the supreme form of Udana."

Verse 15 (14.25.15)

उभे सत्यानृते द्वन्द्वं तयोर्मध्ये हुताशनः । एतद्रूपमुदानस्य परमं ब्राह्मणा विदुः ॥

ubhe satyānṛte dvandvaṃ tayormadhye hutāśanaḥ | etadrūpamudānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ

"Truth and untruth are a pair, and between them is the Eater of Oblations. This, the Brahmins know, is the supreme form of Udana."

Note on the text: Critical edition: the CE has a verse between 14.24.14 and this one (14.24.15, ubhe caivāyane dvaṃdvaṃ, 'the two courses of the sun') that is not on the Wikisource page and is not added.

Verse 16 (14.25.16)

सच्चासच्चैव तद्द्वन्द्वं तयोर्मध्ये हुताशनः । एतद्रूपमुदानस्य परमं ब्राह्मणा विदुः ॥

saccāsaccaiva taddvandvaṃ tayormadhye hutāśanaḥ | etadrūpamudānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ

"Being and non-being are that pair, and between them is the Eater of Oblations. This, the Brahmins know, is the supreme form of Udana."

Note on the text: Order differs: the CE gives "good and evil" (14.24.17) before "being and non-being" (14.24.18); Wikisource reverses the two.

Verse 17 (14.25.17)

उभे शुभाशुभे द्वन्द्वं तयोर्मध्ये हुताशनः । एतद्रूपमुदानस्य परमं ब्राह्मणा विदुः ॥

ubhe śubhāśubhe dvandvaṃ tayormadhye hutāśanaḥ | etadrūpamudānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ

"Good and evil are a pair, and between them is the Eater of Oblations. This, the Brahmins know, is the supreme form of Udana."

Note on the text: Order differs: see the note on the preceding verse.

Verse 18 (14.25.18)

ऊर्ध्वं समानो व्यानश्च व्यस्यते कर्म तेन तत् । द्वितीयं तु समानेन पुनरेव व्यवस्यते ॥

ūrdhvaṃ samāno vyānaśca vyasyate karma tena tat | dvitīyaṃ tu samānena punareva vyavasyate

"Upward, Samana and Vyana: by these that rite is spread out; and the second is settled again by Samana."

Note on the text: Wikisource's reading differs from the critical edition (CE prathamaṃ samāno vyāno vyasyate karma tena tat / tṛtīyaṃ tu samānena punar eva vyavasyate) and is kept (recension variant; the page's footnote records another reading, पूर्वं समानो व्यानोऽथ व्यस्यते तेन कर्मकृत्, which is not adopted).

Verse 19 (14.25.19)

शान्त्यर्थं वामदेव्यं च शान्तिर्ब्रह्म सनातनम् । एतद्रूपमुदानस्य परमं ब्राह्मणा विदुः ॥

śāntyarthaṃ vāmadevyaṃ ca śāntirbrahma sanātanam | etadrūpamudānasya paramaṃ brāhmaṇā viduḥ

"For the sake of peace there is the Vamadevya chant, and peace is the eternal Brahman. This, the Brahmins know, is the supreme form of Udana."

Note on the text: Critical edition: CE 14.24.20a, 20c (Wikisource reads वामदेव्यं for the CE's vāmadevaṃ). The CE continues after this verse with a long inline Appendix I passage (App. I No. 2, printed as 14.24.20d@002_0001-0044); it is not on the Wikisource page and is not added.