Agnihotra (Oblation to Agni the lord of fire) and five forms of Agni or PraaNa---Quotes from Chandogya Upanishad and Prashnopanishad.

 

Agnihotra (Oblation to Agni the lord of fire) and five forms of Agni or PraaNa---Quotes from Chandogya Upanishad and Prashnopanishad.

Introduction

In this article, agnihotra or ‘the oblation to agni the lord of fire’ has been narrated and in that context, the five aspects of praaNa have been narrated with meanings and explanations from Chandogya Upanishad and Prashnopanishad.

Sanskrit words written in italics can be found in the English-Sanskrit dictionary of Sir Monier Williams available on the Internet (https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/2020/web/webtc/indexcaller.php).

The meanings and explanations are done following the teachings of the great sage Shri. BijoyKrishna Chattopadhyaya (1875-1945) and his principal disciple Shri. Tridibnath Bandyopadhyaya (1923-1994) to the best of my abilities.

(Debkumar Lahiri----debkumar.lahiri@gmail.com)

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Agni and Praana

agni is the self -expressing, self-illuminated Universal Consciousness By this expression of the Universal Consciousness, both the Oneness and the dualities of the Universal Consciousness are exposed. Thus, is created the universe; thus, we know ourselves and the universe. agni is ag / agra (foremost, in front of)  + nI (leads), i.e the one who leads (nI) and in front of (ag/agra) everyone and every event. agni initiates, inaugurates every event. agni is praaNa. praaNa = pra (first) + ana (animation)----the One who is in us as our animation, as our senses. It is for this reason, the sensing faculties or organs are also called praaNa. praaNa is the One with whom we live and with whom we leave. As praaNa leaves the body, we leave the body with praaNa along with our sensing faculties.

praaNa is the vision in the eyes, sound in the ears, taste in the tongue, smell in the nose, touch in the skin. Universal Consciousness is simultaneously inactive and active; at one end the Consciousness is still, inactive, immutable; with this immutable, inactive aspect in the background, the Consciousness is active and controlling the entire universe at the other end. In the inactive end, there is no one but only ‘One’, only ‘Soul/ assertion-less self’. In the active end, the One is becoming dual by ‘knowing’. Activity in Consciousness means ‘knowing’. To know means ‘ to become’ and ‘ to feel what is becoming’. Thus, in praaNa, duality/ universe and the Oneness is coexisting. Any activity is the activity of praaNa or agni. praaNa or agni is also called praaNaagni.

Thus, in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, it is mentioned:

sa vaa eSha mahanaja aatmaa yaH ayaM vij~naanamayaH praaNeShu

(He is indeed the great, eternal soul who is the  senses within the sensing faculties.)

ya eshaH antarhRidaya aakaasha

(That what is the firmament inside the heart)

tasmin shete sarvasya vashI, sarvasya IshaanaH, sarvasya adhipatiH……..

(there lies, the one who dominates on everyone/every event, who controls everyone/every event, who is the authority of everyone/every event.)

(He is indeed the great, eternal soul who is the senses within the sensing faculties. That what is this firmament inside the heart, there lies the one who dominates on everyone/every event, who controls everyone/every event, who is the authority of everyone/every event.) (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Fourth Chapter, Fourth Brahmin/Fourth Part, Twenty-second verse.)

Three forms of Agni

In a previous publication, we have narrated the three forms of agni. (<https://upanishadsinenglish.blogspot.com/2020/09/quotes-from-upanishads-vaak-and-three.html>)

agni is called vaishaanara i.e. ‘the universal personality’. Our personalities are parts of this universal personality. We are the spread of vaishaanara.

gRihapti (gaarhapatya), dakShiNaagni (anvaahaaryapachana agni), and aahavanIya are the three forms of agni.

In Upanishad, it is mentioned that gaarhapatya is the heart or hRidaya, anvaahaaryapachana is the mind and aahavanIya is the mouth (aasya) of vaishaanara. (Please refer to Chandogya Upanishad, Fifth Chapter, Eighteenth Part Second Verse{5.18.2}).

Agnihotra and Five forms of Agni

In this article, we will narrate the five forms of agni and agni hotra (oblation to agni).

agni, and praaNa are the same. The five forms of praaNa are (i) praaNa, (ii) vyaana, (iii) apaana, (iv) samaana, (v) udaana. Our living, our every moment is an oblation to our origin, to the Eternal Consciousness or praaNa, or agni. This offer is seen to have five stages and these are the stages of praaNaagni-hotra or agnihotra.

In Chandogya Upanishad where agnihotra has been described, there at the end, the Rishi (the seer) has quoted the followings:

yatheha kShudhitaa baalaa maataram paryupaasata,  ebong sarvaaNi bhUtaani agnihotram upaasata                                                                             

(Like on the earth, a hungry child pleads the mother repeatedlySimilarly, all the creatures pray agnihotra.) (Chandogya Upanishad, Fifth Chapter, Twenty-fourth part, Fifth verse.)

Knowingly or unknowingly, we are always pleading for the senses, for the sound, touch, vision, and taste; we are always desirous for the five senses, which are all the forms of Consciousness, and Consciousness is feeding us incessantly.

{Word to word meaning

yatheha (yatha + iha)---as on the earth

kShudhitaa--hungry

baalaa----child

maataram----to the mother                      

paryupaasata---pleads repeatedly

ebong—so

sarvaaNi---all

bhUtaani---the creatures

agnihotram—agnihotra

upaasata ----prays

agnihotram—agnihotra

upaasata ----prays.}

As we all look for the food from the first moment of birth, and most sincerely ‘offer ourselves’ the foods every day we live, so also the creator pondered on what would be his foods.

In Upanishad, it is stated that eternal praaNa (mukhya praaNa), carried his parts (the senses, like the personality of vision, the personality of touch, etc.) beyond death or to eternity. Then, praaNa asked his parts about what would be his foods; these conversations are quoted below from Chandogya Upanishad; (Chapter Five, Section 2, Verse 1.)

sa hovaacha kiM ṃe annaṃ bhaviṣyatIti yatkiMchididamaa shvabhya aa shakunibhya iti hochustadvaa etadanasyaannamano ha vai naama pratyakShaM na ha vaa evamvidi kiṃchanaanannaṃ bhavatIti || 5.2.1 ||

He (praaNa) then said:  “What will be my food?”  The sense organs replied: “Whatsoever all this, whatever is existing, whatever will be created in future/whatever is going to happen.” It is this what they said. That, indeed, this ana’s (praaNa’s) food. ana is indeed the obvious name.  The one who knows like this, for him nothing is inedible.

{ Word to word translation:

sa---he (praaNa)                                                                                                                                              

hovaacha—ha + uvacha---then said

kim—what

me-my

annam----food

bhaviṣyatīti----will be

yat kiMchid idam--- whatsoever all this

aa shvabhya-----whatever is existing

aa shakunibhya----- whatever going to be---whatever will be created in future/whatever is going to happen

iti ha uchuH----it is this what they said

tad ---that

vaa--indeed

etad----this

anayasa –of ana/of praaNa

annam –food

anaH---ana

ha vai---indeed

naama---name

pratyakSham-----direct/obvious

na ha vaa---never

evam ---like

 vidi---knows

kiMchana--nothing

anannam ---- not anna/ inedible}

Meaning of the Sanskrit words shva (dog), shakun,shakuni (vulture), ashva (horse)

We want to point out here that the meaning of the word, ‘aashvabhya aashakunibhya’ in the above text has been stated by many authors as ‘from the dogs to the vultures’. Thus, the meanings mentioned in the various works of Upanishads against ‘aashvabhya, aashakunibhya’ are ‘from the dogs to the vultures’, implying that everything is the food of praaNa. Though it is true that everything is the food of praaNa, that everything is being assimilated and digested by praaNa, that everything is being pulled to the ‘Oneness’ by praaNa, the interpretations of the two words should have been done properly.

Because we are too much obsessed with the material world and do not understand how the physical world is being realized, we think that the ‘words’ follow the ‘materials’. But in a true and absolute sense, it is the ‘materials’ that follow the ‘words’. The words spoken by the Universal Consciousness are listened to by us as the ‘universe’.

Many Sanskrit words that start with ‘sh’ signify the ‘regulation’, ‘capability’ of the Universal Consciousness. This regulation is ‘felt’ as ‘time’ by us, and is also called ‘kaala’. The capability of the Consciousness to ‘become everything, ‘to change everything’ is called ‘shakti’. This word also starts with the Sanskrit alphabet ‘sh’ and is derived from the root word ‘shak’, meaning ‘be capable of’.

So the word shva means time. shva =shu + a; sh/sha= regulation of Consciousness, or flow of time. Like the word, ‘shvaasa’ means aspiration or breathing. The regulation of praaNa is acting on us as our inbreathing and outbreathing, creating the pulse of life or clock in us. There are similar other words. A dog is also called shva, because of its nature to follow the master or the regulations enforced by its master. Thus, the word ‘aa shavya’ means, ‘whatever is under the regulation of time’ or ‘whatever is existing’.

Similarly, the word ‘shakun’ means ‘whatever is going to happen in the future or going to be created’. The word ‘shakuna lakShamNa’ means a sign that foretells good futures. Vultures are called shakuni because they are known to have the power to forebode either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. It was customary in ancient times, to name things, animals, deities, characters, based on the ‘prominent features’ of the ‘Universal Consciousness’, which are easily noticeable in an entity.

So, ‘aashakunibhya’ = ‘aa + shakunibhya’ means, whatever the praaNa or Universal Consciousness is going to create in the future.

Thus, whatever is existing and whatever is going to exist, all are the foods of praaNa.

(Another much-misunderstood word is ashva. ashva= a  + shva; a = origin,  aatman or the eternal soul; shva= regulation or time; so, ashva means praaNa or the eternal soul flowing as praaNa or running across the universe. This is felt as time (shva) and regulations (shaasana), respirations (shvasana), and inflation (shvi). The universe is inflating, growing, expanding, the horse is speeding away.  But, the meaning of ashva in most of the texts is mentioned as the ‘animal horse’!

A horse is called ashva because it takes the rider or the carriage along with it as it runs. Consciousness as praaNa, takes everyone, every grain of the universe, along with him (Consciousness). When we die, we depart along with praaNa; as long as praaNa stays in the body, we live in our physical body. A horse is called ashva because of these similarities, because of its strength and ability to run and carry.)

praaNa, aaditya and first oblation to agni.

The word ‘eat’ is ‘adana’ in Sanskrit and is from the root word ‘ad’.  The eating or adana does not only mean ‘A’, it means ‘assimilation to the self’ or ‘assimilation to the Universal Soul’. The Universal Consciousness has created ‘duality’ from the ‘Oneness’. At the same time, all the fragments/entities, or dualities created out of Oneness are simultaneously pulled by the Universal Consciousness to bring them back to the origin. It is like centrifugal and centripetal force acting together. This ‘pulling back’, is our return to the origin and in the process, we are ‘feeling or sensing ourselves and the universe and we are evolving’. This is ‘eating’ or ‘adana’ by the Universal Consciousness. Thus it is said that praaNa would eat up all. 

The word aaditya means ‘sun’ and is quoted as praaNa in the ‘external-----aaditya ha vai baajhya praaNa (aaditya/sun, is indeed praaNa in the external.) (Prashnopanishad Third Question -Answer).

This word aaditya is related to two source words, (i) aditi and (ii) adana. aditi means, a (without) + diti (duality). aditi is the mother of the deities. Deities are the self-expressing personalities of Universal Consciousness and each deity is carrying a particular aspect of Universal Consciousness. Like, the deity of vision is a personality of the Universal Consciousness and is the source of all the visions. Whoever sees what, is generated from this deity and this deity of vision owns it. His vision is the view of everyone over the eternal time.

aaditya also means the ‘son of aditi’ or ‘the one who exhibits the characteristics of aditi'. Thus aaditya (expressed as the sun in our terrestrial system), is characterized by ‘Oneness’. It is the centre where the Universal Consciousness is ‘viewing’ everyone as his offspring, as his spread, with the feeling of ‘Oneness’. It is the feeling of embracing the entire universe in Oneness. It is with this divine and limitless pleasure the Consciousness as aaditya, as the sun, is viewing everyone, knowing everyone. From aaditya, from this sun our vision has originated.

Thus, it is stated in Chandogya Upanishad, Second Chapter, Part Nine, +

First Verse:

atha khalu amum aadityam, saptavidham saama upaasIta; sarvadaa samaḥ tena  saama;  maaM prati maaM prati iti; sarveṇa samaḥ, tena saama.

(Now, certainly in aaditya (sun) over there, the sevenfold saama to be worshipped.

aaditya is always the same, so he (aaditya) is saama

‘Looking at me, looking at me’—it is this (what everyone feels about aaditya).

Always the same (and) so saama----looking always in the same way at everyone, so (he is) saama)

{Word by word meaning:

atha (now) khalu (certainly) amum(that/over there) aadityam (in aaditya), saptavidham (seven forms of) saama (saama) upaasIta (worship)

Now, certainly in aaditya (sun) over there the sevenfold saama to be worshipped.

sarvadaa (always) samaḥ (same)  tena (by that reason/ so)  saama (saama)

Always the same (and) so saama.

 maaM (me) prati(toward/at) maaM prati (toward/at);  iti (it is this)

(Looking) at me, (looking) at me; it is this.

sarveṇa (to all) samaḥ (same)

To all, he (aaditya) is saama (same)

tena (by that reason/ so)   saama (saama)

So, (he/aaditya) is saama }

Thus, this is quoted in Prashnopanishad Upanishad (Answer to the third question):

“aadityo ha vai baahya praana udayati, esha hyenam chaakshusham praanam anugrahnaanah”

aaditya (the sun) is certainly the praaNa in the external form; (as) he (aaditya) rises he, of course, carries with him this praaNa (entity) who is located in the eye.

It is not that only when the sun rises in the morning, we get up and open our eyes. It is happening in us with every expression of ‘sense’, with every formation of Consciousness.

In every sense, in every feeling, there is the observer; and also, in every sense, in every feeling, there is not only ‘I’, there is also ‘eye’, and they are always together.

Each of us lives in the respective individual world made of the individual’s senses and feelings, made of Consciousness. We and our world are parts of the Universal Consciousness in whom our (individual) world and the world ‘external’ to us exist.

The external world, which we also call the ‘objective world’ is the external manifestation of the divine personalities called ‘vasu’. The word vastu is from the word vasu. vastu means ‘object’. Thus, whenever we get up from sleep, we get up by the ‘influences’ of the Universal Consciousness or the deities vasu. As we get up, as the dawn occurs in us, our first sense is ‘I’ or I am’. This ‘I am’ is ‘aham’ in Sanskrit and is from the source word ‘aha’ meaning ‘day’. Thus, the morning happens with the rise of Consciousness in us, awakening ‘I’ the observer and so also the ‘eye’.

In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, it is mentioned that the ‘one who resides in the right eye is indra’  and his wife is viraaT whose abode is the left eye. indra means ’idam + dra = idam + draShTRI’,

idam = it, whatever exists; dra=draShTRi =observer, viewer. It is mentioned that as the deities are fond of addressing by indirect names, so though he is indha , he is indirectly called indra.

indha means, who is luminous, incandescent---who is creating the ‘vision’.

 Rishi Yajnavalkya, in Brihadranyaka, has said:

“indho ha vai naamaiSha yaH  ayaM dakShiNeH akShanpuruShaH; tam vaa etamindhaM santamindra ityaachakShate  parokSheṇaiva….”

“ indha , indeed the name of this entity who is in this right eye; he, though is this indha, is regarded as indra indirectly”------ (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Fourth Brahmin/Chapter, First Part, Second Verse.)

In the divinity, the vision is formed from the sight of the viewer. Thus, he is both indha and indra;  his wife is viraaT and she is located in the left eye. One of the meanings of viraaT is ‘the infinitely giant universe’. (Those who are familiar with the epic Mahabharata, will recall that the Pandavas went into hiding in the kingdom of viraaT.)

We have explained in our several previous publications, that as Universal Consciousness splits, he/she becomes vaak and praaNa. vaak captures praaNa in multiple forms and dimensions and this creates the entities of the universe with naama (names, definitions) and rUpa (appearances, forms).

indra corresponds to praaNa, and viraaT corresponds to vaak. Whatever indra wants to observe, viraaT creates that; viraaT or vaak captures praaNa in the form of intended or desired observation.

Consciousness is called agni, praaNa, and praaNaagni (praaNa + agni), because by Consciousness everything is inaugurated, everything is initiated and Consciousness leads everything or every event.

Thus, agni means, ag + ni (nI); ag = agra (foremost, in front) + nI (leads)—who leads and remains in front.

praaNa means pra (first) + ana (animation)---- whose animation, whose consciousness or who makes everyone animated or conscious.

agni is worshipped as the lord of fire. Consciousness is also called praaNaagni and it is a compound word made from the two words praaNa and agni. agni or praaNa is created from the Oneness of the self-expressing Universal Consciousness, as Consciousness desires to create ‘duality’.

The Universal Consciousness, as praaNa, as the active personality, is nourishing us with life, with praaNa. We are the multiple forms of the Universal Consciousness, split from Universal Consciousness.

The various nourishing centres or the forms from which praaNa or the Universal Consciousness is supporting us is called anna. Thus, food is also called anaa. anna means, ana or praaNa active in multiple ways to nourish the creation, to support the evolution to eternity. anna = ana + ana + ana……

Thus, in an absolute way, everyone is anna. Every entity by its existence is playing a positive role in the universe.

Thus, when we eat, it is Consciousness who invokes the whole process and this is an act of oblation (eating).

We live and eat in our Consciousness. We are made of Consciousness. What we feel, sense, or perceive as physical is also our Consciousness. The taste of food and nourishment, the process of digestion, everything is happening in Consciousness (happening in our ‘knowledge’) and regulated by Consciousness. Thus, we perform agnihotra knowingly or unknowingly.

As praaNa is at the beginning of every event, so, when we eat, the food we put in our mouth first goes to praaNa.

In Chandogya Upanishad (Fifth Chapter, Nineteenth Part, First Verse), it is stated:

tadyadbhaktaṃ prathamamaagacchettaddhomIyaṃ sa yaaṃ prathamaamaahutiṃ juhuyaattaaṃ juhuyaatpraaNaaya svaaheti praaNastṛpyati || 5.19.1 ||

(Therefore, that what appears at first as the victual, that is for oblation. He {the eater or the offeror} who offers that first oblation, he offers that to praaNa along with svaahaa; it is this.  praaNa is thus satisfied.)

(Word to word meaning):  tad--therefore; yad—that; bhahaktam---what will be eaten /felt/enjoyed; prathamam----first; aagcchaet ----arrives; tad—that; homIyam----- appropriate for homa or oblation;  saH  (he who eats or offers) yaam (that) prathamaam---first; aahutim—offer;  juhuyaat, ---offers; taam---that; juhuyaat--- offers; praaNaaya svaahaa (to praaNa with svaahaa);  iti (this is it.)   praaṇaH  tRipyati----  praaNa is pleased.

homIyam---this is derivative of the word homa. homIyam means what is fit or appropriate for homa or oblation.

Like, soma = sa + u + ma, similarly, homa = ha + u+ ma.

soma means the flow of senses, feelings flowing out (su) from Consciousness, animating, enlivening the creation.

soma = su +am /ama. su means to ‘flow out’. am means the ‘potential’. So, soma means what is flowing out of the potent radiant (teja) Consciousness.

Conversely, homa means, the act of reverse flow or reversing the flow back to the origin. The word hu means ‘to call inward’. huma = hu + am/ama.

{The alphabet ma ‘denotes’, the ‘endpoint as well as the origin’. ma is the last member of the alphabet of touch (sparsha varNa). ma denotes ‘end, termination, a state where nothing is perceptible. More appropriately, it is the state where no duality is perceptible. It is the state of Oneness and from here all are created. Here everything is there, full of Consciousness but inactive and is behind all expressions and activities. Thus, from the so-called ‘void’ or ma, first is created vaayu (air /marut) or sparsha (touch). If there is no duality, ‘touch’ cannot exist. Thus, the first fundamental element is voyam (sky), next is marut (air).   Also, refer to vaayu and aakaasha (voyam/ sky mentioned below in connection with udaana.}

The alphabet ha also means hanana or annihilation-----where everything is killed, brought to rest, homed.

homa = ha + u + ma; ha = aakaasha (sky/firmament/void-----the state of Consciousness where everything exists without dimensions); u= flow.   So, performing homa means to transfer the oblation to the inner sky, to the state of Consciousness, where the physicality is not existing.

We requote the first part of the verse again:

tad--therefore; yad—that; bhahaktam---what will be eaten /felt/enjoyed; prathamam----first; aagcchaet ----arrives; tat—that; homIyam----- appropriate for homa or oblation.

The part, “prathamam----first; aagcchaet ----arrives”, meaning, ‘what arrives at first’, implies the arrival or appearance of praaNa or the Consciousness in the form of food. Because praaNa or agni is always at the ‘first’ and leads everything.

The next part of the verse is:

saH yaam prathamaam aahutim juhuyaat taam  juhuyaat  praaṇaaya svaahaa iti

(he/she, offers this first oblation to praaNa; svaahaa ----this is it.)           

saH—he; yaam—this; prathamaam—first; aahutim---oblation; juhuyaat---offers; praaṇaaya (to praaNa); svaahaa (svaahaa; along with svaahaa); iti (this is it); praaNaH tRipyati------praaNa is (thus) contended.

svaahaa is shakti or the consort of agni or praaNaagni. No oblation will reach agni, no oblation will be ‘homed’ in agni, unless svaahaa is ‘added’.

So, svaahaa is vaak.  sva = aatman, the eternal soul, and whom we feel as ‘assertion-less self’ and based on whom we assert as ‘I am’. svaa means the consort or shakti of sva.

‘haa’ implies ‘taking off’ (Refer to the narration on the alphabet ha above.)

Thus, the goddess svaahaa removes our ‘I am’ assertion or the ‘duality’, and self-expressing Soul or praaNa  or agni is exposed.

Who is calling or invoking the oblation is agni, the oblation is agni, and in whom the oblation merges as ‘sacrifice’ is agni. Thus sacrificed in agni, the hotRi or the offeror, the invoker, the oblation or the offer, all find themselves identified with self-illuminating soul or Consciousness or praaNa. Consciousness is called svayam-prakaasha, i.e. one who expresses oneself by oneself, and in that expression, everything else, i.e. the universe is also expressed.

svaahaa also means, su + aa +haa; su = elegantly; aa = calling toward (her); haa = to eliminate or remove the mortality or duality.

Consciousness is active in every event as its originator, as the regulator, and as the event itself. Consciousness when active is called praaNa. The manifestation of praaNa or the activities of Consciousness happen in five / seven steps.  This has been described in Chandogya Upanishad as fivefold and sevenfold saama. RiShi, the seers, have seen the saama/ praaNa everywhere, in the happenings of rain, in the occurrence of seasons, in the positions of the sun across the sky, among the species of animals, among the parts of the human body, in the act of copulation and so forth.

As we evolve and self-realization starts, we see praaNa, Consciousness everywhere. Thus, the seers, Rishi-s, have hailed the usher of praaNa. The advent of praaNa, the first (prathama) perception of arrival or praana’s presence is termed as hiMkaara.  This is the first expression of praaNa and this is quoted as the first expression of saama when the Rishi-s have described the fivefold and sevenfold saama in Chandogya Upanishad.

This hiMkara is the expression that ‘assures one permanently’ of praaNa, of everlasting existence in blissful Consciousness, of eternity. It is the expression of ‘certainty’ (nishchaya). hiMkaara removes all uncertainties. It ensures that the desired event happens, the desired moments are realized; it ensures that merging with eternity.

Such, significance is there impregnated in the word prathama (first) with respect to the ‘first offer going to praaNa’ as cited in verse 5.19.1 of Chandogya Upanishad, quoted above. It may be noticed that the verse says, ‘now that when the first offer appears’, instead of saying, ‘now that when the food is first offered’. This is because, when we eat, it is Consciousness, praaNa, who appears in us, in our consciousness as the ‘process of eating’, which includes, the ‘eater, food, offering of food, satisfaction and everything of it. We live in our universe made of Consciousness and we or our consciousness is part of the Universal Consciousness.  

The next verse is:

praaNe tRipyati chakShustRipyati chakShuShi tRipyatyaadityastRipyatyaaditye tRipyati dyaustRipyati divi tRipyantyaaM yatkiMcha dyaushchaadityashchaadhitiShṭhatastattRipyati tasyaanutRiptiM tRipyati prajayaa pashubhirannaadyena tejasaa brahmavarchaseneti. || 5.19.2 ||

When praaNa is satisfied, the vision is satisfied; when the vision is satisfied, aaditya {the sun} is satisfied; when aaditya is satisfied, divinity is satisfied; when the divinity is satisfied whoever is existing in divinity, and in aaditya, that is satisfied; in accordance to this satisfaction, the offeror is satisfied by (achieving) prolificity, by (acquiring) the animals (creatures under his domain), by annaadya (by ‘ana’ or praaNa who becomes ‘adya’ (or ‘moments’ or ‘whatever one wants to eat or enjoy’), by tejasaa (potency), by the radiance of bramha (the absolute being who is growing). (Chandogya Fifth Chapter, Nineteenth Part, Second Verse.)

Vision is that sense which is fundamental to our sense of physicality. It is the root of the sense of dimensions and existence in the dimensional world. It is related to the sense of being secured or supported and established (pratiShThaa). This centre of vision is also the centre of the sense of motion or time. This centre, which is vision or ‘eyes’ in us, is the sun in the external sky. Sun is the source of light/vision and time/motion. Modern science knows that the ‘eye’ is related to the ‘biological clock’.   (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080815140250.htm)

Here, is a quote from Chandogya Upanishad:

yo ha vai pratiShThaaM veda prati ha tiShThatyasmiMshcha lokeH amuShmiMshcha chakShurvaava pratiShThaa || Chandogya Upanishad, 5.1.3||

(Whoever knows the ‘one’ who supports/secures, he/she is secured in this domain as well as in that domain. The ‘eye/vision’ is the {root of} ‘security’. )

(Word by word meaning:

yo-yaH—he

ha vai----indeed

pratiShThaaM--- the state of secured condition or establishment---the root or the cause that makes one secured or founded

veda----knows

prati----correspondingly

ha---indeed

tiShThati----stays/ is established

asmiM----in this

lokeH----location, domain

amuShmiM cha---and in the (location/domain) over there

chakShuH –eye

vaava—indeed

pratiShThaa----is the (root of) secured existence/ foundation.)

Meaning of the word chakShu:

chakShu means ‘eye’. We have explained above, that the origin or centre of vision is also related to the centre of motion. Thus, eyes and feet are related. Eyes are the sense organs (j~naanendriya) and the feet/legs are the functional/work organs (karmendriya). (By the legs or feet we move and by the legs or feet we stand and remain secured {pratiShThaa} to the earth.) Thus in Rik Veda, the eye (chakShu), and foot/leg (pada) of viShNu (personified praaNa) have been quoted.

Etymologically, the word chakShu is as below; chakShu is related to the word chakSh meaning ‘to become visible, to appear’.

chakShu = cha +kSha +u

cha= char= move   kSha= kSharaNa= flowing out,  pouring  forth----radiating/making visibility

Thus, chakShu means the centre of motion/time and radiation or source of vision.

The alphabet or the vowel ‘u’ implies ‘union’. Thus chakShu means the centre from where both motion/ time and vision or dimensions/colours are being generated.

First, ‘to know’; the ‘the act of knowing by Consciousness’ creates ‘manifestation’, which is the eye or vision. Vision means ‘to go’ or to ‘become what is being viewed’.  When it is viewed, it is ‘done’, it is ‘past’. This is why, in Sanskrit, bhUta means ‘past’ as well as ‘what is materialized or physical objects, what is visible or perceptible’.

The eye is also called akShi and is related to the word ‘akSha’ which means ‘axis’. Axis is the line or ‘line of sight’, which is the central line with respect to which periodic motions or cycles of time function. (The English word ‘ocular’ appears to be related to the word ‘akSha’. In our planetary system, the periodicity like day and night, cycles of seasons, etc. are directly or indirectly related to the sun.

The sun is the praaNa, self-illuminated in the external sky. (See, above, the quote from Prashnopashiad, Answer to the Third Question.) Thus, when praaNa is satisfied, aaditya (the sun) is satisfied. Consciousness or praaNa cannot be without observation or vision. So, praaNa is associated with the eye, and aaditya is associated with dyu, div, or divinity.

So, when praaNa is satisfied, aaditya (the sun) is satisfied, and when aaditya  is satisfied, dyu or divinity is satisfied.

As in an individual, the eye or the vision is the root of the dimensional existence, similarly, the divinity or dyu is behind the manifestation and realization of the perceptible, dimensional, and measurable universe as a whole.

Self-expression and eternity are the characteristics of divinity or dyu. Dependence on others for existence and mortality are the characteristics of the earth or mortal existence.

We are all integrated. However, our earthly existence is very much individualistic and this is the character or aspect of Universal Consciousness as ‘earth’ or ‘pRithivI’.  pRithivI means:  pRithivI = pRi (pRithak)—separate + thi (stithti)—stay / stable state + vI (qualified/characterized). Thus, the integrated universe is not apparent to us. The integration has been described accurately and specifically in the verses of agnihotra.

Thus what one eats or offers to praaNa, it goes to praaNa who is also aaditya as the universal centre of ‘assimilation’ and is our sun in our planetary system; it (the food/ offer) goes to the vision or eyes and also to the divinity or dyu through whom all the dimensions, all the colours, all the appearances are created in the universe. Thus, when the oblation reaches and satisfies aaditya, dyu, and all the beings those are subjects of aaditya and dyu, they all are satisfied; and in accordance with this satisfaction (anu tRipti) the eater/ offeror is satisfied by the acquirement of prolificity, by the acquirement of animals (those whom he/she regulates), by annaayda (by ‘ana’ or praaNa who becomes ‘adya’ or ‘moments’ or ‘whatever one wants to eat or enjoy’), by the potency (tejasaa) and by the illumination of bramha (the Universal Consciousness who is ever-growing).

This is how it happens and can be seen as the divinity beyond the physicality gets manifested.

vyaana, chandramaa and second oblation to agni.

The second or next feed, or the second or the next offer, goes to the aspect of praaNa called vyaana.

vyaana = vi + aana; vi = in different (various) directions; aana= aa (spread) + ana = spread or diffusion of ‘ana’ or praaNa.

vyaana is that aspect of praaNa or the Universal Consciousness by which praaNa gets activated in all directions. Thus, this is the universal web or the network by which every entity of the universe is connected to the other. These are seen as the physical nerves in our body. vyaana personified, is the lord of air or vaayu. (vaayur vyaanah----vaayu is vyaana.{Prashnopanishad, Third Question, Eighth Verse}.)

There are two aspects of Consciousness. One is refractory and the other is reflective; one is ‘to become or to create’ and the other is ‘to know or feel what is created’; one is ‘to speak’ and the other is ‘to listen to what is spoken’.  As we are also Consciousness, we listen to every word that we speak. With every word, we are created as a new personality in Consciousness and we listen to it or we feel what we become. This is why agni is called jaatavedaa, which means, who is born (jaata)  by knowing (veda) and who is knowing while being born. (Consciousness or agni is born by Consciousness.)

The gush of consciousness, the gush of praaNa or life or ana, is always coming to us as sound, light, touch, and so on. This is the elixir or soma which is inundating us with senses, feelings, perceptions.  As the light falls on a reflector, it is reflected as well as modifies the reflector itself. Light is also absorbed by the reflector and the light reflected determines the colour of the reflector. These are all the properties of the lunar plane, which bears the reflective aspect of the Universal Consciousness from whom soma is flowing out. This lunar plane is called chandra/chandramaa (moon). Whatever is coming to us as senses or feelings, they get absorbed in us, they are diffused in us and dispersed in various directions within our consciousness / within us.

To feel or sense is the same as listening. Every sense is associated with a sound or word in us. We feel it by listening.  We are being built and evolved as we feel or listen. These felt senses or feelings are dispersed in us in all directions or dik.

Similarly, every word we hear or a sense we feel immediately orients us. When we see a flower, it is the flower that rises in our ‘east’ (praachI). Rest all remain shrouded at that moment to make the ‘sense of flower’ prominent. Where all remain shrouded like this is west (pratIchI). It (pratIchI) is also the direction where hRidaya (heart) and varuNa loka are located.  varuNa is the deity or the personality of the Consciousness who shrouds.   varuNa is related to the word aavaraNa which means ‘a cover’. Thus, with every sense, there is a rise in the east and set in the west; this is called ahoraatra (day and night). These two simultaneous acts of Consciousness, to rise in the east and set in the west are established in two divine personalities called mitra and varuNa. These two deities are almost always invoked together and are jointly called mitra-varuNa; they are considered as a pair. The west is also the direction of hRidaya (heart). Because everything rises from hRidaya and sets in hRidaya.  The physical heart is part of hRidaya. The other two directions ‘south’ (avaachI/ dakShiNa)  and ‘north’(udIchI/ uttara) are those directions/dik or the inclinations of the Universal Consciousness which account for our transformation or ‘build’ and enhancement through the divinity, respectively.

Thus, vyaana, shrotra (ear), dik (directions), and soma/chandramaa (moon) are integrated.

The next verses are as below:

atha yaaM dvitIyaaM juhuyaattaaM juhuyaadvyaanaaya svaaheti vyaanastRipyati || 5.20.1 ||

(Now, that the second oblation is offered, he {the eater/offeror} offers it to vyaana along with svaahaa; it is this. vyaanaa is satisfied.) (Chandogya Upanishad, Twentieth Part, First Verse.)

vyaane tRipyati shrotraM tRipyati shrotre tRipyati chandramaastRipyati chandramasi tRipyati dishastRipyanti dikShu tRipyantIShu yatkiMcha dishashcha chandramaashchaadhitiShThanti tattRipyati tasyaanu tRiptiM tRipyati prajayaa pashubhirannaadyena tejasaa brahmavarchaseneti || 5.20.2 ||

When vyaaNa is satisfied, the hearing is satisfied; when the hearing is satisfied, chandramaa {the moon} is satisfied; when chandramaa is satisfied, directions are satisfied; when the directions are satisfied whoever is existing in the directions, and in chandramaa that is satisfied; in accordance to this satisfaction,  the offeror is satisfied by (achieving) prolificity, by (acquiring) animals (creatures under his domain), by annaadya (by ‘ana’ or praaNa who becomes ‘adya’ or ‘moments’ (or ‘whatever one wants to eat or enjoy’), by tejasaa (potency ), by the radiance of bramha (the absolute being who is growing).  (Chandogya Upanishad, Twentieth Part, Second Verse.)

The first offer goes to aaditya and dyu. Creation from oneness, soul/self-expression, are the characteristics of divinity. In aaditya and dyu, the soul, or the Universal Oneness is creating by splitting from Oneness into many and still remaining One. Like by refraction real images are formed, it is the same light in the source, that splits into many and makes the formation (real image). Refraction is ‘re-fraction’, fractionating repeatedly, and splitting of Universal Consciousness into many. In Consciousness, there is always expression or creation and to feel what is created or expressed. This expression or creation or fractionation of One is ‘refraction’ and where it (what is created or fractionated) is felt/realized in the self,  there, it is ‘reflection’.  The streams of feelings, senses that are flooding us all the time are from this ‘reflective’ plane or the aspect of the Consciousness called chandramaa/chandra, moon or lunar plane. This stream is the flow of soma.

apaana, agni and third oblation to agni.

The third offer or the third phase of the offered food, oblation, goes to the aspect of praaNa called apaana.  apaana = ap/apa + ana; ap is the ‘divine water’, quenching everyone’s thirst, ap also means  ‘aapti’ or ‘acquirement’. This aspect of praaNa supports and sustains what one has already achieved. It cleans, soothes, and gratifies us. It boosts our physical existence, identity.

Thus our existence as an individual, our physicality, which we have achieved, is secured by and regulated by apaana. It is the source of ‘gravity’ or ‘gravitational attraction’. The part of our divinity that has got trapped in gravity is our mortality, and that is regulated by apaana.

Thus, in Prashnopanishad, it is said : prithivyaam ya devataa saiShaa puruShasyaapaanam avaShtabhya…..(Prashnopanishad, Third Question, Eighth Verse).

(The divine personality who is in pRithivI/earth, she is holding the apaana of purusha{entity/ individual}.

This implies, as praaNa corresponds to the vision and dominates on our faculty of vision, as vyaana corresponds to hearing and dominates on our faculty of hearing;  similarly, apaana corresponds to the earth or physical body and holds us in the body like the earth holding the entire physicality.

apaana, being praaNa as ap or water, cleanses us, and regulates the excretion processes in the body.

Thus, physiologically, it is stated:

paayu ({in the} anus) upasThe (in the genitals) apaanaM (apaana)----apaana is located in the anus and genitals. This means apaana is controlling the excretions. But this is only a part of apaan’s function. apaana is functioning from two centres called mUlaadhaara and svaadhiShThaana. Physically, mUlaadhaara is located at the base or bottom of the spine and svaadhiShThaana is above mUlaadhaara and below the navel, and above the genitals. svaadhiShThaana is that centre from where the divine water or ‘ap’ acts on us. This is the centre that activates our pleasure, procreation and it supports the physical developments through mUlaadhaara. mUlaadhaara = mUla (main/principal) + aadhaara (receptacle). Thus we are held in the physicality by mUlaadhaara.

The happiness, pleasures, and consequent developments of ours are regulated in svaadhiShThaana. Our achievements, our accomplishments, our involvements, and activities further shape our physical existence and anatomy; it also decides how we will pro-create; our sexuality is controlled accordingly.

svaadhiShThaana = sva (soul/self) + adhiShThaana (governing place) ----- The place or location where the soul is standing over the physicality.

We have explained in our various articles published earlier, that Consciousness while creating duality from Oneness, splits into two fundamental aspects known as vaak and praaNa. vaak is behind every vaakya or ‘composed/ processed word’.  Everything that is materialized is a ‘word’ of the Universal Consciousness like thoughts materialized to ‘words’ in our mind. These words of Consciousness, the conscious words, are called Rik. A word can be seen as a ‘thought’ covered in a shell of ‘sound’ (articulated or not). Thus Consciousness as vaak has captured Consciousness in the shells (vaakya/word, pRithivI/earth) made of Consciousness and the captured Consciousness (a being or an entity) is also called praaNa . Also, it is told that everything is created by the copulation of vaak and praaNa and every created entity is praaNa (also called agni) in an embrace of vaak. Thus, the earth (pRithivI) or the physicality is the body of vaak.

(It may be noted that in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the words praaNa and manas/mana (mind) have been used interchangably. Like, sometimes praaNa and vaak are stated to be in copulation, and sometimes manas/mana (mind) and vaak are stated to be in copulation.)

It is stated in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Chapter One, Fifth Brahmin/Part, Eleventh Verse): tasai vaachaH prithivI sharIraM jyotIrUpam ayam agniH tad yaavtI eva vaak taavatI pRithivI taavan ayam agniH.

tasai—that; vaachaH—vaak’s;  prithivI—the earth;  sharIraM---body;  jyotIrUpam—illuminated form; ayam—this; agniH—agni (praaNa);  tad—that;  yaavtI eva---as much as is;  vaak---vaak; taavatI---that much is;  pRithivI----the earth;  taavan—similarly;  ayam—this; agniH—agni.

The earth/ physicality is the body of that vaak and this agni is her illuminated form.  As much as is vaak, that much is the earth/ physicality,(and) similarly is this agni.

Thus, vaak has materialized as the perceptible universe, and the personality expressed in every such entity is called praaNa.

Thus, apaana (as described above), vaak, agni, and pRithivI are related.

So, the verses for the third offer, or third phase of the offer are as below:

atha yaaṃ tRitIyaaṃ juhuyaattaaṃ juhuyaadapaanaaya svaahetyapaanastRipyati || 5.21.1 ||

(Now, that the third oblation is offered, he {the eater/offeror} offers it to apaana along with svaahaa; it is this. apaana is satisfied.)

apaane tRipyati vaaktRipyati vaachi tRipyantyaamagnistRipyatyagnau tRipyati pRithivI tRipyati pRithivyaaM tRipyantyaaM yatkiMcha pṛthivI chaagnishchaadhitiSThatastattRipyati tasyaanu tṛptiM tRipyati prajayaa pashubhirannaadyena tejasaa brahmavarchaseneti || 5.21.2 ||

(When apaana is satisfied, vaak is satisfied; when vaak is satisfied, agni {the fre} is satisfied; when agni is satisfied, pRithivI (earth) is satisfied; when pRithivI is satisfied whoever is existing in pRithivI (earth) , and in agni (fire),  that is satisfied; in accordance to this satisfaction, the offeror is satisfied by (achieving) prolificity, by (acquiring) the animals (creatures under his domain), by annaadya (by ‘ana’ or praaNa who becomes ‘adya’ or ‘moments’ (or ‘whatever one wants to eat or enjoy’), by tejasaa (potency ), by the radiance of bramha (the absolute being who is growing). (Chandogya Upanishad, Fifth Chapter, Twenty-first Part, Second Verse.)

Like vaak and agni, it is the earth and the fire/ super-heated core inside the earth, it is the body and the living entity within, it is the word impregnated with mind and feelings.

samaana, vidyut and fourth oblation to agni.

The fourth offer or the fourth phase of the offered food, oblation, goes to the aspect of praaNa called samaana.

samaana is that aspect of praaNa by whom everything can coexist without conflict. samaana is behind the ‘equanimity’ of the mind. All sorts of thoughts, conceptions, senses are prominently expressed in the mind, and they don’t get mixed up. If we look into our existence, there are so many things in the body, mind, and heart that are co-existing, functioning, and without any conflict; they are united, synchronized, and seem to be all working toward a common goal.

Thus, the two verses corresponding to the fourth offer are as below:

atha yaaṃ chaturthIM juhuyaattaaM juhuyaatsamaanaaya svaaheti samaanastRipyati (Chandogya Upanishad, 5.22.1.)  (Now, that the fourth oblation is offered, he {the eater/offeror} offers it to samaana along with svaahaa; it is this. samaana is satisfied.) (Chandogya Upanishad, Fifth Chapter, Twenty-second Part, First Verse.)

samaane tRipyati manastRipyati manasi tRipyati parjanyastRipyati parjanye tRipyati vidyuttRipyati vidyuti tRipyantyaaM yatkiMha vidyuchcha parjanyashchaadhitiShThatastattRipyati tasyaanu tRiptiM tRipyati prajayaa pashubhirannaadyena tejasaa brahmavarchaseneti || 5.22.2 ||

(When samaana is satisfied, the mind is satisfied; when the mind is satisfied, parjanya is satisfied; when parjanya is satisfied,vidyut (electricity) is satisfied; when vidyut is satisfied whoever is existing in vidyut (electricity), and in parjanya that is satisfied; in accordance to this satisfaction, the offeror is satisfied by (achieving) prolificity, by  (acquiring) the animals (creatures under his domain), by annaadya (by ‘ana’ or praaNa who becomes ‘adya’ or ‘moments’ (or ‘whatever one wants to eat or enjoy’), by tejasaa (potency ), by the radiance of bramha (the absolute being who is growing). (Chandogya Upanishad, Fifth Chapter, Twenty-second Part, Second Verse.)

In Prashnopanishad, it is mentioned:

aantaraa (inside) yad (that) aakaakaashaH(sky) sa (he is) samaano (samaana)… (Prashnopanishad , Third Question, Eighth Verse).

(The sky that is inside is samaana).

The inner sky, the sky inside us, is called antaraakaasha. There is no dimension in the ‘sky’, everything exists there ‘without dimension’. Also, there is no dimension of the ‘mind’ (mana, manas). Immediately next to the mind is the physical universe.  The Rishis (Seers) have mentioned whatever is felt as, antaraakaasha, is the same as the external sky.

The exterior of the inner sky (antaraakaasha) is the ‘mind’ and the interior is the heart or hRidaya which is the ‘seat’ of all feelings. The ingredient of the sky is vaak. The ‘sky’, that we feel as inane and empty, is full of consciousness. Everything is held here, everything is held by the heart.

Though, all definitions, dimensions, and shapes are perceived in the ‘mind’, ‘mind’ is beyond dimensions. All, maana (measures), are the measures of the mind (mana/manas). This is samaana---sa (he/he is) + maana(measure) and also sama (same) maana (measure)—whatever it is, it is the mind; it is a word or a thought in the mind of the Creator; our mind is part of the Universal Mind.

Thus, in this inner sky, everyone, everything, every grain of the universe is ‘held’ or ‘known’ with equality or sameness; it is the sameness of eternity. We have mentioned this while explaining ‘aaditya’ in the earlier part of this article.

In Prashnopanishad, it is said that samaana leads the offered foods to ‘sameness’. This is the quote in Upanishad (Prashnopanishad, Third Question, Fifth Verse) :

madhye tu samaanah

esha hyetadhutam annaM samaM nayati, tasmaat etaaH saptaarchiSho bhavanti

( In the middle indeed is samaana; indeed this (samaana) leads the offered food to sameness, and from it, these (offered foods) become the seven flames.)

(Word by word meaning:

madhye tu---in the middle indeed

samaanah---is samaana

eSha—this (samaana)

hi etad—indeed this

hutam---offered

annaM—foods

samam----sameness

nayati---leads

tasmaat---from that

etaaH----these

sapta----seven

archiSho-----flames

bhvanti---become.).

When we see by both the eyes, it leads to the same vision; when we hear by both the ears it leads to the same sound, to the same direction; our inhaling and exhaling work in synchronization-----all these are happening by the action of samaana. All these are ‘hutam annaM samaM nayati’--- taking the offer or oblation to sameness.

Thus, in Upanishad, it is said,

yad uchChvaasaniHshvaasau etau aahutI samaM nayati iti sa smaanaH,

(As the expiration and inspiration, these two oblations, are brought to sameness/synchronization, so he is samaana.) (Prashnopanishad,4.4---Fourth Question, Fourth Verse.)

samaana carries all the foods, all the oblations to the one who is the one in everyone. Thus, the word for ‘taste’ in Sanskrit is ‘svaada’. savaada means, sva (soul) + aada (taking, receiving).

Whatever we eat, whatever we sense, whatever we feel, they finally reach our soul. We live, we sense, we eat, we exist in our ‘knowledge’ or ‘consciousness’. Knowledge or Consciousness is called j~naana. In this word j~naana there are two parts, j~na, and ana. j~na is svayam, or the soul who is the assertion-less self and ana is praaNa or the streams of consciousness coming out of j~na.

It is the same One, same j~na in every entity, in every individual. He is the universal soul. When he is active, or where he is active, there he is ana or praaNa. This is the mystery of the word j~naana or Knowledge, and we have learned this from our Guru.

Thus, anything offered, sensed, or eaten, the process happens in Consciousness and the process ends in Consciousness. Thus, the offered foods, foods eaten, go back to praaNa (ana) and to j~na (soul). This is also ‘samaM nayati’, leading to ‘sameness’.

The offers, the foods, make seven flames in praaNa, in the inner sky, in the seven centres (sapta chakra) of the Consciousness. The word sapta (seven), represents the number, at which one arrives after everything in the universe is counted and then summarized; it is then the number seven or the seven groups where everything is included. sapta =sa/saha (jointly/along with/together with) + aapta (acquired/achieved). sapta or the seventh phase of the moon or soma is that phase, where everything is seen as ‘acquired or rested in soma or in praaNa’ who is gushing out as the streams of consciousness or nectar.

When everything is seen collected in the Universal Oneness or in the Universal Soul, the number is seven or sapta. When the Universal Soul is seen scattered everywhere in the form of the entities of the Universe, that is the number eight or aShTa. The component aSh in aShTa means ‘to move, to go’ and this root word ‘aSh’ is related to the root word ‘as’ meaning, ‘to throw, to cast’, as well as ‘to exist’. Universal Consciousness is existing in every form that is cast as an entity in the universe. This is represented by the number eight.

So, when samaana is satisfied mind (manasa) is satisfied. When the mind is satisfied, parjanya is satisfied. parjanya is the rain god! parjanya is that aspect of the Universal Consciousness or praaNa from whom anna is created to support us with life. As samaana leads anna or the offered foods to the origin, conversely samaana brings the anna to us, to the earth to give us life.

There is this hymn in Prashnopanishad:

yadaa tvamabhivarShasyathemaaH praaNa te prajaaH

anandarupaastiShthanti kaamaayaannaM bhaviShytitI

(When you rain down, oh praaNa, your these offspring (those who have originated from you), delightfully wait for the desired foods to appear!  Knowing that anna which they have desired will be forthcoming! (Prashnopanishad, Second Question, Tenth Verse.)

{Word to word meaning of the above verse:

yada—when

tvama---you

abhivarShasi—rain toward (us/ toward the creation)

atha—then

imaa---these

praaNa----oh praaNa

te—your

prajaa---offspring, those who are generated from praaNa

aananda rUpa---aananda (joy) rupa (form or state)----in the state of joy

tiShThanti—stay, wait

kaamaaya----desired

annaM---foods

bhaviShyati---will appear

iti---this is it (it denotes the end of the verse).

The word parjanya signifies the followings:

parjanya = pari (towards) + janya (who generates, father) ----the one who generates toward or rains toward the earth----one who impregnates the earth with fertility. parjanya not only pours the rain on the earth from the clouds, parjanya reigns over the fulfillment of our desire; as parjanya rains, whatever we have desired, they as seeds are formed, sprout and appear to us carried by time. This is ‘kaamaayaannaM bhaviShytitI-----whatever anna is desired, that is going to be’.

parjanya---- para (beyond/ behind) + janya (who are being born) ----who is behind the souls, or the beings being born. It has been mentioned in several parts of Upanishads about the routes which a departing soul and also the soul returning for the re-birth follows. The path traveled during departing is retraced during returning. It is stated the souls returning to be reborn, enter into the regions of clouds after leaving the realm of the moon. The souls are transferred to the various types of clouds. Finally, they descend to the earth by the rain. Then they enter into the plantations, into the crops, etc. Through the foods, they enter into the bodies of the males (fathers). It is mentioned that the routes vary and not the same; especially they are significantly different for the lower-end creatures. It is also mentioned that it is not easy to enter into the body of the creature/person by whom the soul is destined to be re-born. Thus, parjanya also dominates over our re-birth in the earth. As anna is supporting our life, and nourishing us, similarly anna also carries us to the body of our genitor or father for the rebirth to materialize.

Here is a quote below of Krishna (kRiShNa) (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter three, Verse four) on anna and parjanna below:

annaad (from anna) bhavanti (come into being) bhUtaani (all that exist), parjanyaad (from parjanya)  anna (anna) sambhavaḥ (is created)

(All that exist come into being from anna;

From parjanya, anna is created.)

When parjanya is satisfied, vidyut (Electricity / Lightning) is satisfied. One of the meanings of the word vidyut, is ‘the one who detonates the physicality /mortality and exposes the divinity’. The god parjanya or the personality of the Universal Consciousness called parjanya, implants the ‘divinity’ in the ‘earth’. Those who are in the dormant or near- dormant stage, those who are waiting/scheduled to be re-born and to continue in the evolution, are manifested into the respective and destined animated/active existence by the divinity, by parjanya.  vidyut, in this context, is that aspect of the Consciousness or parjanya by which we are illumined again in the lives to which we are destined.

vidyut=  vidonate (irradiates/irradiates and detonates to reveal) iti (since) vidyut---since it irradiates, so it is vidyut. parjanya irradiates and brings life to the earth. The dormant souls are initiated to birth/re-birth.

(The root word of vidyut is dyut meaning ‘to irradiate’ and also ‘to break open or to tear open’. )

udaana, aakaasha and fifth oblation to agni.

The fifth phase of the offer goes to udaana.  The corresponding verses in Chandogya Upanishad are as below:

atha yaṃ pa~ncamIṃ juhuyaattaaM juhuyaadudaanaaya svaahetyudaanastRipyati || 5.23.1 || (Chandogya Upanishad, Fifth Chapter, Twenty third part, First Verse.)

(Now, that the fifth oblation is offered, he {the eater/offeror} offers it to udaana along with svaahaa; it is this. udaana is satisfied.)

udaane tRipyati tvaktRipyati tvachi tRipyantyaaṃ vaayustRipyati vaayau tRipyatyaakaashastRipyatyaakaasho tRipyati yatkiMcha vaayushchaakaashashchaadhitiShThatastattRipyati tasyaanu tRiptiṃ tRipyati prajayaa pashubhirannaadyena tejasaa brahmavarchasena || 5.23.2 ||

(When udaana is satisfied, tavk/ tavch(touch) is satisfied; when the touch is satisfied, vaayu (air) is satisfied; when vaayu  is satisfied, aakaasha (sky) is satisfied; when aakaasha is satisfied whoever is existing in vaayu , and in aakaasha that is satisfied; in accordance to this satisfaction, the offeror is satisfied by his prolificity, by the animals (creatures under his domain), by annaadya (by ‘ana’ or praaNa who becomes ‘adya’ or ‘moments’ or ‘whatever one wants to eat or enjoy’), by tejasaa (potency ), by the radiance of bramha (the absolute being who is growing). (Chandogya Upanishad, Fifth Chapter, Twenty third part, Second Verse.)

udaana is that aspect of praaNa, by which we are held in the ud/ut.  ud/ut means, what is up or above or beyond the ‘death’ or mortality. It has been mentioned in Upanishads, that mukhya praaNa performed udgaana to carry the senses or sense faculties/ creatures beyond death. ud/ ut implies divinity, i.e.where one experiences his existence in eternity or in the eternal soul.

udaana is holding us above mortality and this feature of udaana is aakaasha (sky). The void or vacuum sucks. Everything, every entity is held in the plane called aakaasha (sky) as a part of the divinity.

aakaasha= aa + kaasha; aa = aatata (spread everywhere) + kaasha (shining, visible) -----who is present everywhere and is shining (source of visibility).  This is the ‘paramam padam’ or the supreme state/ abode that belongs to viShNu (eternal praaNa personified and who is sustaining the universe; further this supreme state is described in Rik Veda as “divIva chakShuraatatam’ (like the divinity and the eye{the source of visibility}, which is spread everywhere).

aakaasha, or void is the ‘elemental sound’ or shavda tattva. Though there is no specific sound perceptible in aakaasha, and no orientation/direction in aakaasha, it is the source of all sounds, all directions, all definitions, and all defined entities. The creation of any sound or word is the creation of an entity. No sound is created without orientation or direction. This is why the listening/ear and sense of direction are intrinsically connected.

This ‘direction’ or ‘dik’ is the same as ‘air’ or ‘vaayu’. The English word ‘air’ also represents the ‘manner’ or the ‘inclination’ of a personality. Similarly, in Sanskrit, the word vaayu grasta meaning ‘seized by air or wind’ implies ‘obsession with certain idea/manner/ habit’. The inclination of praaNa or Consciousness decides the ‘direction’ of the ‘flow of praaNa/ air or vaayu’. When a word is uttered or created from Consciousness, it creates a new entity from Consciousness. The inclinations or propensities of Consciousness or praaNa determine the specificities or characteristics of the created entity. These propensities are the directions or dik and are the ways praaNa or vaayu flows.

vaayu (air) is also called sUtraatman (sUtra--thread + aatman--soul). sUtra means ‘thread’.  vaayu or praaNa acts as the thread between the ‘source/creator/aatman’ and the ‘creation’.

So, as explained above, from the ‘manifesting plane’ or aakaasha of the Universal Consciousness, word or sound/shavda is created and simultaneously is created vaayu / direction / air/touch (sparsha).

The word for ‘touch’ is ‘sparsha’ in Sanskrit and the word for ‘skin’ is ‘tvach / tvak’ in Sanskrit. The characteristic of air or vaayu is ‘touch’. The sense of touch is all over our body, like aakaasha or void is there everywhere; similarly, vaayu or air is there everywhere, somewhere perceptible, somewhere subtle. 

Thus, is the connectivity between udaana, tvach(touch), aakaasha (sky) and vaayu (air).

tejo ha vai udaanah tasmaad upashaanta tejaah punarbhavam indriyair manasi sampadyamaanaih

(teja/potency is indeed udaana, therefore the one whose potency has become dormant, the one is again revived/re-born accomplished with the sensing faculties in the mind) (Prashnopanishad, Third Question, Ninth Verse.)

(Word to word meaning

tejo--- teja(s)/potency 

ha vai ----is certainly

udaanah -----udaana 

tasmaad -----therefore

upashaanta -----calmed /dormant

tejaah ----teja(s)

punarbhavam ----reborn/ revived

indriyair –with the sensing faculties

manasi ---in the mind

sampadyamaanaih---accomplished.)

Thus, by udaana we are reborn, we gain consciousness. udaana leads us to the other domains after our death and animates us in those domains where we go through the pleasures and pains as per our deeds.  As stated above, uddana or aakaasha is potent to create everything. udaana carries us to the destinations after death. udaana drives us to all the destinations, good and bad, that we secure for ourselves by our acts of virtues and vices.

Thus, in the following verse of Prashnopanishad, the sage has mentioned about udaana carrying us to the destined world after our death:

athaikayordhva udaanaḥ puṇyena puṇyaṃ lokaṃ nayati paapena paapamubhaabhyaameva manuShyalokam || 3.7 ||

atha ekaya (now through one of them) Urdha (upwards) udaanah (udaana) puṇyena (by the virtues) puṇyaM (virtuous {deeds}) lokaṃ (world) nayati (leads)  paapena (by the sinful{deeds}) paapam (evil {world}); ubhaabhyaaM (by both) eva (indeed) manuShyalokam (in the world of human beings).

Now, through one of theme {through one of the myriads of channels stemming out of the heart} that is upwards, udaana leads the {parting soul} to the world of virtues /grace as per the virtuous deeds and to the world of sins/pains as per the sinful acts; the world of the human beings is driven indeed by both virtues and vices. (Prashnopanishad, Third Question, Seventh Verse/ Verse 3.7).

The location of praaNa, vyaana, apaana, samaana, udaana and soul in the body.

mukhya praaNa (praaNa from mukha or mouth).

 In Prashnopanishad it is stated that apaana is residing in the anus and genitals (lower abdomen); we have explained the connection between apaaNa and the earth. Thus, the navel (part of lower abdomen region) plays a role during our physical birth. Navel /apaana also plays a role when we are purged out of our bodies.

(naabhyaa apaanaH apanant mrityuH----Aitareya Upanishad, Part 1, Fourth Verse: 

From the navel (created in Consciousness), apaana is created; from apaana ‘death’ is created. Death means death and also means physicality. Physicality means Consciousness frozen into a definte, isolated entity.)

The location of samaana is stated in the middle. vyaana is flowing through myriads of channels or directions (dik) of Consciousness or praaNa; these streams of vyaana are coming out from hRidaya or heart, inside which the Consciousness as soul or the One is present. Out of these numerous channels, only one is there upward, through which udaana carries us out of the body to the destinations that we deserve as per our deeds. (Refer verses in Question 3 of Prashnopanishad----Verse 3.5, 3.6 & 3.7.)

praaNa himself is residing in the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. The void inside the mouth is also the sky, aakaasha. From this sky, words are coming out which are our words, which are expressions of praaNa. From these words, everything is created. Thus, in Chandogya Upanishad, it is stated that mukhya praaNa or eternal praana is called aayaasya as from aasya (mouth) praaNa comes out.

aayaasya = aasyad (from the mouth) yad (since) ayayte (comes out). (Chandogya Upanishad, First Chapter, Second Part, Twelfth Verse).