Shloka 49

Adhyaya 10 — Jaimini’s Questions on Birth, Death, Karma, and the Embodied Journey

Sanskrit

उदानो नाम पवनस्ततश्चोर्ध्वं प्रवर्तते ।

भुक्तानामम्बुभक्ष्याणामधोगतिनिरोधकृत् ॥

Transliteration

udāno nāma pavanas tataś cordhvaṃ pravartate | bhuktānām ambubhakṣyāṇām adhogatinirodhakṛt ||

Translation

ثم تبدأ الريحُ المسماة أودانا (Udāna) بالحركة صعودًا، فتَكُفُّ المسارَ الهابط لما أُكِلَ وشُرِب.

Word by Word

• उदानः: Udāna (vital air)
• उदानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निपात (particle: “by name/called”)

• पवनः: wind; vital air
• पवनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (उदानः)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतु-वाचक (then/from there)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative: “upwards”)

• प्रवर्तते: moves/operates
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• भुक्तानाम्: of what has been eaten
• भुक्तानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भुज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त) used substantively; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (of) those eaten/consumed

• अम्बुभक्ष्याणाम्: of water/fluids (as things to be swallowed)
• अम्बुभक्ष्याणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अम्बुनः भक्ष्याणि = water/fluids as ingestibles)

• अधोगतिनिरोधकृत्: preventing downward movement
• अधोगतिनिरोधकृत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधः (अव्यय) + गति (प्रातिपदिक) + निरोध (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अधोगतेः निरोधं करोति इति = one who prevents downward movement); विशेषण (उदानः/पवनः)

Speakers

• Son to Father

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Prāṇa doctrine (pañca-vāyu)
• Udāna and upward movement
• Physiology of dying

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

As life withdraws, bodily functions reverse and constrain ordinary processes; this underlines impermanence and the need to orient consciousness upward (toward higher aims) while alive.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Upadeśa: yogic physiology used to explain saṃsāra mechanics at the point of death.

What is the esoteric significance?

Udāna is classically linked to upward exit and post-mortem trajectory; its ‘upward turn’ symbolizes the jīva being drawn from gross digestion toward subtle transit.