Prashna Upanishad: Verse 1.13
अहोरात्रो वै प्रजापतिः। तस्याहरेव प्राणो रात्रिरेव रयिः। प्राणं वा एते प्रस्कन्दन्ति ये दिवा रत्या संयुज्यन्ते। ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्यद्रात्रौ रत्या संयुज्यन्ते॥१३॥
अहः-रात्रः वै प्रजापतिः । तस्य अहः एव प्राणः । रात्रिः एव रयिः । प्राणम् वा एते प्र-स्कन्दन्ति ये दिवा रत्या सं-युज्यन्ते । ब्रह्मचर्यम् एव तत् यत् रात्रौ रत्या सं-युज्यन्ते ॥१३॥
ahorātro vai prajāpatiḥ | tasyāhar eva prāṇo rātrir eva rayiḥ | prāṇaṃ vā ete praskandanti ye divā ratyā saṃyujyante | brahmacaryam eva tad yad rātrau ratyā saṃyujyante ||13||
En vérité, le jour et la nuit sont Prajāpati. En Lui, le jour lui-même est Prāṇa, et la nuit elle-même est Rayi (matière, nourriture). Ceux qui s’unissent au plaisir durant le jour dissipent, en vérité, leur prāṇa. Mais s’unir au plaisir durant la nuit—cela, assurément, est brahmacarya (continence réglée, discipline).
Day-and-night, indeed, is Prajāpati. Of him, the day itself is Prāṇa, and the night itself is Rayi (matter/food). Those who unite with pleasure by day, indeed, squander (their) prāṇa. But that which is uniting with pleasure at night—that indeed is brahmacarya (regulated continence).
- अहोरात्रो → अहः + रात्रः (द्वन्द्व, ओ-आदेशः)
- तस्याहरेव → तस्य + अहः + एव
- रात्रिरेव → रात्रिः + एव
- प्राणं वा → प्राणम् + वा
- तद्यद्रात्रौ → तत् + यत् + रात्रौ
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Brahmacarya; conservation and right-direction of prāṇa; Prajāpati as cosmic order (ṛta)
- The mahavakyas
- Indirect: supports purification and prāṇa-discipline as preparatory means (sādhana) for realizing mahāvākya teachings such as ‘ayam ātmā brahma’/‘tat tvam asi’.
- Veda
- Atharva
- Shakha
- Atharvaveda (Prashna Upanishad; traditionally linked with the Paippalāda tradition)
- Chandas
- Prose
Yoga and practice
Prāṇa-saṃyama through brahmacarya; moderation of sensory indulgence; aligning lifestyle with circadian rhythm for steadiness in meditation; supports ojas/tejas cultivation and dhāraṇā.
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