Prashna 6

Recitation with translationPrashna Upanishad Prashna 6

Verses

Verse 6.1

अथ हैनं सुकेशा भारद्वाजः पप्रच्छ । भगवन् हिरण्यनाभः कौसल्यो राजपुत्रो मामुपेत्यैतं प्रश्नमपृच्छत । षोडशकलं भारद्वाज पुरुषं वेत्थ । तमहं कुमारम्ब्रुवं नाहमिमं वेद । यध्यहमिममवेदिषं कथं ते नावक्ष्यमिति ...

Sukesh Bharadvaja ne poocha. Ek rajkumar Hiranyanabha mere paas aaya tha. Usne poocha ki kya main solah wala purush ko jaanta hoon. Maine kaha nahi, mujhe nahi pata. Agar pata hota toh batata. Jhooth bolne wala sookh jaata hai, isliye main jhooth nahi bol sakta. Woh chup chap rath mein baith ke chala gaya. Ab aap batao, woh purush kahan hai?

Verse 6.2

तस्मै स होवाच । इहैवान्तःशरीरे सोम्य स पुरुषो यस्मिन्नताः षोडशकलाः प्रभवन्तीति ॥२॥

Usne kaha, beta, yeh jo purush hai woh is shareer ke andar hi hai. Usse hi se solah parts nikalte hain. Yeh sab kuch yahin hai, bahar nahi.

Verse 6.3

स ईक्षाचक्रे । कस्मिन्नहमुत्क्रान्त उत्क्रान्तो भविष्यामि कस्मिन्वा प्रतिष्टिते प्रतिष्टस्यामीति ॥३॥

Purush ne socha, main kahan se aaya hoon? Main kahan jaonga? Main kis cheez mein base hoon? Yeh sab sawaal usne khud se kiye.

Verse 6.4

स प्राणमसृजत प्राणाच्छ्रद्धां खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापः पृथिवीन्द्रियं मनः । अन्नमन्नाद्वीर्यं तपो मन्त्राः कर्म लोका लोकेषु च नाम च ॥४॥

Usne pehle prana banaya. Phir usse aasman, hawa, roshni, paani, dharti bani. Phir indriya aur mann aaya. Khana se taqat aayi. Tapas, mantar, karm aur duniya bani. Har jagah naam bhi diye.

Verse 6.5

स यथेमा नध्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रायणाः समुद्रं प्राप्यास्तं गच्छन्ति भिध्येते तासां नामरुपे समुद्र इत्येवं प्रोच्यते । एवमेवास्य परिद्रष्टुरिमाः षोडशकलाः पुरुषायणाः पुरुषं प्राप्यास्तं गच्छन्ति भिध्येत...

Jaise nadiya samundar mein jaake mil jaati hain, unka naam aur shakal chhapa jaati hai, phir sab samundar kehlaate hain. Waise hi yeh solah parts bhi purush mein jaake mil jaate hain. Phir sirf purush rehta hai. Woh bina kisi part ke amar ho jaata hai.

Verse 6.6

अरा इव रथनाभौ कला यस्मिन्प्रतिष्टिताः । तं वेध्यं पुरुषं वेद यथा मा वो मृत्युः परिव्यथा इति ॥६॥

Jaise gaadi ke pahiye ki dandi mein saari teeliyan lagi hoti hain, waise hi yeh sab parts us purush mein lage hain. Usse jaan lo taaki maut tumhe dukh na de. Yeh baat kahi gayi hai.

Verse 6.7

तान् होवाचैतावदेवाहमेतत् परं ब्रह्म वेद । नातः परमस्तीति ॥७॥

Un sab se unhone kaha ki main to itna hi jaanta hoon. Main yeh bada Brahma ko jaanta hoon. Isse bada kuch bhi nahi hai.

Verse 6.8

ते तमर्चयन्तस्त्वं हि नः पिता योऽस्माकमविद्यायाः परं परं तारयसीति । नमः परमऋषिभ्यो नमः परमऋषिभ्यः ॥८॥

Phir woh sab uski puja karne lage. Unhone kaha ki aap hi hamare baap jaise hain. Aap hamari badi bhool se humein paar le jaate hain. Jahan se aur bada koi jagah nahi, wahan tak pahuncha dete hain. Un bade rishiyon ko namaste. Un bade rishiyon ko namaste.

Inside Prashna 6

Key teachings

  • • The Purusha (Supreme Person) is the source from which all sixteen kalas (aspects/manifestations) arise and into which they dissolve. • The sixteen kalas include prana, shraddha, ether, air, light, water, earth, senses, mind, food, vitality, tapas, mantras, karma, worlds, and names. • Just as rivers flowing into the ocean lose their individual names and forms and become one with the ocean, all sixteen aspects merge into the Purusha, losing distinct identity. • The Purusha is the eternal, undivided ground of all multiplicity — both the origin and the dissolution of all creation. • Self-knowledge (atma-jnana) is the supreme path to liberation, far exceeding any ritual, austerity, or Vedic study. • The knower of this Purusha attains immortality — there is no other way to cross over mortality. • The Rishi Pippalada concludes the instruction by affirming that no one can transcend death without knowing this Supreme Person. • The section echoes the Chandogya Upanishad's sixteen-part analysis, reinforcing the non-dual Vedantic vision that the many emerge from the One and return to the One.

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