Prashna Upanishad 13: Verse 13

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अहोरात्रो वै प्रजापतिः। तस्याहरेव प्राणो रात्रिरेव रयिः। प्राणं वा एते प्रस्कन्दन्ति ये दिवा रत्या संयुज्यन्ते। ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्यद्रात्रौ रत्या संयुज्यन्ते॥१३॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

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॥

Recitation with translationPrashna Upanishad 13

IAST Transliteration

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||

Translation

दिन और रात भी प्रजापति हैं। दिन प्राण है और रात मैटर है। जो लोग दिन में ऐसे काम करते हैं वो अपना प्राण बर्बाद करते हैं। पर रात में ऐसे काम करना ठीक है, यह ब्रह्मचर्य है।

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Academic Translation

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).

Verse Context

• Brahmacarya; conservation and right-direction of prāṇa; Prajāpati as cosmic order (ṛta)
• Mahavakya: Indirect: supports purification and prāṇa-discipline as preparatory means (sādhana) for realizing mahāvākya teachings such as ‘ayam ātmā brahma’/‘tat tvam asi’.
• Atharva
• Atharvaveda (Prashna Upanishad; traditionally linked with the Paippalāda tradition) Shakha
• Chandas: Prose