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 ...

Kemudian Sukesha Bharadvaja bertanya kepadanya: 'Tuhanku, Hiranyanabha Kausalya, seorang pangeran, datang kepadaku dan bertanya:

Verse 6.2

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

Kepada dia ia berkata: 'Di sini sendiri, di dalam tubuh, wahai yang terkasih, adalah Purusha itu dari mana keenam belas bagian ini muncul.'

Verse 6.3

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

Ia (Purusha) merenungkan: 'Dari apa aku telah berangkat? Setelah berangkat, dalam apa aku akan berada? Atau, berdiri tegak dalam apa, aku akan berdiri tegak?'

Verse 6.4

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

Ia menciptakan prana; dari prana, shraddha (iman); ruang; udara; cahaya; air; bumi; indra; pikiran; makanan; dari makanan, vitalitas; tapa; mantra; tindakan; dunia-dunia; dan dalam dunia-dunia, nama-nama.

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...

Sama seperti sungai-sungai yang mengalir ini, bergerak menuju samudra, setelah mencapai samudra lenyap, dan nama serta bentuk mereka hancur — mereka disebut sebagai 'samudra' — demikian juga, dari orang suci ini, keenam belas bagian ini, bergerak menuju Purusha, setelah mencapai Purusha lenyap, dan nama serta bentuk mereka hancur — mereka disebut sebagai 'Purusha.' Ia menjadi tanpa bagian dan abadi. Inilah syair itu.

Verse 6.6

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

Seperti jari-jari roda yang terpasang pada poros roda kereta, segala kalā (bagian) berakar pada-Nya. Ketahuilah Purusha yang dapat diketahui itu, agar maut tidak menyebabkan penderitaan bagimu—demikianlah dinyatakan.

Verse 6.7

तान् होवाचैतावदेवाहमेतत् परं ब्रह्म वेद । नातः परमस्तीति ॥७॥

Kepada mereka ia berkata: 'Hanya sejauh inilah aku mengetahui Brahman yang tertinggi. Tidak ada sesuatu pun yang melampaui ini.'

Verse 6.8

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

Mereka menghormatinya, berkata: 'Engkau sungguh ayah kami, yang menyeberangkan kami ke tepi seberang, melampaui yang melampaui, dari kebodohan kami.' Salam kepada para Rishi agung. Salam kepada para Rishi agung.

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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