Prashna Upanishad: Verse 1.12

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

मासो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्य कृष्णपक्ष एव रयिः शुक्लः प्रणस्तस्मादेत ऋषयः शुक्ल इष्टं कुर्वन्तीतर इतरस्मिन् ॥१२॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

मासः । वै । प्रजापतिः । तस्य । कृष्ण-पक्षः । एव । रयिः । शुक्लः । प्राणः । तस्मात् । एते । ऋषयः । शुक्ले । इष्टम् । कुर्वन्ति । इतरे । इतरस्मिन् ॥

Recitation with translationPrashna Upanishad 1.12

IAST Transliteration

māso vai prajāpatis tasya kṛṣṇapakṣa eva rayiḥ śuklaḥ praṇastasmādeta ṛṣayaḥ śukla iṣṭaṃ kurvantītar itarasmin ॥

Translation

മാസം തീർച്ചയായും പ്രജാപതിയാണ്. അതിന്റെ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷം രയിയാണ്, ശുക്ലപക്ഷം പ്രാണനാണ്. അതിനാൽ ഋഷികൾ ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിൽ യജ്ഞം ചെയ്യുന്നു, മറ്റുള്ളവർ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിൽ ചെയ്യുന്നു.

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Academic Translation

The month indeed is Prajapati. Its dark fortnight is indeed Rayi (matter); its bright fortnight is Prana. Therefore, these seers perform the sacrificial act in the bright fortnight; others [perform it] in the other [dark fortnight].

Verse Context

• Rayi (Matter) and Prana (Life-force) as dual aspects of Prajapati
• Mahavakya: Establishes the Rayi-Prana duality that underpins the cosmological framework of 'Tat Tvam Asi' — Prana being the conscious principle that leads to Brahman-realization
• Atharva Veda
• Pippalada Shakha Shakha
• Chandas: Anushtubh (Vedic prose-verse hybrid)