Verse 13

Prashna

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॥

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

अहोरात्र हा प्रजापतीच आहे. त्याचा दिवस प्राणस्वरूप आणि रात्र रयी (अन्न/पदार्थ) स्वरूप आहे. जे दिवसा रतीसह संयोग करतात ते प्राण क्षीण करतात; परंतु जे रात्री रतीसह संयोग करतात तेच नियत संयमरूप ब्रह्मचर्य होय.

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