Prashna Upanishad: Verse 2.5

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

एषोऽग्निस्तपत्येष सूर्य एष पर्जन्यो मघवानेष वायुः एष पृथिवी रयिर्देवः सदसच्चामृतं च यत् ॥५॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

eṣaḥ / agniḥ / tapati / eṣa / sūrya / eṣa / parjanyaḥ / maghavān / eṣa / vāyuḥ / eṣa / pṛthivī / rayiḥ / devaḥ / sat / asat / ca / amṛtam / ca / yat

Recitation with translationPrashna Upanishad 2.5

IAST Transliteration

eṣo'gniḥ tapatyeṣa sūrya eṣa parjanyo maghavāneṣa vāyuḥ eṣa pṛthivī rayirdevaḥ sad asac cāmṛtaṃ ca yat

Translation

To [prāṇa] jest ogniem, który płonie; to jest słońce; to jest Parjanya [chmura deszczowa], szczodry [Indra]; to jest Vāyu [wiatr]; to jest Pṛthivī [ziemia], boskie bogactwo; [jest] zarówno bytem (sat), jak i niebytem (asat), oraz nieśmiertelnością (amṛtam).

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Academic Translation

This [prāṇa] is the fire that burns; this is the sun; this is Parjanya [the rain-cloud], the bountiful one [Indra]; this is Vāyu [the wind]; this is Pṛthivī [the earth], the divine wealth; [it is] both being (sat) and non-being (asat), and immortality (amṛtam).

Word by Word

• eṣaḥ: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: eta (एत)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• agniḥ: fire
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (अग्नि)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• tapati: burns/shines
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (तप्)
• Form: present tense, 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada

• eṣa: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: eta (एत)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• sūrya: sun
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (सूर्य)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• eṣa: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: eta (एत)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• parjanyaḥ: rain-god/cloud
• Type: Noun
• Root: parjanya (पर्जन्य)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• maghavān: the bountiful one (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maghavat (मघवत्)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• eṣa: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: eta (एत)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• vāyuḥ: wind/air
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (वायु)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• eṣa: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: eta (एत)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• pṛthivī: earth
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (पृथिवी)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• rayiḥ: wealth/matter
• Type: Noun
• Root: rayi (रयि)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• devaḥ: god/divine being
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• sat: being/existence
• Type: Noun
• Root: as (अस्)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• asat: non-being/non-existence
• Type: Noun
• Root: asat (असत्)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: indeclinable conjunction

• amṛtam: immortality
• Type: Noun
• Root: amṛta (अमृत)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: indeclinable conjunction

• yat: that which
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad (यद्)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

Sandhi Notes

• eṣo'gniḥ = eṣaḥ + agniḥ (visarga retained before a)
• tapatyeṣa = tapati + eṣa (final i + vowel → y + vowel)
• parjanyo maghavān = parjanyaḥ + maghavān (visarga → o before voiced consonant m)
• maghavāneṣa = maghavān + eṣa (no sandhi change, n + e remains)
• rayirdevaḥ = rayiḥ + devaḥ (visarga → r before d)
• asac ca = asat + ca (t + c → c c)
• cāmṛtam = ca + amṛtam (c + a → cā)

About this Verse

Central concept

Prāṇa as the all-pervading cosmic vital force (Vaiśvānara), identical with all natural elements and transcendent principles

The mahavakyas

Relates to 'Ayam Ātmā Brahma' (Mandukya Upanishad) by identifying the immanent vital force (prāṇa) with the totality of cosmic existence, implying the self within (ayam) is identical with the universal principle (Brahman).

Veda

Atharva Veda

Shakha

Paippalada Shakha

Chandas

Prose (Gadya)

Yoga and practice

In prāṇāyāma practice, the yogi visualizes the vital breath as identical with all cosmic forces. Each inhalation draws in the fire of transformation, the light of the sun, the nourishment of rain, the movement of wind, and the stability of earth. This meditation dissolves the boundary between individual breath and universal life-force.