Prashna Upanishad: Verse 2.2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

तस्मै स होवाचाकाशो ह वा एष देवो वायुरग्निरापः पृथिवी वाङ्मनश्चक्षुः श्रोत्रं च । ते प्रकाश्याभिवदन्ति वयमेतद्बाणमवष्टभ्य विधारयामः ॥२॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

तस्मै । सः । ह । उवाच । आकाशः । ह । वा । एषः । देवः । वायुः । अग्निः । आपः । पृथिवी । वाक् । मनः । चक्षुः । श्रोत्रम् । च । ते । प्रकाश्य । अभिवदन्ति । वयम् । एतत् । बाणम् । अवष्टभ्य । विधारयामः ॥२॥

Recitation with translationPrashna Upanishad 2.2

IAST Transliteration

tasmai sa hovācākāśo ha vā eṣa devo vāyuragnirāpaḥ pṛthivī vāṅmanaścakṣuḥ śrotraṃ ca | te prakāśyābhivadanti vayametadbāṇamavaṣṭabhya vidhārayāmaḥ ||2||

Translation

அவருக்கு அவர் கூறினார்: இந்த தேவதைகள்—ஆகாயம், காற்று, அக்னி, நீர், பூமி, வாக்கு, மனம், கண், செவி—அவை வெளிப்படுத்தி அறிவிக்கின்றன: 'நாங்கள் இந்த தூணைப் பற்றி நிலைநிறுத்துகிறோம்.'

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Academic Translation

To him [Bhargava Vaidarbhi] he [Pippalada] said: This deity, namely akasha, vayu, agni, apah, prithivi, speech, mind, eye, and ear—they, revealing themselves, declare: 'We, grasping this pillar/arrow, sustain it.'

Verse Context

• Prana as the supreme sustaining force among all deities and faculties; the interdependence of cosmic elements and sense organs in supporting the body
• Mahavakya: Not directly a Mahavakya, but thematically related to Prajnanam Brahma (Consciousness is Brahman) by establishing that Prana, the vital force, is the substratum of all faculties, pointing toward the unity of consciousness underlying multiplicity
• Atharva Veda
• Pippalada Shakha
• Chandas: Prose (Gadya)