Pippalda answers this question in Prashnopanishad. This question was posed by Kausalya, the son of Asvala. His question focuses on the nature and function of Prana (life force, vital breath).

From where does Prana originate?
How does it come into the body?
How does it stay in the body after it has divided itself?
How does it depart?
How does it support that which is external to the body and that which is held together in the internal body?

Pippalda’s answer

Prana sprang from the Self (Atman). Prana is inseparable from the Self. It is the shadow from he who casts the shadow. Prana enters the body through the mind. Just as an emperor posts his officials in different parts of his realm to govern them similarly, the master prana allots responsibility to the lower pranas.

The division of Prana

Prana resides in the eyes, ears, mouth and nose; Apana is located in the organs of reproduction and excretion; Samana abides in the stomach and governs the digestion. Out of these emerge the seven flames. The seven flames are the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth because they enlighten the objects of perception and are powered by the Samana aspect of the Prana.

The Self (atman) resides in the heart and from the heart one hundred nadis emerge. From these nadis, seventy-two thousand nadis emerge. And Vyana flows in these nadis.

Udana resides in the nadis which pass through the center of the spine. If the udana is in the higher part of the spine, then virtuous acts have been performed and one will be in a sattvic world, after death. If udana is concentrated in the lower part of the spine because of wicked deeds, after death one will be in an evil world. However, if there is a combination of both elements, one will come into a human world.

The Sun is the external prana. When the sun rises, he gives grace (vision) to the prana of the eye. The deity of the earth draws Apana to perform its tasks. The ether draws samana and the air draws Vyana.

Fire is known as udana and the one who extinguishes the fire or udana in the body attains or is granted rebirth with all the senses dissolved.

What happens after death?

When a person dies, the thought held in the mind is absorbed by prana. Prana and udana accompany the soul and take it into the desired world. The progeny of one who is wise and a knower of prana will become immortal.

One who knows the origin, the place of entrance, the ruler ship of the five-fold pranas and their interior aspect, truly attains immortality.

Dear ones, practice the Samvrit pranayama. Inhale to the count of 5, pause to the count of 5, exhale to the count of 5, pause your breath to the count of 5. Practice 27 times, counting backwards. No errors, because you will have to start again. Your pranas will be regulated and balanced.

Nine Principles Upanishads from the teachings of Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Prashnopanishad: Third Question

Aim Hrim Klim