courtesy: Sri.Bryan Hill
shhaTprashnopanishhad
This upanishhad belongs to the pippalAdashAkhA of atharvaveda. The Lord vAsudeva is the chief deity for this upanishhad. prANa, etc., are subordinate deities. pippalAda and kAtyAyana, etc., are the sages. The metres employed in different sections have to be ascertained properly.
The sages put six questions to the sage pippalAda in this upanishhad. These questions relate to the process of creation, importance of mukhyaprANa, oMkAra and shhodashakalA purushha.
  ; prathama prashnaH
sukeshA cha bhAradvAjaH shaibyashcha satyakAmaH sauryAyaNI cha gArgyaH kausalyashchAshvalAyano bhArgavo vaidarbhiH kabandhI kAtyAyanaH te haite brahmaparAH brahmanishhTHAH paraM brahmaAnveshhamANAH eshha ha vai tatsarvaM vaxyatIti te ha samitpANayo bhagavantaM pippalAdamupasannAH (1)
" sukesha, son of bhAradvAja; satyakAma, son of shibi; gArgya, grandson of sUrya; kausalya AshvalAyana, son of ashvala; bhArgava, son bhR^igu, born in the vidarbha country; kabandhi, son kAtya - these six sages who has studied the vedas devoutly, and who were desirous of knowing the Highest brahman, approached the sage pippalAda carrying samit sticks in their hands, with the hope that he would certainly explain brahman fully. "
tAn ha sa R^ishhiruvAcha bhuya eva tapasA brahmacharyeNa shraddhayA saMvatsaraM saMvatsyatha yathAkAmaM prashnAn pR^ichchhata yadi vijJNAsyAmaH sarvaM ha vo vaxyAma iti (2)
" sage pippalAda told them: You should reside here for one year with faith, penance and celibacy, then you may ask the questions you like. If I know I shall tell all that I know. "
atha kabandhI kAtyAyana upetya pprachcha bhagavan kuto havA imAH prajAH prajAyanta iti tasmai sahovAcha prajakamo ha vai prajapatiH sa tapo.atapyata (3)
" Then, kabandhi, son of kAtyAyana, approached pippalAda and asked : O Revered sage! From whom are these created beings born? pippalAda told him - prajApati desirous of creating beings, meditated upon it. "
sa mithunamutpAdayate ratiM cha prANaM cheti etau me bahudhA prajAH karishhyata iti Adityo ha vai prANo rayireva chandramAH (4)
" He (prajApati) created a couple - male and female - viz., rayi and prANa (bhAratI and mukhyaprANa respectively). He thought that these two would assist him to create many beings. prANa entered Aditya and assumed the name Aditya. rayi entered chandramas and assumed the name chandramas.
rayirvA etatsarvaM yanmUrtaM chAmUrtaM cha tasmAnmUrtireva rayiH atha Aditya udayan yat prAchIM dishaM pravishati tena prAchyAn prANAn rashmishhu sannidhatte
yaddaxiNAM yatpratIrchI yadudzichIM yadadho yadUrdhvaM yadantarA disho yatsarvaM prakashayati tena sarvAn prANAn rashmishhu sannidhatte (5)
" rayi is all this that is mUrta. amUrta is prANa. Out of the two mUrta and amUrta, mUrti is rayi. Now, when prANa present in the sun rises and enters into the east, then, he places the eastern deities into the rays. When he illumines the southern, western, northern, the above, the below, the central and all, then, He places all deities of the respective directions into the rays. "
sa eshha vaishvanAro vishvarUpaH prANO.agnirudayate tadetadR^ichAbhyaktam
vishvarUpaM kariNaM jAtavedasaM parAyaNaM jyotirekaM tapantam sahasrarashmiH shatadhA vartamAnaH prANaH prajAnAmudayatyeshha suryaH (6)
"This prANa present in Aditya is vishvarUpa - of full form, He is agni as he takes all in, He is vaishvanAra as He relates to all men. He arises to assist the creation of all.
This is clearly stated in the following r^ik:
He is vishvarUpa - of full form , He is full of rays, He knows all that is created, He is the abode of created beings, He is the chief illuminator and the cause of heat. He has a thousand rays, He is in hundreds of forms. This prANa being present in the sun, arises to asist the creation. "
samvatsaro vai prajApatiH tasyAyane daxiNaM chottaraJNcha tadye ha vai tadishhTApUrte kR^itamityupAsate te chAndramasameva lokabhijayante ta eva punarAvartate tasmAdete R^ishhayaH prajAkAmAH pratipadyante eshha vai rayiryaH pitR^iyANaH (7)
" prajApati presides 0ver the year. There are two halves of the year, viz., daxiNa and uttara. Those who perform sacrifices, gifts of food, etc., and other activities with a desire to obtain routine results such as progeny, they get the daxiNa path only and go to chandramas world only. They return to this world again. rayi presides over this pitR^iyANa, the daxiNa path. "
athottareNa tapasA brahmacharyeNa shraddhayA vidyayA .atmAnamanvishhyAdityamabhijayante etadvai prANAnAmAyatanametadamR^itabhayametatparAyaNametasmAnnapunarAvartanta ityeshha nirodhah tadeshha shlokaH:
paJNchapAdaM pitaraM dvAdashAkR^itiM diva AhuH pare ardhe purIshhiNam atheme anya upare vichaxaNaM saptachakre shhaLara Ahurarpitamiti (8)
" Those who by penance, celibacy, faith and knowledge enquire about Atman go by the uttara path and obtain the Aditya world. Then, they obtain brahman. The brahman is the abode of deities, immortal, fearless and the abode of the liberated. Those who go to Him shall not return. Since Aditya prevents their return he is called nirodha. It has five feet (five seasons), twelve forms (twelve months0, is skillful, and is placed on seven horses and six spokes. Some say that the daxiNa path of its rainy heavenly path is their goal, while others say that the uttara path is their goal. "
mAso vai prajApatiH tasya kR^ishhnapaxa eva rayiH shuklaH prANaH tasmAdete R^ishhayaH shukla ishhTiM kurvanti itara itarasmin ahorAtre vai prajApatiH tasyAhareva prANo rAtrireva rayiH prANam va ete praskandanti ye divA ratyA saMyujyante (9)
" prajApati presides over the month. The kR^ishhNa - paxa (dark - half) of the month is rayi, the shukla - paxa (bright - half) of the month is prANa. Therefore, those sages who desire to go by the uttara path perform the sacrifices in the shukla - paxa. Others in the kR^ishhNa - paxa. prajApati presides over the day (ahas) and night (rAtri). The day is prANa. The night is rayi. prajApati presides over the engaging couple. prANa is the husband and rayi is the wife. Those who enjoy their wife during the day throw their vitality away. Those who enjoy during the night maintain their celibacy. "
This upanishhad belongs to the pippalAdashAkhA of atharvaveda. The Lord vAsudeva is the chief deity for this upanishhad. prANa, etc., are subordinate deities. pippalAda and kAtyAyana, etc., are the sages. The metres employed in different sections have to be ascertained properly.
The sages put six questions to the sage pippalAda in this upanishhad. These questions relate to the process of creation, importance of mukhyaprANa, oMkAra and shhodashakalA purushha.
  ; prathama prashnaH
sukeshA cha bhAradvAjaH shaibyashcha satyakAmaH sauryAyaNI cha gArgyaH kausalyashchAshvalAyano bhArgavo vaidarbhiH kabandhI kAtyAyanaH te haite brahmaparAH brahmanishhTHAH paraM brahmaAnveshhamANAH eshha ha vai tatsarvaM vaxyatIti te ha samitpANayo bhagavantaM pippalAdamupasannAH (1)
" sukesha, son of bhAradvAja; satyakAma, son of shibi; gArgya, grandson of sUrya; kausalya AshvalAyana, son of ashvala; bhArgava, son bhR^igu, born in the vidarbha country; kabandhi, son kAtya - these six sages who has studied the vedas devoutly, and who were desirous of knowing the Highest brahman, approached the sage pippalAda carrying samit sticks in their hands, with the hope that he would certainly explain brahman fully. "
tAn ha sa R^ishhiruvAcha bhuya eva tapasA brahmacharyeNa shraddhayA saMvatsaraM saMvatsyatha yathAkAmaM prashnAn pR^ichchhata yadi vijJNAsyAmaH sarvaM ha vo vaxyAma iti (2)
" sage pippalAda told them: You should reside here for one year with faith, penance and celibacy, then you may ask the questions you like. If I know I shall tell all that I know. "
atha kabandhI kAtyAyana upetya pprachcha bhagavan kuto havA imAH prajAH prajAyanta iti tasmai sahovAcha prajakamo ha vai prajapatiH sa tapo.atapyata (3)
" Then, kabandhi, son of kAtyAyana, approached pippalAda and asked : O Revered sage! From whom are these created beings born? pippalAda told him - prajApati desirous of creating beings, meditated upon it. "
sa mithunamutpAdayate ratiM cha prANaM cheti etau me bahudhA prajAH karishhyata iti Adityo ha vai prANo rayireva chandramAH (4)
" He (prajApati) created a couple - male and female - viz., rayi and prANa (bhAratI and mukhyaprANa respectively). He thought that these two would assist him to create many beings. prANa entered Aditya and assumed the name Aditya. rayi entered chandramas and assumed the name chandramas.
rayirvA etatsarvaM yanmUrtaM chAmUrtaM cha tasmAnmUrtireva rayiH atha Aditya udayan yat prAchIM dishaM pravishati tena prAchyAn prANAn rashmishhu sannidhatte
yaddaxiNAM yatpratIrchI yadudzichIM yadadho yadUrdhvaM yadantarA disho yatsarvaM prakashayati tena sarvAn prANAn rashmishhu sannidhatte (5)
" rayi is all this that is mUrta. amUrta is prANa. Out of the two mUrta and amUrta, mUrti is rayi. Now, when prANa present in the sun rises and enters into the east, then, he places the eastern deities into the rays. When he illumines the southern, western, northern, the above, the below, the central and all, then, He places all deities of the respective directions into the rays. "
sa eshha vaishvanAro vishvarUpaH prANO.agnirudayate tadetadR^ichAbhyaktam
vishvarUpaM kariNaM jAtavedasaM parAyaNaM jyotirekaM tapantam sahasrarashmiH shatadhA vartamAnaH prANaH prajAnAmudayatyeshha suryaH (6)
"This prANa present in Aditya is vishvarUpa - of full form, He is agni as he takes all in, He is vaishvanAra as He relates to all men. He arises to assist the creation of all.
This is clearly stated in the following r^ik:
He is vishvarUpa - of full form , He is full of rays, He knows all that is created, He is the abode of created beings, He is the chief illuminator and the cause of heat. He has a thousand rays, He is in hundreds of forms. This prANa being present in the sun, arises to asist the creation. "
samvatsaro vai prajApatiH tasyAyane daxiNaM chottaraJNcha tadye ha vai tadishhTApUrte kR^itamityupAsate te chAndramasameva lokabhijayante ta eva punarAvartate tasmAdete R^ishhayaH prajAkAmAH pratipadyante eshha vai rayiryaH pitR^iyANaH (7)
" prajApati presides 0ver the year. There are two halves of the year, viz., daxiNa and uttara. Those who perform sacrifices, gifts of food, etc., and other activities with a desire to obtain routine results such as progeny, they get the daxiNa path only and go to chandramas world only. They return to this world again. rayi presides over this pitR^iyANa, the daxiNa path. "
athottareNa tapasA brahmacharyeNa shraddhayA vidyayA .atmAnamanvishhyAdityamabhijayante etadvai prANAnAmAyatanametadamR^itabhayametatparAyaNametasmAnnapunarAvartanta ityeshha nirodhah tadeshha shlokaH:
paJNchapAdaM pitaraM dvAdashAkR^itiM diva AhuH pare ardhe purIshhiNam atheme anya upare vichaxaNaM saptachakre shhaLara Ahurarpitamiti (8)
" Those who by penance, celibacy, faith and knowledge enquire about Atman go by the uttara path and obtain the Aditya world. Then, they obtain brahman. The brahman is the abode of deities, immortal, fearless and the abode of the liberated. Those who go to Him shall not return. Since Aditya prevents their return he is called nirodha. It has five feet (five seasons), twelve forms (twelve months0, is skillful, and is placed on seven horses and six spokes. Some say that the daxiNa path of its rainy heavenly path is their goal, while others say that the uttara path is their goal. "
mAso vai prajApatiH tasya kR^ishhnapaxa eva rayiH shuklaH prANaH tasmAdete R^ishhayaH shukla ishhTiM kurvanti itara itarasmin ahorAtre vai prajApatiH tasyAhareva prANo rAtrireva rayiH prANam va ete praskandanti ye divA ratyA saMyujyante (9)
" prajApati presides over the month. The kR^ishhNa - paxa (dark - half) of the month is rayi, the shukla - paxa (bright - half) of the month is prANa. Therefore, those sages who desire to go by the uttara path perform the sacrifices in the shukla - paxa. Others in the kR^ishhNa - paxa. prajApati presides over the day (ahas) and night (rAtri). The day is prANa. The night is rayi. prajApati presides over the engaging couple. prANa is the husband and rayi is the wife. Those who enjoy their wife during the day throw their vitality away. Those who enjoy during the night maintain their celibacy. "
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