Prashna Upanishad

 

The Prashna Upanishad is a principal Upanishad. It is  embedded in the Atharva Veda, structured around six philosophical questions asked by six spiritual seekers to the sage Pippalada.

• Vedic Association: Belongs to the Atharva Veda (Pippalada sakha) 

• Format: Consists of prose and verses divided into six chapters (Prashnas) containing 67 mantras.

The Six Questions and Answers

1. First Question (Origin of Life): 

How are creatures born and from what do they originate? The sage explains that Prajapati (the creator) performed penance and produced a pair: Rayi (matter/moon) and Prana (energy/life force/sun) to manifest all life.

2. Second Question (Supremacy of Prana): 

Which sensory and vital powers support and uphold a living body? Prana proves its supremacy over the mind and other sense organs (such as speech, sight, and hearing) because without the life-breath, the body perishes.

3. Third Question (Origin and Nature of Prana): 

Where does Prana come from, how does it enter the body, and how does it divide itself? Prana is born from the Self (Atman), enters the body through the mind's action, and splits into five functional breaths (Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, and Samana).

4. Fourth Question (Sleep and Dreams): 

What sleeps in a person, what stays awake, and where do all dreams and deep sleep resolve? The five senses withdraw into the mind during sleep; in deep sleep (Sushupti), everything rests in the supreme, immortal Self.

5. Fifth Question (Meditation on Om / Pranava): 

What is the spiritual fruit of meditating on the sacred syllable Om (Aum)? The Upanishad breaks down the three elements (A, U, M), showing how low-level meditation leads to rebirth on earth, intermediate meditation to the lunar realm, and highest contemplation on the full syllable to the realization of Brahman.

6. Sixth Question (The Purusha with Sixteen Parts): 

Who is the person (Purusha) with sixteen parts? It describes the ultimate reality within the body, comparing the dissolution of these sixteen elements into Brahman to rivers flowing into the ocean and losing their separate names and forms.

https://shlokam.org/text/prashnopanishad.htm

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/prashna-upanishad-shankara-bhashya