What is this 'Prana'?
'Prana' is that which pervades everything as chaitanya, Energy, the sustaining force, Vishnu. It is the manifest 'cit shakti' of Brahman and forms the core of the substance, the Atman. The fundamental principles (mahat tattva) are: Atma eva brahma | Prajnyanan Brahmaa |
The first manifestation is Akasha, ether, space. Out of this vast deep endless akasha manifests vayu, manas and prana. Prana is the sattva aspect of manas. Taittiriya Upanishad give more details about this.
As the sustaining force, prana is the vital one, superior to all others such as manas,indriyas, buddhi, ahankara; it sustains jiva and pervades its system from head to toe. Normally, the pranic energy flows through out the body, although it is said to be located in the left toe, the mouth, and the nose! The Atman weaves around itself the five coverings or koshas (sheaths)- anna, prana, manas, buddhi (jnyan) and the bliss (ananda). Further, this vital energy has pervaded all the gross elements such as the soil, water,fire and air and exists everywhere. It is eulogised in the Rk Veda (Mandala VII) as the tribandhu- the three states of Sun in Heavens (Svar), Lightning (in space/ bhuvah), and fire (agni) in the earth (bhu). It is the chief source of energy.
Thus, prana is not something that we can easily understand. It is the most subtle aspect that sustain the jivas. The jiva vibrates as long as this energy vibrates in the body. The vibrant energy is supported by brahman, the unmanifest, absolute, undifferentiated, supreme and manifests in all the five koshas of the jiva- the anna, the ethereal or vital, the manas, the buddhi and the ananda koshas. Thus, the source of prana is the manas in its sattva state. This takes us to the yoga where one can establish oneself in yoga- asamprajnya samadhi, and realize the Atman.
Whoever meditates on prana establishes himself/herself in prana, in yogic trance, overcomes the clutches of death. Meditate on prana and become immortal says the Upanishad. Koushitaki, aitiriya, garbha, katha and many others eulogise the Prana as the vital aspect of the cosmic consciousness. The individualized, as well as, the cosmic vibration is prana. The universe exits with the cessation of vibration, the prana. All these are the function of the vibration of the three Gunas- tamas, rajas and the sattva.
Now the secret of prana in the jiva is also clear. Since the prana has woven the jiva like an invisible golden thread and got knotted to the chief nadi at the heart- the anthahkarana (manas, chitta, buddhi and ahankara), it is difficult to get this rooted out! Thus, we see the jiva struggling to leave its prana, rather, die even though it is not in a position to eat or drink even a spoonfull!
We see many patients lying in the ICU on ventilators not able to breathe on their own, supported by oxygen! What keeps them alive?
The struggling old and incapacitated jiva is liberated the moment the prana leaves the body. But, the prana has to leave the same way it entered the body in order to reach its home in distant stars. It made its entrance along with the atman, as a spark, a photon, at the time of entering the planet earth- the mrutyu loka. It has entered the clouds, raindrops and soil and plants to become food. It entered water, air, fire, space, and all that. Ii entered the living beings (the would-be parents- first the man in his food and became semen, blood, desires, and then entered the woman's egg to take a form); thus, the prana has made its journey in space and through several conduits, vehicles, desires and forces to become finally the human body. This is the process that has taken place since the inception of the prana in the jiva with the conception in the mother's womb.
So, the reverse process is also not very simple. The jiva has to traverse getting rid of what all it has acquired! First, it should stop its intake of food and drink; then it should determine to break the chain of repeated births by yoga. One by one, all relation with the external world should be stopped and finally, the antahkarana should also be cut asunder. Then only the prana leaves the body and the jiva will not take another body.
So, desire, antahkarana, the attachments and other Gunas- such as mada, matsarya, moha, lobha, ahankara, all emotional ties with the family members, property, wealth and worldly life should be discarded. Otherwise, the jiva will take birth within fifteen days of its leaving the earlier one!
But, this does not mean one should take to sanyasa like Shankaracharya and die at 32! May be, God-willing, one may be Ramanujacharya and live up to 120!! It should happen just as the passengers alight after they reach their destination. There is no compulsion here and one need not rush. This world is for enjoyment, Ananda. It is only after one has experienced everything and arrives at the conclusion that this worldly life, this mundane existence, is not what is aspired by the soul; it is the supreme bliss, undiminishing joy (independent of the material support) upadhi-ahita ananda that the soul aspires. Also, it seeks a higher and higher experience of the divine, and ultimately, the brahmn, nothing less than that! This is moksha.
When the jiva matures, things happen!
Now the secret of prana in the jiva is also clear. Since the prana has woven the jiva like an invisible golden thread and got knotted to the chief nadi at the heart- the anthahkarana (manas, chitta, buddhi and ahankara), it is difficult to get this rooted out! Thus, we see the jiva struggling to leave its prana, rather, die even though it is not in a position to eat or drink even a spoonfull!
We see many patients lying in the ICU on ventilators not able to breathe on their own, supported by oxygen! What keeps them alive?
The struggling old and incapacitated jiva is liberated the moment the prana leaves the body. But, the prana has to leave the same way it entered the body in order to reach its home in distant stars. It made its entrance along with the atman, as a spark, a photon, at the time of entering the planet earth- the mrutyu loka. It has entered the clouds, raindrops and soil and plants to become food. It entered water, air, fire, space, and all that. Ii entered the living beings (the would-be parents- first the man in his food and became semen, blood, desires, and then entered the woman's egg to take a form); thus, the prana has made its journey in space and through several conduits, vehicles, desires and forces to become finally the human body. This is the process that has taken place since the inception of the prana in the jiva with the conception in the mother's womb.
So, the reverse process is also not very simple. The jiva has to traverse getting rid of what all it has acquired! First, it should stop its intake of food and drink; then it should determine to break the chain of repeated births by yoga. One by one, all relation with the external world should be stopped and finally, the antahkarana should also be cut asunder. Then only the prana leaves the body and the jiva will not take another body.
So, desire, antahkarana, the attachments and other Gunas- such as mada, matsarya, moha, lobha, ahankara, all emotional ties with the family members, property, wealth and worldly life should be discarded. Otherwise, the jiva will take birth within fifteen days of its leaving the earlier one!
But, this does not mean one should take to sanyasa like Shankaracharya and die at 32! May be, God-willing, one may be Ramanujacharya and live up to 120!! It should happen just as the passengers alight after they reach their destination. There is no compulsion here and one need not rush. This world is for enjoyment, Ananda. It is only after one has experienced everything and arrives at the conclusion that this worldly life, this mundane existence, is not what is aspired by the soul; it is the supreme bliss, undiminishing joy (independent of the material support) upadhi-ahita ananda that the soul aspires. Also, it seeks a higher and higher experience of the divine, and ultimately, the brahmn, nothing less than that! This is moksha.
When the jiva matures, things happen!
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