History of Indian Philosophy

SR No.: 007593
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Surendranath Dasgupta
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication Year: 1922
Total Pages: 2517
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 125 MB

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Prāņa and its Control according to its place in the body performs various physiological functions. The medical authorities also support the view that vāyu is a sort of driving and upholding power. Thus the Bhāvaprakāśa describes rāyu as follows: It takes quickly the dosas, dhātus and the malas from one place to another, is subtle, composed of rajo-guna; is dry, cold, light and moving. By its movement it produces all energy, regi 'ates inspiration and expiration and generates all movement and action, and by upholding the keenness of the senses and the dhātus holds together the heat, senses and the mind?. Vāhata in his Așțārga-samgraha also regards vāyu as the one cause of all body movements, and there is nothing to suggest that he meant air currents. The long description of Caraka (1. 12), as will be noticed in the next chapter, seems to suggest that he considered the vāyu as the constructive and destructive force of the universe, and as fulfilling the same kinds of functions inside the body as well. It is not only a physical force regulating the physiological functions of the body, but is also the mover and controller of the mind in all its operations, as knowing, feeling and willing. Suśruta holds that it is in itself avyakta (unmanifested or unknowable), and that only its actions as operating in the body are manifested (avyakto vyakta-karmā ca).
In the Yoga-vāsiştha, as we have already seen above, prāņa or vāyu is defined as that entity which vibrates (spandate yat sa tad vāyuh, 111. 13) and it has no other reality than vibration. Prāna itself is, again, nothing but the movement of the intellect as ahamkāra4.
Prāņa is essentially of the nature of vibration (spanda), and mind is but a form of prāņa energy, and so by the control of the mind the five vāyus are controlled5. The Saiva authorities also agree with the view that prāņa is identical with cognitive activity, which passes through the nādīs (nerves) and maintains all the body movement and the movement of the senses. Thus Ksemarāja says that it is the cognitive force which passes in the form of prāņa through the nādīs, and he refers to Bhatta Kallața as also holding the same view, and prāņa is definitely spoken of by him as force (kuțila-vāhini prāņa-saktiḥ)6. Sivopādhyaya in his Vivrti on the
1 Nyāya-kandal of Sridhara, p. 48. . Bhāva-prakāśa, Sen's edition, Calcutta, p. 47.
3 Vāhata's Astanga-samgraha and the commentary by Indu, Trichur, 1914, pp. 138, 212. 4 Yoga-vāsistha, III. 14.
5 Ibid. v. 13, 78. 6 Siva-sūtra-vimarsini, 111. 43, 44.