Questions of King Milinda Part 01

SR No.: 007681
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1890
Total Pages: 2695
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 47 MB

Page 548

11 ADHYAYA, 4 PÂDA, 19.
95
18. On account of the scriptural statement of difference.
The prâna is everywhere spoken of as different from speech, &c. The passage, e.g. beginning with 'They said to speech'(Bri. Up. I, 3, 2), enumerates speech, &c., which were overwhelmed by the evil of the Asuras, concludes thereupon the section treating of speech, &c., and then specially mentions the mukhya prâna as overcoming the Asuras, in the paragraph beginning 'Then they said to the breath in the mouth.'—Other passages also referring to that difference may be quoted, so, for instance, He made mind, speech, and breath for himself' (Bri. Up. I, 5, 3).–For this reason also the other pränas are different in being from the chief prâna.-Another reason follows.
19. And on account of the difference of characteristics.
There is moreover a difference of characteristics between the chief prâna and the other prânas. When speech &c. are asleep, the chief prâna alone is awake. The chief prana alone is not reached by death, while the other prânas are. The staying and departing of the chief prâna—not that of the sense-organs-is the cause of the maintenance and the destruction of the body. The sense-organs, on the other hand, are the cause of the perception of the sense-objects, not the chief prâna. Thus there are manifold differences distinguishing the prâna from the senses, and this also shows the latter to be different in being from the prâna.—To infer from the passage, 'thereupon they all assumed his form,' that the sense-organs are nothing but prâna is wrong, because there also an examination of the context makes us understand their difference. For there the sense-organs are enumerated first ("Voice held, I shall speak,' &c.); after that it is said that speech, &c. were seized by death in the form of weariness Death having become weariness held them back; therefore speech grows weary'); finally prâna is mentioned separately as not having been overcome by death (but death did not seize the central breath'), and is
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