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II ADHYÂYA, 4 PÂDA, 5.
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speech of fire' (Kh. Up. VI, 5, 4). If their consisting of earth and so on is taken literally, it follows at once that they have sprung from Brahman. And if it be taken in a metaphorical sense only, yet, as the sentence forms part of the chapter which treats of the evolution of names and forms effected by Brahman; and as the introductory phrase runs, 'That by which we hear what is not heard' (Kh. Up. VI, 1, 3); and as the concluding passage is 'In it all that exists has its Self' (Kh. Up. VI, 8, 7); and as the matter is moreover known from other scriptural passages; we understand that also the statement about mind and so on consisting of earth, &c., is meant to teach that they are products of Brahman.-It is therefore an established conclusion that the pränas also are effects of Brahman.
5. (The prânas are) seven, on account of this being understood (from scriptural passages) and of the specification (of those seven).
So far we have shown that there is in reality no conflict of scriptural passages regarding the origin of the pranas. It will now be shown that there is also no conflict regarding their number. The chief vital air (mukhya prana) will be discussed later on. For the present the Satrakāra defines the number of the other prânas. A doubt arises here owing to the conflicting nature of the scriptural passages. In one place seven pränas are mentioned, 'The seven pränas spring from him' (Mu. Up. II, 1, 8). In another place eight pranas are mentioned as being grahas, 'Eight grahas there are and eight atigrahas' (Bri. Up. III, 2, 1). In another place nine, 'Seven are the pränas of the head, two the lower ones' (Taitt. Samh. V, 3, 2, 5). Sometimes ten,
Nine pränas indeed are in men, the navel is the tenth' (Taitt. Samh. V, 3, 2, 3). Sometimes eleven,'Ten are these prånas in man, and Åtman is the eleventh' (Bri. Up. III, 9, 4). Sometimes twelve,' All touches have their centre in the skin,' &c. (Bri. Up. II, 4, 11). Sometimes thirteen, · The eye and what can be seen,' &c. (Pr. Up. IV,8).—Thus the scriptural passages disagree about the number of the prånas.
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