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CHAPTER VIII, 7.
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The Brahmana said : The wind prepared by the Prâna afterwards becomes the Apâna. The wind prepared in the Apâna then works as the Vyana. The wind prepared by the Vyana works as the Udâna. And the wind prepared in the Udana is produced as Samâna'. They formerly went to the grandsire, who was born first, and said to him, 'Tell us which is greatest among us. He shall be the greatest among us?'
Brahman said : He, verily, is the greatest, who being extinct, all the life-winds in the body of living creatures become extinct; and on whose moving about, they again move about. (Now) go where (you) like.
The Präna said : When I am extinct, all the life-winds in the body
Arguna Misra says, 'The wind going to the Präna, and being obstructed in upward progress by the Präna, goes to the Apåna, and then unable to go upwards or downwards, enters the passages or nådis of the body and becomes Vyâna. In the same way Udána, by the collision of the two, produces sound in the throat, and depends on Prana and Apåna; so, too, the Samâna dwelling in the navel and kindling the gastric fire is also dependent on those two.' The meaning seems to be that one life-wind is distributed in the different places, and gets different names, as stated, in the order mentioned. See Maitri, p. 28.
• A similar visit on the part of the Pränas (who, however, are not there the life-winds only, but the Prâna life-wind and the active organs) 10 Pragâpati is mentioned at Brihadaranyaka-upanishad, p. 1016, and Khåndogya, p. 297. Cr. also Prasna, p. 178; Brihadåranyaka, p. 317; and Kaushftaki, p. 63. See also, generally, as to the life-winds and their functions, Brihadaranyaka, p. 280, and Sankara's comment there; Yoga-sQtras III, 38, and comment; Cowell's note at Maitri, p. 247; Sånti Parvan (Moksha Dharma), chap. 184, st. 24-25; chap. 185, st. i seq.; and p. 258 supra.
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