Prana
In yoga, Ayurveda, and Indian martial arts, prana (प्राण, prāṇa; the Sanskrit word for breath, "life force", or "vital principle")[1] permeates reality on all levels including inanimate objects.[2] In Hindu literature, prāṇa is sometimes described as originating from the Sun and connecting the elements.[3]
Five types of prāṇa, collectively known as the five
Prana is divided into ten main functions: The five Pranas – Prana, Apana, Udana, Vyana and Samana – and the five Upa-Pranas – Naga, Kurma, Devadatta, Krikala and Dhananjaya.
Etymology
V.S. Apte provides fourteen different meanings for the Sanskrit word prāṇa (प्राण) including breath or respiration;[4] the breath of life, vital air, principle of life (usually plural in this sense, there being five such vital airs generally assumed, but three, six, seven, nine, and even ten are also spoken of);[4][5] energy or vigour;[4] the spirit or soul.[4]
Of these meanings, the concept of "vital air" is used by Bhattacharyya to describe the concept as used in Sanskrit texts dealing with
Scholars are divided on the original meanings of prana and apana. Some, like Böhtlingk, argue that originally prana meant inbreathing, while apana meant outbreathing. Others, like Deussen, claim the opposite, stating that prana meant outbreathing and apana meant inbreathing. However, they agree that in later times, these two terms came to refer to air located in different parts of the body, with prana associated with the upper parts and apana with the lower parts.[9]
Early references
The ancient concept of prāṇa is described in many Hindu texts, including
Early mention of specific prāṇas often emphasized prāṇa, apāna and vyāna as "the three breaths". This can be seen in the proto-yogic traditions of the Vratyas among others.[11] Texts like the Vaikānasasmārta utilized the five prāṇas as an internalization of the five sacrificial fires of a panchāgni homa ceremony.[12]
Vedas and Upanishads
One of the earliest references to prāṇa is from the 3,000-year-old .
The Atharvaveda describes prāṇa: 'When they had been watered by Prana, the plants spake in concert: 'thou hast, forsooth, prolonged our life, thou hast made us all fragrant.' (11.4–6) 'The holy (âtharvana) plants, the magic (ângirasa) plants, the divine plants, and those produced by men, spring forth, when thou, O Prâna, quickenest them (11.4–16). 'When Prâna has watered the great earth with rain, then the plants spring forth, and also every sort of herb.' (11.4–17) 'O Prâna, be not turned away from me, thou shall not be other than myself! As the embryo of the waters (fire), thee, O Prâna, do bind to me, that I may live.' (11.4)[citation needed]
The Upanishads, particularly the Yoga Upanishads, discuss various breaths with specific names and functions. Prana is consistently regarded as the primary breath, akin to breath in English, while apana is associated with carrying off excrement. The Prashna Upanishad first described prana governing upper body functions and apana controlling lower functions, based on the concept of distinct airs or gases governing bodily functions. Aitareya Upanishad also support this division of breaths, associating prana with the nasal region and apana with the abdominal region.[9]
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita verse 4.27 describes the yoga of self-control as the sacrifice of the actions of the senses and of prāṇa in the fire kindled by knowledge.[14] More generally, the conquest of the senses, the mind, and prāṇa is seen as an essential step on the yogin's path to samadhi, or indeed as the goal of yoga.[15] Thus, for example, the Malinivijayottaratantra 12.5–7 directs the seeker "who has conquered posture, the mind, prāṇa, the senses, sleep, anger, fear, and anxiety"[16] to practise yoga in a beautiful, undisturbed cave.[16]
Vāyus
One way of categorizing prāṇa is by means of vāyus. Vāyu means "wind" or "air" in Sanskrit, and the term is used in a variety of contexts in
Vāyu | Location | Responsibility[20] |
---|---|---|
Prāṇa | Head, lungs, heart | Movement is inward and upward, it is the vital life force. Balanced prāṇa leads to a balanced and calm mind and emotions. |
Apāna | Lower abdomen | Movement is outward and downward, it is related to processes of elimination, reproduction and skeletal health (absorption of nutrients). Balanced apāna leads to a healthy digestive and reproductive system. |
Udāna | Diaphragm, throat | Movement is upward, it is related to the respiratory functions, speech and functioning of the brain. Balanced udāna leads to a healthy respiratory system, clarity of speech, healthy mind, good memory, creativity, etc. |
Samāna | Navel | Movement is spiral, concentrated around the navel, like a churning motion, it is related to digestion on all levels. Balanced samāna leads to a healthy metabolism. |
Vyāna | Originating from the heart, distributed throughout | Movement is outward, like the circulatory process. It is related to circulatory system, nervous system and cardiac system. Balanced vyāna leads to a healthy heart, circulation and balanced nerves. |
Nadis
When the mind is agitated due to our interactions with the world at large, the physical body also follows in its wake. These agitations cause violent fluctuations in the flow of prana in the nadis.[22]
Pranayama
Prāṇāyāma is a common term for various techniques for accumulating, expanding and working with prana. Pranayama is one of the
Many pranayama techniques are designed to cleanse the
In Ayurveda and therapeutic yoga, pranayama is utilized for many tasks, including to affect mood and aid in digestion. A. G. Mohan stated that the physical goals of pranayama may be to recover from illness or the maintenance of health, while its mental goals are: "to remove mental disturbances and make the mind focused for meditation".[26]
According to
Similar concepts
Similar concepts exist in various cultures, including the Latin anima ("breath", "vital force", "animating principle"), Islamic and Sufic
See also
- Chaitanya (consciousness)
- Chakra
- Scientific skepticism
- Qi Men Dun Jia
- Vijñāna
- Yoga Sutra
References
- ^ "Prana". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
- OCLC 61240413.
- ^ Swami Satyananda Saraswati (September 1981). "Prana: the Universal Life Force". Yoga Magazine. Bihar School of Yoga. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
- ^ ISBN 81-208-0567-4
- ^ For the vital airs as generally assumed to be five, with other numbers given, see: Macdonell, p. 185.
- ^ Bhattacharyya, p. 311.
- ^ McEvilley, Thomas. "The Spinal Serpent", in: Harper and Brown, p. 94.
- ^ Richard King, Indian philosophy: an introduction to Hindu and Buddhist thought. Edinburgh University Press, 1999, p. 70.
- ^ a b Brown 1919.
- ISBN 978-9650060206.
- ^ Eliade, Trask & White 2009, p. 104.
- ^ Eliade, Trask & White 2009, pp. 111–112.
- ISBN 978-0971646650.
- ^ Mallinson & Singleton 2017, p. 25.
- ^ Mallinson & Singleton 2017, p. 47.
- ^ a b Mallinson & Singleton 2017, p. 60.
- ^ Mallinson & Singleton 2017, pp. 128, 173–174, 191–192.
- ^ Mallinson & Singleton 2017, pp. 191–192.
- ^ Mallinson & Singleton 2017, p. 174.
- ^ Mallinson & Singleton 2017, p. 191.
- ^ a b c d Mallinson & Singleton 2017, pp. 172–173.
- S2CID 147000303.
- ^ Nagendra, H. R. (1998). Pranayama, The art and science. Bangalore, India: Swami Vivekananda Yoga Prakashana.
- ISBN 978-0-698-19216-4.
- ISBN 9780143028536.
- ISBN 978-1590301319.
- OCLC 230987898.
- ISBN 978-1931833189.
- ISBN 978-1935387589.
- PMID 28546674.
- .
Sources
- Brown, George William (1919). "Prāṇa and Apāna". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 39: 104–112. ISSN 0003-0279.
- ISBN 978-0691142036.
- OCLC 928480104.