From the Archive of Gitananda Yoga Gesellschaft Deutschland
e. V.
02.03.2009
The
Supremacy of the Prana
The pranas (sense-organs) disputed
among themselves about who was the best among them, each saying: I am the best,
I am the best.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the Prana,
6
They went to Prajapati, their progenitor and said: O revered Sir, whois
the best among us? He said to them: He by whose departure the bodylooks worse
than the worst is the best among you.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I -
The Supremacy of the Prana, 7
The organ of speech departed. After being
away for a whole year, it came back and said: How have you been able to live without
me? The other organs replied: We lived just as dumb people live, without speaking,
but breathing with the prana (nose), seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear
and thinking with the mind. Then the organ of speech entered the body.
Sama
Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the Prana, 8
The eye
departed. After being away for a whole year, it came back and said: How have you
been able to live without me? The other organs replied: We lived just as blind
people live, without seeing, but breathing with the prana, speaking with the tongue,
hearing with the ear and thinking with the mind. Then the eye entered the body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the Prana, 9
The
ear went out. After being away for a whole year, it came back and said: How have
you been able to live without me? The other organs replied: We lived just as deaf
people live, without hearing, but breathing with the prana. Speaking with the
tongue, seeing with the eye and thinking with the mind. Then the ear entered the
body.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the Prana, 10
The mind went out. After being away for a whole year, it came back and
said: How have you been able to live without me? The other organs replied: We
lived just like children whose minds are not yet formed,without thinking with
the mind, but breathing with the prana, speaking with the tongue, seeing with
the eye and hearing with the ear. Then the mind entered the body.
Sama Veda,
Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the Prana, 11
Then as the
vital breath was about to depart, he uprooted the organs from their places just
as a noble horse tears up the pegs to which its feet are tied. They came to him
and said: Revered Sir, be thou our lord; thou art the best among us. Do not depart
from us.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad V, I - The Supremacy of the Prana,
12
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