This article describes how praaNa the active Consciousness is active in us in the five fundamental ways.

1. The five vital airs, the five aspects of praaNa
(The words in italics are ‘ITRANS’ version of Sanskrit word. Refer the English-Sanskrit
dictionary by Monier Williams at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/ )
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Consciousness and knowledge is same. Some one conscious means that the one is
knowing or feeling. The word knowledge is called “j~naana’. This word is almost
pronounced as ‘jnana’. The word can be broken into ‘j~na + an’. The word ‘j~na’ when
pronounced has a similarity with the word ‘know’. ‘j~na’ means who knows. ‘j~na’ is
the still, immutable soul and ‘an’ is His ‘knowing’. ‘an’ is animation or flow of praaNa
or time. So this is the interpretation of the word ‘knowledge’ by the seers. In every
knowing, every activity, at one end we are still, immutable, as it is and at the other end
we are animated, flowing in time.
We have earlier explained, that ‘praaNa’, meaning Life or Life God is the Universal life
flowing in every thing and is being perceived as life in the living and time (‘kala’) in the
external world. We have also explained that ‘praaNa’ is the active aspect of the
Consciousness who at one end is ‘Inactive, immutable and absolutely one’, the soul of all
of us and because of whose presence in us we can feel our ‘self ‘.
‘praaNa’ as eternity is called ‘mukhya praaNa’ or Principal ‘praaNa’, meaning the
Universal and Eternal Life God. Vedas have also termed ‘mukhya praaNa’ or Principal
‘praaNa’ as ‘udgItha’----meaning who takes us above the death and who is above the
death.
‘praaNa’, animation, who is active in us, whom we are feelings as our dear life, is called
‘madhyama praaNa’. Word ‘madhyama’ means who is in the middle or who is inside.
The Universal consciousness, principal ‘praaNa’ is in us as ‘us’ and regulating every
thing, and is known as ‘madhyama praaNa’. The word ‘madhyama’ also is connected to
the word ‘maadhyama’ meaning medium. Medium means the one who permeates every
thing, who connects everything. These are the communication features of ‘praaNa’ and
physically we see such properties in Air, Electricity etc. This aspect (communicative) of
‘praaNa’ is termed as ‘byaana’ in the text. The functions of nervous system, the action of
neurons are all functionality of ‘byaana’. Our limbs act in unison and are taut because of
this function known as ‘byaana’. Similarly we are connected to every grain of universe
by ‘byaana’.
‘apaana’ is that aspect of ‘praaNa’ by which we remain held or attached. It is the source
of gravity, gravitational force also. When we achieve anything, we get attached to it, we
are held in it. This is why the root word ‘ap’ means ‘water’ and the word ‘aapti’ meaning
‘achievement, accomplishment’ is derived from the root word ‘ap’. We get cooled and
satisfied by ‘ap’ or water. We get cooled and satisfied when we achieve what we desire.
Achieving a thing, a desire, in turn creates a field for us, to which we remain held or
attached. Suppose you have learnt flying kite. When you achieve the skill of flying kite,

2. that becomes a field for you to which you remain held or attached. Thus ‘apaana’ is
there behind every attachment.
As we move into our object or subject of desire, the field of attachment that develops is a
magnetic field. It is called ‘vraja’ in Sanskrit. The word ‘vraja’ generally means
‘movement’ or ‘roaming’. The abode of “Krishna” is also called ‘vraja’. It is similar to
the physical effect which we see as the magnetic field due to electrical current or due to
the motion of a charged particle. (The word ‘vajra’ in Sanskrit means electricity or
thunderbolt.)
We are held in the body by ‘apaana’, similarly we are held by the earth due to ‘apaana’.
(This has been described in Prashna Upanishad. There it is said, ‘the goddess who is in
the earth, she is also holding the ‘apaana’ in the entity’ i.e. what is known as gravity in
the earth, is ‘apaaa’ in the body and thus we are held. (In the texts in several places the
words ‘body’ and ‘earth’ are used as synonyms.)
As we are held by ‘apaana’, ‘apaana’ also controls anything that is no longer necessary
to hold. So the excretions are also controlled by ‘apaana’.
This is why when we expire, we are purged out of the body by ‘apaana’. Thus Vedas
have said, ‘naavou apaano, apaanat mrtiyu’----meaning ‘apaana’ acts from the centre,
from the ‘navel’ and from that action one expires or leaves the body’. On the other hand
we remain attached to mother by umbilical chord connected to the navel. The navel is
also called ‘solar plexus’ and we will discuss this later.
The word praaNa also means, principal animation=pra + an. ‘pra’ means principal as
well as first(prathama). Anything which is first is thus related to this aspect of ‘praaNa’.
Since any action originates from ‘praaNa’, praaNa is the first and in the beginning of
time and is perceived in the realm of ‘oneness and duality’ as the creation begins with
duality. When we know any thing, it is ‘praaNa’ who knows and our knowing is a part of
it. ‘praaNa’ sees without eyes, eyes are sequel to the act of seeing, ‘praaNa’ hears
without ears, ears are the sequel to the acts of listening, ‘praaNa ’touches’ without the
skin, skin and the lips are the sequel to the touch and so on. So, ’praana’ is in the
beginning and at first in all actions.
It is for this reason the first love, the first impression, the first child and the first things
play significant roles in the mind, in the custom and in the rituals. We are conscious and
we are in consciousness, we are part of Universal consciousness or Universal ‘praaNa’.
That’s why anything that happens in our mind or instinct is not trivial. This is why the
practice and customs in societies, the rituals and the instincts may some time reveal very
significant aspects of the eternity. As the ‘praaNa’ flows, as the time flows, everywhere
the impressions and foot prints are left. Reading this is reading Vedas. (‘paden
anuvindaet’ -know by following the steps.)
From the word ‘an’, (which I believe is exactly the same word ‘an’ of animation), of
praaNa (=pra + an) originates the word ‘anna’ meaning ‘food’. The two ‘n’ in the word
‘anna’ represent the escalation of activities of ‘an’ or praaNa. ‘anna’ means that aspect
of ‘praaNa’ by which ‘praaNa’ nourishes us.

3. Vedas have quoted about ‘samaana’ (who is another aspect of ‘praaNa’) as
‘hutam(offered) annam(foods) samaanm (to sameness, to equality)
nayati(leads)’------‘samaana’ leads the offered foods to the ‘sameness’. The word
‘hutam’ means which has been offered as ‘oblation’ and is originating from the primary
word ‘hU’. The word ‘havana’ meaning ‘fire’, ‘fire god’ is also from the word ‘hU’.
When we eat food, we offer oblation to fire god, ‘agni’. ‘ praaNa’ is burning,
illuminating, revealing. ‘praaNa’ is ‘agni’. By ‘praaNa’, by the touch of ‘praaNa’
everything becomes ‘praaNa’. Like if any thing burning in fire becomes part of the fire,
flagrant, similarly by the touch of ‘praaNa’ the foods become our life. ‘praaNa’ is our
warmtth.
Because of ‘praaNa’ in us the food which we eat nourishes us. The foods get in our
system and are assimilated. They become our energy, our power, our vigour, become
same with us. May be the word ‘vigour’ is connected to the word ‘bharga’. bharga
means radiance, radiance of ‘praaNa’, illumination of Life eternal.
Assimilation is the essential thing of creation. We live by assimilation. The food we eat is
brought to evenness with us, they become our part. This bringing to evenness, converting
the foods into our own parts or making them same with us to nourish us, is the action of
‘samaana’. Since ‘samaana’ brings the food in the ‘sameness’ so is called ‘samaana’.
‘sama’ (same) + ‘an’ (animation)= ‘samaana’.
Similarly the creator, the praana, is assimilating us and this is our evolution and in the
process we are becoming inquisitive of our source, of our origin and we are evolving. In
this process one day we will be able to identify us with ‘praaNa’. This is why in
Vedas/Upanishads it has been cited that ‘praaNa’ is our ‘anna’ (food) and also we are
‘anna’ of ‘praaNa’.
But we continue to see evil and good, we continue to taste delicacy and unpalatable food,
smell fragrance and repulsive scent and so on because of duality. However, it is not so in
the Principal ‘praaNa’ where the duality merges into one and every aspect is known as
the activity of ‘praaNa’. If we know ‘praaNa’ we will see how Consciousness is holding
duality in Oneness. This is why ‘praaNa’ is numbered as 1-1/2(one and half) (Note 1).
This is the crescent moon held on the forehead of the mother goddess. When we know
the ‘praaNa’, we are not grieved by anything. We are not disturbed by any kind of
feelings as they then appear with the divine Oneness.
The destination where the time flows, the flowing ‘praaNa’, takes us there and it is called
‘ut(‘ud)’. The word ‘ut’(‘ud’) means ‘up’. This aspect of ‘praaNa’ to lift us up from one
state to the other is ‘udaana’=’ut(ud) + an’. As we stated earlier, when we die, ‘apaana’
purges the body out of us or purges us out of the body, and ‘udaana’ takes us to another
plane.
Thus ‘udaana’ lifts us up and takes us to our destination after our life span ends here. We
go to the destinations as per our disposition in consciousness which is decided by the way
we live throughout the life or the way we ‘feel’ or ‘know’ throughout the life. This is
‘karma’. ‘udaana’ takes us high or low as we live the life.

4. However, it is 'udaana’ who lifts us above the physicality, above mortality. It is because
of ‘udaana’ we look up at the heaven, we long to rise. This is why the ‘praaNa’ is called
‘marut’. ’marut’ means mara (mortality)+ut(ud) (above, up). The air god is called
‘marut’ in the Vedas , as ‘praaNa’, air, lifts us above the death, mortality. This aspect of
‘udaana’ belongs to ‘udgItha’(the name given to the Principal ‘praaNa’, as Principal
‘praaNa’ carries every one beyond mortality.
Every thing we feel, every moment we pass, takes us away along with it. As the air
carries away the scent along with it so the moment carries us away with them. Thus every
moment brings in a novelty, brings in a new person, a new ‘you’, a new ‘me’. When the
stream flows very fast, we can not perceive from outside and it appears to be a still sheet
of water. Similarly we think us as almost stationary and changing gradually. But this is
not the thing. It’s a high speed motion, immense, incredible, to which we are subjected to.
We do not get lost in the oblivion of past. Our past forms are held in ‘praana’ with all the
care and all the love. Every imperfectness we had is nourished toward perfectness and
when we come back again from the plane of ‘ut’(‘ud’) (divinity) to the plane of ‘ap’
(mortality) our past traits, abilities, knowledge become more evolved, more matured.
Thus ‘praaNa’ rears us up and ushers us into divinity.
All these aspects of ‘praaNa’ have been described in Vedas. It is very vividly described
in Prashnopanishad. This Upanishad starts with ‘praSna’ or questions about the origin
because as the creation started, every entity automatically started to question “who am I,
where from am I?”
praaNa is always eager to take us up, in every moment. Thus every moment of us is
regulated. This regulation happens through us without affecting our freedom! None of
our action is happening without the knowledge of ‘praaNa’. Because of Oneness we
think we are acting. However we can see so many actions are happening beyond our
control. ‘praaNa’ is acting out of love. Love, affection, feelings are the crusts over the
‘praaNa’. We grieve since we do not know and when we know we get over all the
sorrows. Our beloved are beloved because of some shade of praaNa that we are able to
sense naturally in them. We live in our body as long as praaNa stays , we leave the body
when praaNa leaves----this has been described as ‘utkramaNa’ in the Vedas. That’s why
Vedas have beseeched ‘ma utkramI’---do not leave. This means ‘when you leave I must
not feel being uprooted, I must not feel life less while leaving!”. If we know ‘praaNa’,
wherever we go we remain in ‘praaNa’, we remain in life eternal. (To be continued in
Part 2)
Note 1. Refer Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, third chapter, 9th
Brahmin, 8th
and 9thMantra.
{This is written from the teachings received from the Seers Shri. Bijoykrishna
Chattopadhaya (1875-1945), and his principle disciple Shri Tridibnath
Bandopadhaya(1923-1994).------Debkumar Lahiri
(you may write to the author at dkldk@rediffmail.com or debkumar.lahiri@gmail.com
for any comments or query)