Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

PRANAS, FIVE LIFE-BREATHS

Symbolic of five energies of conscious life in the soul, both higher and lower.

"These fires of prâna, which are on the watch in sleep, are themselves five in number, viz. prâna, apâna, vyâna, samâna, udâna, and they are mentioned together both earlier and later numberless times, and employed in the most varied allegories, without its being possible to obtain a clear and consistent explanation of them." - EUSSEN, Phil. of Upanishads, p. 275.

"The prâna makes its exit upwards, the apâna downwards, and carries off the excrements." - Ibid., p. 279.

“The prâna signifies the Divine life which flows upwards or inwards. The apâna, the wind of digestion and having an "evil odour," signifies the lower life of desire which flows downwards or outwards. "The prâna dwells in the heart, the apâna in the bowels." - Ibid.

“Vyâna, interspiration,' is 'the bond between prâna and apâna.' The conception of it is accommodated to that of apâna. Samâna, 'all-breathing,' bears the name because it leads to union.'. . . Udâna, or up-breathing,' conducts the soul from the body at death, while already in deep sleep it guides to Brahman." - Ibid., p. 280.

Vyâna is the life of the lower emotions, which is modifiable by both the higher and the lower energies. Samâna is the life of the higher emotions, it 'assimilates the food" and "dwells white as milk in the navel," -that is, the higher emotions give sustenance to the causal-body, and purify the lower nature. Udâna is the life of aspiration, which leads the ego upward from its submersion in the lower nature, and raises it to union with the Higher Self.

The five life energies of the soul are said to be organs of nutrition," for they serve to give sustenance to the causal-body (manas), which grows from latency to actuality in the many human souls. The causal-body is potentially perfect, but in each human being it is actually defective and incomplete, and having to be nourished or built up by means of the life processes on the lower planes.

See Also

AIR
BREATH
CAUSAL-BODY
CHARIOT
FOOD FOR SOUL
HEART
HIGHER-LOWER (Nature)
LAZARUS
LINGAM
MILK
NAVEL
SAHU
SENSE ORGANS
UNION
VISCERA
VITAL AIRS