Science of Prana ! Kabanthi asked Pippalada - "Bhagavan, from where indeed are these creatures born?"
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To him Pippalada said - "Prajapati desirous of procreation did penance and created a pair, Rayi and Prana with the desire of the twins multiplying into manyfold creation"
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"That Prana is Aditya and Rayi is Chandra - further, all that is form and devoid of form are aspects of Chandra..."
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"When the Sun rises in the East, Prana enters the rays...and that Sun appears as the manybodied Universe and also He is the Prana in all beings. Rk too speaks this truth"
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"He who takes manyfold forms and possessed of rays that carry Prana and knowing all that are born, the only Jyoti (Light) of 1000 rays (enveloping all directions) manifesting as Prana in all beings - is the Sun who rises in the East" Pippalada then speaks of the perpetual creation in terms of the dynamic interplay of polarities Prana and Rayi which lead to the illusion of Time. Sages saw the yearly course of the Sun (Zodiac or abstraction of the Tantrik experience of the correlation between Prana and Sun) as analogus to the dynamics of Prana and Rayi that sustains the creation. Sages realized the importance of the two nadis and breaths in the realization of Self and reincarnation and enunciated the principles in cryptic language. From the beginning of Mesha (Aja or Agni) to beginning of Tula (reflective of the balance of polarities Prana and Rayi), the northern course of Surya got described in analogy as the breathing through Surya nadi that rendered mukti and the south course Tula to Meena became breathing through Chandra nadi which reflected reincarnation and Prarabdha. The symbolism of Meena rasi as two-tail-biting-Fishes is the representation of breathing process (Prana and Apana) by which Prana is held in the body by the bonds of Karma. In fact without knowing the above secret of life, the mantras of Prsnopanishad cannot be understood scientifically. Prajapati descending to the polar aspects Prana and Rayi or Surya and Chandra is in fact the description of the breathing process and its correlation with the Surya and Chandra. Denuded of the cryptic terminology and symbolism, our breath or self (any name may be ascribed like Atma/Consciousness) is the Prajapati that manifests as polar opposites to make creation possible. Further proof for this assertion is available in the following mantras.
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"Prajapati or Breathing or Pranayama is analogus to the Year or Time. It has two halves Uttara and Dakshina. Those who pursue worldly life and desirous of progeny worship Prajapati by the south course or Chandra nadi breathing and reaches the world of Moon from where they return..."
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"By the north course of Prana (Surya nadi) and maintenance of celibacy and study in search of the self, one attains mukti or the world of Sun from where the self does not return"
G *) + %) &F+ *+ 4A '! *+ %& D%&6() ! %& ?(! )"H B6IJ %& %& 2 !! "Sages declare Prana or Prajapati as having 5 feet and 12 forms and he maintains the the function of exhalation in the other half of Moon(?). According to others, He maintains the creation by assuming a 7 wheel structure having six spokes each" This in fact is a description of the time structure of breathing. Breathing has a five fold constitution arising from the Panchatattvas and 12 major divisions as represented by the solar transits or Suryasamkramams. According to a different view, breathing has a 7 day structure arising from the Tattvas and each weekday has a six fold division of 10 ghatis each.
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"Lunar Month also is of the form of Pranayama or breathing - the dark half is Rayi(Moon or the left) and bright half is Prana (Sun or the Right). Sages do the auspicious works aimed at realizing the self in the bright half when the right breath or Surya nadi is preferred while others in worldly pursuits prefer the dark half and Chandra nadi for their work"
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"Day too is of the form of Prajapati or breathing personified. Day is of Prana and night Rayi. Those who engage in sex during day when the breath is in Surya dissipate the Prana and self realization while those engage in sex during night in Chandra-svara observes Brahmacharya and preserves the Prana" Without the concept of breathing and the Surya and Chandra nadis or svaras, the right meaning of this Upanishad verse cannot be deciphered.
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"Annam is Prajapati - because from Annam is the seed of all creatures evolved..." Annam is an important word here. If we don't take it in the right perspective, the real meaning to the previous mantras won't bceome apparent. Annam is derived from 'an' meaning to breathe and it is also the source of the word pra-an i.e Prana. So Annam is the form of Surya that creates breath or prana in beings through its rays.