Story of Pañcaprāṇas

The five prāṇas (life breaths) of any living being are Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Samāna and Udāna. There is a story in 'Devī Bhāgavata' regarding the origin of the Pañcaprāṇas.

Once Śrī Kṛṣṇa met Rādhādevī at Rāsamaṇḍala and in seclusion they spent in sexual sport the period of one day of Brahmā. Then Kṛṣṇa selecting an auspicious time dropped his vital fluid into her womb at the end of the sexual sport. Tired by the prolonged carnal sport and shaken by the impact of the hot semen Rādhādevī perspired profusely and the exhaustion produced deep and long breaths. The whole universe was covered with her sweat and her sighs became the goddess of the life-giving breaths of all created animals. From the left side of goddess was born Vāyupatnī and to her were born the Pañcaprāṇas. Besides these, another five younger prāṇas were also born. From the sweat of the Devī was born Varuṇa and from the left side of Varuṇa was born Varuṇānī. (9th Skandha, Devī Bhāgavata).

Māṇḍūkyopanisad gives the following details regarding the working of the Prāṇas in the body:—Prāṇa was first used in the sense of breath. Later it got the meaning of life. Life is in fact breath to all living beings. Only when a man is awake, his mind and sense organs are active. But Prāṇa is active always both in the state of wakefulness and sleep. Therefore Prāṇa is the vigour of life. It may be said that when a man is asleep his senses merge with his mind and his mind with the prāṇa. The five factors of Prāṇa are the Pañcaprāṇas. The first of the five is called Prāṇa itself. It is called Mukhyaprāṇa or chief Prāṇa. Just as a King appoints his ministers at different places to do specified jobs the chief Prāṇa posts the other prāṇas at different parts in the body with specific purposes of their own. Prāṇa is seated in the heart and does the work of breathing. Apāna is seated in anus and directs the organs of excretion of the body. Vyāna is spread throughout the body and it is this life-wind which keeps one alive even when breathing is stopped for some time. When an archer stands in deep concentration with his bent bow without breathing he lives with the help of Vyāna. Samāna controls the breathing-in and breathing-out to a specified rhythm. Samāna (equaliser) is so called because it balances the force of the in-coming and outgoing breaths. There is a school of thought that Prāṇa is not seated in the heart but spread over the ears, eyes nose and face. Samāna is seated at the navel midway between the seats of Prāṇa and Apāna. This is also a reason why life wind got that name. This breath does the work of prompting digestion. The four prāṇas, Prāṇa, Apāna, Samāna and Vyāna sustain life. The fifth one, Udāna, takes the soul of the being out of the body when it dies.