Brahma Sutras (Govinda Bhashya)
by Kusakratha das Brahmacari | 2010 | 343,161 words | ISBN-10: 8175050063
This is the English translation of the Brahma-sutras including the Govinda Bhashya commentary of Baladeva Vidyabhushana—an Indian spiritual teacher (Acharya) of the Gaudiya branch of Vaishnavam from the 18th century. This Govinda Bhasya aims to apply Vedantic principles to address universal human concerns, such as suffering and death, rather than m...
Adhikarana 8: The Principal Prana has Five Functions
Adhyāya 2: No Conflict Between Vedānta and Other Vedic Scriptures;
Pāda 4: Harmonizing contradictory passages describing the Prāṇas;
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [1.5.3] it is said:
स एष वायुः पञ्च-विधः प्राणो ‘पानो व्यान उदानः समानः
sa eṣa vāyuḥ pañca-vidhaḥ prāṇo ‘pāno vyāna udānaḥ samānaḥ
“The prāṇa is air. There are five prāṇas: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.”
Saṃśaya [doubt]: Are these five, beginning with apāna, different from prāṇa, or are they merely different functions of prāṇa?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: Because they have different names and functions, therefore they are different.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives his conclusion.