4.1. Prana is of which Guna

Anything which is Prakashsil is Sattvic, Kriyasil is Rajasic and Sthitsil Bhava is Tamasic. Jnanendriyas and Karmendriyas are Balya (external) Karana because they utilize external objects as Vishaya. Similarly Prana is also Bahya-karma. Because Prana converts food products into internal body component to hold or maintain the body that is Deha-Dharana-Kriya (Vishayas. of Now it is clear that Jnanendriya, Karmendriya and Prana all come under one common group known as Bahyakaran sakti. Antahkarana is in between Bahyakarana and Drasta. Now we shall see these three belong to which Guna. It is clearly visible that Prakash-Guna is more in Jnanendriya that is why it is sattvic. Those works which are under the

109 control of will, their mother Sakti is Karmendriya. Functional activity of Karmendriyas are more and the aspects of Prakash and Dhriti (holding) is less, that is why Karmendriya is Rajasic. Prana is swaravahi as is not under the will (Iccha) control, ie, for away from "sphut prakash". Its function is Dharana or sthiti, that is why Prana is Tamasic. Bodha Sakti, Kriya-Sakti and Dharan-Sakti; Svattic, Rajasic and Tamasic, these three form of basic Sakti is present in all types of animals. In Bharata (Ashwa 36), it is mentioned that, these three are srotas of chitta river; these three are Trignatmak and are flowing through the Nadis ( i.e. Through three types of Streams) (Ref. Aranya, p.482 FN). The presence of life (Prana) in the body makes it animate and differentiates it from inanimate object. Distinction between conscious animate substance and inanimates ones:- Animation or consciousness expresses itself in the eightfold attributes which are: (1) animate being ingests substances and grows after assimilating them; (2) it respires, (3) possesses locomotion; (4) can excute waste products from the body, (5) can reproduce; (6) responds to irritation or stimulus ; (7) can accomodate itself with the environment and (8) dies. The inanimate object has no such faculties because it is devoid of Prana. All these functions are maintained by the Prana present in the animate body.

110 Prana or vitality, is the common function of the mind and all the senses, both sensory (Jnanendriya) and nutor(Karmendriya), which result in the bodily motionlife is resultant of the various concurrent activities of other principles or forces in the organism (woodraffe, 1972,p.36). Swami Vivekananda has discussed elaborately on the subject Prana in his book Raja Yoga (1976). He says, out of this Prana is evolved everything that we call energy, everything that we call force. It is the Prana that is manifesting as motion; it is the force that is manifesting as motion; it is the Prana that is manifesting as the actions of the body, as the nerve currents, as throught force. From thought down to the lowest force, everything is but the manifestation of Prana (p.34). The knowledge and the control of this Prana is really what is meant by Pranayama (p.35). The little wave of the Prana which represents our own energies, mental and physical, is the nearest to us all the waves of the infinite ocean of Prana. If we succeed in controlling that little wave, then alone we can hope to control the whole of Prana (p.37). The Prana is the vital force in every being. Thought is the finest and highest action of Prana (p.37). All manipulations of the subtle forces of the body, the different manifestations of Prana, if trained, give push to the mind, help it to go higher and become superconsciousness from where it acts (p.38).

111 When a man has concentrated his energies, he masters Pranas in is his body. When a man is meditating, he is also concentrating the Prana (p.46-47). Raja-yoga is the science which teaches us now to gain power of concentration (Vivekananda, p.49). The obvious manifestation of this Prana in the human body is the motion of the lungs, and this motion is associated with the breath. The Prana is moving the lungs, the movement of the lung, draws in the air. So Pranayam is not breathing, but controlling muscular power which moves lung (p.41) when Prana has become controlled, then we shall immediately find that the other actions of the Prana in the body will slowly come under control (Vivekanand,p.42). 2 Prana does not mean gross beath, but that which in the respiratory centres appears as such and which appears in the other forms in the other functions and parts of the body (woodroffe, 1972, p.173 FN). On the physical plane Prana manifesto in the animal body as breath through inspiration (Sa) or Sakti and expiration (Ha) or Siva. Breathing is itself a mantra, known as the mantra which is not recited (Ajapa mantra) for it goes out, and by Sahkara it comes again. A Jiva always recites the Supreme Mantra Hamsah (Woodroffe, 1972,p.88).

112 According to Vivekanand in Raja Yoga, "Pranayama r as many think, something about breath, beath indeed has very little to do with it, if anything. Breathing is only one of the many exercises through which we get to the real Pranayama. Pranayama means control of Prana (p.33). H Pranayama really means controlling this motion of the lungs, and this motion is associated with the breath. Not that breath is producing it, on the contrary it is producing breath. This motion draws in the air by pump action. The Prana is moving the lungs the movement of the lungs draws in the air. So Pranayama is not breathing but controlling that muscular power which moves the lungs. That muscular power which goes out through the nerves to do the muscles and from them to the lungs, making them move in a certain manner, is the Prana, which we have to control in the practice of Pranayam. When the Prana is become controlled, there we shall immediately find that all the other actions under control (p.41-42). It is notable that when a child is born coming out of the woumb, the lungs remain in a collapsed state. When the child cries after coming out indicates that the child will live, if does not cry and gets on becoming blue indicates that child is going to die after the birth due to deficiency of oxygen; carbon dioxide stimulates the respiratory centres due to which the lungs get inflated and the child gives a day of life (Ref. to Gray's Anatony). Heart of air infant beats in the womb but lungs remain

113 er collapsed but when lungs get inflated and function, then only a new burn survive. It is clear now that respiratory centre in the brain is responsible for the life of a child after birth (Before birth heart functions and body tissues get oxygen from mothers blood but after delivary when the umbilical card is served, suddenly lack of oxygen develops in the body, if the lungs do not get inflated the child will not get oxygen and becomes blue but a cry indicates that lungs in inflated and the child has started receiving oxygen from the external source. Oxygen is not Prana but essential for Prana. Swami Vivekananda rightly said; "Breath is the flywheel of this machine, the body. In a big engine your find the fly-wheel first moving, and that motion is conveyed to finer and finer machinery until the most delicate and finest mechanism in the machine is in motion. The breath is that flywheel supplying and regulating the motive power of everything in this body (Vivekananda,p.27). He further said, ་་ In this body of ours the breath motion is the 'silken thread; by laying hold of and learning to control if we grasp the pack thread of currents and from these the stout twine of our throughts and lastly the rope of Prana, controlling which we reach freedom" (Vivekananda, p. 29). to Further he said, that, "We have get hold of that which is setting the whole engine in motion. That is the

114 here most obvious manifestation of which is the breath. Then alongwith the breath, we shall slowly enter the body, which will enable us to find out the subtle forces, (( the nerve currents according to me it is srotas). That are moving all over the body. As soon as we perceive and learn to feel them, we shall begin to get control over them and over the body. The mind is also set to motion by these different nerve currents, so at least we shall reach the state of perfect control over the body, and the mind, making both our servants. Knowledge is power, we have to get this power. So we must begin at the beginning, the Pranayama, restraining the Prana (Vivekananda, p.29,30). From the above we can safely state that, as the flywheel or respiratory circuit starts, the finer motions (srotas, stream and currents) start all over the body bringing life and vitality to every all and muscles but we do not feel them. Vivekananda said, "Another point from physiology we must, remember, that the centre which regulates the respiratory system, the breathing system, has a sort of controlling action over the system of nerve circuits (Vivekananda,p.55). We hear of electricity and various other forces connected with it - - It is a sort of motion Electric motion makes the molecules of a body move in the same direction. If all air molecules in a room are made to move in the same

115 direction; it will make a gigantic battery of electricity in the room (Vivekananda,p.55). Now we shall see why breathing is practised. In the first place from the rlythmical breathing comes a tendency of all the molecules in the body to move in the same direction. When mind changes into will, the nerve currents change into a motion similar to electricily, because the nerve have been proved to show polarity under the action of electric currents. This show that when the will is transformed into the nerve currents, it is changed into something like electricity. From the above we understand that the definite location of respiratory center in the brain in the lower part of Pons and Medulla oblongata and the area alongwith the respiratory centre is the Prana Kendra. Once this Prana-kendra is brought under control by Kumbhaka (suspension of breathing), only then prana all over the body will be under the control also. When Prana becomes steady, Manas also becomes steady. When all the motions of the body have become perfectly rhythmical, the body has, as it were, become a gigantic battery of will. This tremendous will is exactly what the yogi wants. This is, therefore, a physiological explanation of breathing exercise. It tends to bring a rhythmic action of the body and help us, through the respiratory center to control the other currents.

116 The aim of Pranayama is to rouse the coiled-up power in the Muladhara called the Kundalini (Vivekananda, 1976, p.76). an are As an example, let us take the water animal Hydra which is tubular in shape. Between Endodern and Ectoderm another type of Cell is visible. Hydra propels water inside its tubular body for taking food. Endodermal Cells assimilate food from water, middle layer cells helps in propulsion of food and ectoderm performed the other nonsphuta bodhas. So Bodha, Karma and Dharma, these three types of functions present in the Hydro. In higher animals these three Sakti's are in more developed and complicated state. In embryo at a later stage three types of cells developes known as Epiblast, Mesoblast and Hypoblast. These are later on responsible for the formation of structnes for the function of Jnanendriya, Karmendriya and Prana. In Unicellular organism Amoeba these three basic types of Sakti are also been. In these place nerves does not play any rale; srotas, streams play the major roles. From the above we understand that when the flywheel or respiratory circuit of inspiration and expiration starts, the finer motions (srotas, stream, currents) start all over the body bringing life and vitality to every cell and muscle but we do not feel them. Spontaneous respiration is completely dependent upon the rhythmic discharge of the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata. When all the crainal nerves are

117 cut and the brain stem is transected above the pous, regular breathing continues (Ganong, W.F., 1969, p.536 & 37).