4.3. Five Kinds of Prana

1) PRANA: Prana has been devided into five groups as Jnanendriyas and Karmendriyas has been divided. These are Prana, Apana, Samana, Vyana, Udana. According to Prashna Sruti, due to the activity of the Manas (Mind) the Prana comes into the body. Manas, Buddis, Ahamkara, Bhutas and Rupas are activated all over the body due to Prana (Santiparva 185). Prana is in Hridaya region is responsible for respiratory functions (Sairkar Bhasya 2:4:11). Our foods are of three types, air, liquid and solid foods. Lack of these three gives rise to difficulty in breathing, thirst and hunger. The function of Prana is nirman, Vardhan and Poshan. The internal centres for respiration, thirst and hunger are main centres of Prana (Aranya, p.484).

118 11) UDANA Udana is Tejas or Ushma because at the time of death ( 1.e. leaving Udana Vayu) a person becomes heatless. If Udana is controlled body becomes light and can die at will. Udana is due to upward movement. The seat of Udana is in the Hridaya, Kantha, Talu, Mastak and Bhrumadhya. In short (1) Udana is the Sakti (energy) present in the sushumna, (2) It is upward moving energy, (3) It is the regulator and controller of body heat. Release of Udana is responsible for death. In Sastras, Susumna is the main nade through which by doing Pranayama, Prana from the whole body is collected and confirmed at the bottom of the head. The other name for Susumna is Brahma-Nadi (Uttar, Gita 2nd Chapt.). Another name of Pranayama is sparsha yoga (Linga Puran). At the time of movement of Udana towards the head, a special type of sensation is felt in the susumna. The channel through which mind or thought flows, is the channel for movement of Prana also. The upward moving channel of the Manovaha Nadi is the susumna. During meditation of Udana one has to feel a flow from all over the body channalized towards the head, that is why fourteen nadis are mentioned. The main centre for the body heat is known to be present in the head. Araruya said (1937), according to some Urdha Srota Nadi is known as Susumna (p. 485 FN).

119 Lastly Udana has close relationship with death. To leave all parts of the body gradually is the function of Udana. At the time of death the Indriya Vritti or Bahya Jnana becomes weak and Chesta-Vritti stops, then only main Prana Vritti especially in Udana Starts. A renowned doctor, Dr. Willsa remained 'dead like' for half-an-hour due to high fever and later on got life again. He wrote about his feeling of death in the magazine of the society for physical research as such, "After a little time the lateral motion ceased along the soles of the feat beginning at the toes, passing rapidly to the hals, I felt heard as it seemed, the breaking of innumerable small cards. When this was accomplished, I began slowly to retreat from the feet towards the head as a rubber cord shortens." It indicates that retract of all sensations from the different parts of the body is the function of Udana. In other words the feeling of sensations ee in different tissues of the body is the function of udana. In their normal state one feels healthy but in their vitiated state one feels seek(Ref-Aranya) 1) BYAN The ten nadis arising from Hridaya in upward, downward and sidewards carry Anna Rasas with the help of ten Pranas (Bharata). So Vayu is the motivating energy or force in the muscular walls of autery and veins. So all the function of propulsion of Anna Rasas

120 through the arteries and veins by contractions and expansion for Nirman, Poshan and Vardhan of the body is of Byan. The main function of Vyan is from the heart to all vessels through which blood is flowing and also in the walls of the intestives from where the motility of the Anna-rasa takes place (Aranya, p.488). 1) A PA NA The function of Apana is to excute out inactive waste products from the body (Bharata) like urine, faces, sweats etc. The main seat of Apana is in anus and genitals. Activity of Apana is to separate out waste product in the body but its expulsion is not its function. All the excretory cells of the body is related with Apana (Aramya, p.488). v) SAMA NA The function of Samana is to distribute eaten food products (Anna Rasa) to all the seven types of tissues all over the body (Bhareta) and is responsible for the formation of Saptasikha known as five Jnanendriyas, Manas and Buddhi (Sruti). It means Samana helps in the formation and construction of the tissues of the body. The seat of Samana is in the region around Nabhi, Hridaya and all the joints of the body (Sankhya-TattvaKaumudi). It means Samana is responsible for Samanayan (assimulation) of three types of food air, water and solid to different types of tissues of the body. Its main seat

121 of action is at Hridaya region (for respirator organs) and Nabhi region ( for having stomach, intestines etc.) and its actions are present all over the body. Therefore the Sakti responsible for the conversion of the food products into body tissue components is the function of Samana (Aranya, p.489). The activity of Samana is present in the epithelial and secretory cells of the gastron-intestinal tract and the cells of the Lymphatics and blood vessels through which nourishment to all the types of tissue of the body takes place and the Bonemarrow cells and the cells in the Prana kendra that is in the lungs tissue. In short, Udana present non-distinctly in the body tissues helps hunger etc. feeling sensations of Prana to take food. With the help of the driver Byana in the belly, Samana helps in the formation of tissue components to fill up the deficiency due to the action Apana to separate and M remove unetabolised waste products. The foods products are absorbed by the Cells of Samana activity and is gradually converted into the form of blood etc. and again due to the action of Driver or motivator Byana, it is distributed all over the body into the different types of tissues. In this way the inter-related different types of Prana Sakti helps in Deha-Dharana that is to hold, support, put on or retain the body. Prana by going to Karmendriyas helps in the

122 development of sensations in them. By going to Jnanendriyas helps in the formation of jnanavahi nadi (channel) and helps in antahkarna. Udana similarly helps in Antahkarana Jand similarly helps to helps up the places of Karmendriya and jnanendriyas. Byana is responsible for the motion and of ritti Apana and Samana helps in accepting or rejecting according to the necessity to complete the vritti. All the types of Dehadharana Sakti is in the Panchaprana and in nothing else. upadanas Maintanance of organic life is based on five Pranas. According to Encyclopaedia Britanica (10th Ed. Vo.19, p.9)", To the conception of the body as an assemblage of molecular thrills some started by an agent outside the body, by light, heat, sound, touch or the like%; others began within the body, spontaneously as it were without eternal cause, thrills which travelling to and fro, mingling with and commuting each other, either end in muscular movements or die within the body to this conception we must add a chemical one, that of the dead food being continually changed and raised into the living substance and of the living substance continually breaking down into the waste matters of the body, by processes of oxidation and thus supplying the enrgy needed both for the unseen molecular thrills and the visible muscular movements" (Ref Ananya (491) In short from the above we derive as, starts due to (1) Some activities like Rupa, Tapa, Sabdla, Sparsha and any other external stimules to create them.

123 are and also (2) Some other external stimulus responsible for internal activities but gets lost inside the body instead of producing any muscular activity, with this the concept ies and of chemical reaction is to be added. (3) Lifless foods are always converted into life giving components. (4) Living body is always converting unwanted products of the body into waste products. Due to the chemical reactions invisible activities and visible muscular activity takes place. According to Gunas as Jati Vibhaga takes place, similarly Vyakti-Vibhaga also takes place. Follow the table below as shown below. VYAKTI-VIBHAGA Sattva Sattva Rajas Rajas Rajas Tamas Tamas Jati Sattvic Sotra Twak Cakshu Rasana Nasa Vibhaga ( Rajas Vak Pani Pad Payu Upastha ( Tamas Prana Udana Vyana Apana Samana Vijna rupa citta vritti = Praman Smriti Pravritti Vikalpa Viparyaya Vijyana Out of these Bar is Sattvic, eye is Rajas and Smell is Tamas. Similarly Vak is sattvic, Pad that is walking activity is rajas and the genitals are Tamasic.

124 In Prana group, Prana has more Prakash, in Vyana more activity and more stability function in Samana. Further we see that in Sattvic group Ear, speech and Prana (Respiration, organic activity) have closer relationship. Similarly in Sattvic-Rajasic group, twak, Pani and Udana has close relationship. In Pani sense of pressure and temperature (heat and cold) is more. Eye, moving feet and Vyana has close relationship. Moving activity is more related to the activity of the eye. Similarly taste, Payu (responsible for expulsion of Mala-muliya) and Apana has closer relationship. And Smell, Upastha and Samana (Dehajivanirmankari) has closer relationship. In animals closer relationship of smell and genitals is observed. Semen formation is the function of Samana, not Apana because ukra is not a Mala but a dhatu, so it is a secretion, not excretion. Similarly in Daiva-Jati, mannar and Jnanendriyas are more developed. Though Prana is not under the control of the will but still by the practice of Pranayama Prabritti-Nibritti (excitation-cessation or stopage) can be done with the help as Asana when body becomes steady, the inspiration and expiration stalionary. By practice of thinking Sunya,Manas vrittis are controlled. For success in Pranayama, the help of set cakras are necessary. Meditators think of six vital centres on susumna for the Dharana purpose. Cakra and Padmas are all Marma-sthans (vital centres) only for

125 a fixation of the mind only. The main purpose is to control the downward flowing Kundalini Sakti into upward direction towards the head to make Sarir-abhiman-sunya. So during meditation on cakras one should always think in upward direction. The fourth place is Anahata cakra. In Sruti this place is mentioned in many places as Da har Pundarik or Brahmavesima Meditation here give a pleasurable feeling visnalising Jytosmati or Visoka. Hridaya is a place where we see the reflex action of mental anger etc. This reflection we can feel at heart but city-vritti is actually in cannot feel it, that is a meditator feels happy by meditating at Hridaya region. But Hridaya is the place of physical Ego (centre for Ahamkara). Mastiska (Brain) the centre for Chitta but, it seems that the feeling of 'I' is coming down to the heart. By meditating at hridaya region and realising finer 'I', the finer throughts are moved up in the brain region, then finer aspect 'I' and its centre is realised there. Then hridaya and Mastiska becomes the same. The fifth cakra is at Kantha kupa (at the upper border after manubrium Stervi) known as Visuddha cakra. The Ajna-cakra is the centre for Manas or jnanasthana (sensarium). By the practice of thinking at Sahasras and by blowing the mental thoughts up repeatedly makes one perfect. By Sthira-chitta the nervous system gets cheerful and toned up (Aranya, p.494). Origin of Prana takes place from Atma. Prana is

126 present wide spread. It is present in the non-living matters also. The Prana Sakti of the livings converts these Bhautic Sakti in the construction of the body. All the tissues of the body are formed of tiny cells which are visible under the microscope. These is a clear fluid in it known as protoplasm due to the activity of which the shape of the cells changes. By the activity of the protoplasm Samanayan (Assimilation) of food product takes place and waste products ( Klede Dravya) is expelled. This Samanayan Kriya (anabolism), due to which Kosa-deha is formed from the aggreable food substances takes place. In Apanayan Kriya (Katabolism) waste products from the cells are expelled. The combined function is known as Pranayamkriya (Melabolism) is goining on. As it is applicable to single cell or amoeba, similarly it is applicable to big animal also. At the top of brain matter is the cortical gray matter is the chitta-kendra. Below it is Jnanakendra formed of Basalganglia, corpus straiatum and optic thalamus. Cerebellum is the main karma-kendra and Medulla is the main centre of Prana. Medulla of longala contains the ed centres which regulate dilutition, vomiting, secretions of Saliva, sweat etc., respiration, the heart's movement and the vasomotor nerves. This place can be called GranthiSthana. Other than Jnana and Chesta all the neuralogical functions are going on unknowingly through the medulla oblongats.

127 There are three main types of systems in our body, (1) Digestive system, (2) Excutory system and (3) Circulatory system. Food passage that is from mouth to amus is digestive system. The function of the epithetical cells of the gastro-intestinal tract is mainly assimilation of food. Liver, pancreas (glands) are associated with the food passage and their main function is assimilation also. Respiratory system is also a type of digestive system because air is one of three main component as food for the survival and function of Pranas. The function of kidney, bladder and exretory wate glands are expulsion of walte products. There epithelial cells are responsible for expulsion of Deha-kleda. These type of exretory cells instead of converting food products, separates them. Out of propulsion systems Heart is the main, where due to Samkocha (systole) and Prasarna (Diastole) blood is spread all over the body through the entery and veins. All the Rasa-marga (lymphatic system) are associated with sonita marga (circulatory system). All the tissues of the body are nourished by the Rasa (lymph) from Rasa blood is formed and later on separates as urine also. Medulla Oblonga is Prana Kendra from where the nerves of organic life (Dehadharana Kriya) is coming out. In ancient days the main seat of Dharana was Hridaya Pundarik(Sruti) i.e. cardiac region. From their upward moving Jyoti in Sushumna used to be a great subject

128 of Dharana also. Later on the concept of Sat-cakra and Dwadash Cakra Dharana developed. Twleve Cakras are mentioned in Siva-yoga Marga but the practice of Sat-Cakra is more common. Dharana is mainly done on two things Shabda and Jyoti. Imagining lotus at cardiac region with bright light is easier for Dharana instead of thinking the typical structures in the body which is difficult to hold in mind. In any place Padmas (Lotus ) with Jyoti are mention because it becomes easiarto meditate there. ed