Mahabharata — Volume VIII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 12

MBh 8 12.1

भरद्वाज उवाच पार्थिवं धातुमासाद्य शारीरोऽग्निः कथं प्रभो। अवकाशविशेषेण कथं वर्तयतेऽनिलः॥

bharadvāja uvāca pārthivaṃ dhātumāsādya śārīro'gniḥ kathaṃ prabho| avakāśaviśeṣeṇa kathaṃ vartayate'nilaḥ||

How docs bodily fire or heat, entering the body, live there? How also does the wind, getting space for itself, cause the body to move and work?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.2

भृगुरुवाच वायोर्गतिमहं ब्रह्मन् कथयिष्यामि तेऽनघ। प्राणिनामनिलो देहान् यथा चेश्यते बली॥

bhṛguruvāca vāyorgatimahaṃ brahman kathayiṣyāmi te'nagha| prāṇināmanilo dehān yathā ceśyate balī||

I shall, O twice-born one describe to you the course in which the wind moves, and how, O sinless one, that powerful element makes the bodies of living creatures move and work.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.3

श्रितो मूर्धानमात्मा तु शरीरं परिपालयन्। प्राणो मूर्धनि चाग्नौ च वर्तमानो विचेष्टते॥

śrito mūrdhānamātmā tu śarīraṃ paripālayan| prāṇo mūrdhani cāgnau ca vartamāno viceṣṭate||

Heat lives within the head (brain) and protects the body. The vital air called Prana, living within the head and the heat that is there, create all sorts of exertion.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.4

स जन्तुः सर्वभूतात्मा पुरुषः स सनातनः। मनो बुद्धिरहङ्कारो भूतानि विषयश्च सः॥

sa jantuḥ sarvabhūtātmā puruṣaḥ sa sanātanaḥ| mano buddhirahaṅkāro bhūtāni viṣayaśca saḥ||

That Prana is the living creature, the universal self, the eternal Being, and the Mind, Intellect and Consciousness of all living creatures, as also all the objects of the senses.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.5

एवं त्विह स सर्वत्र प्राणेन परिचाल्यते। पृष्ठतस्तु समानेन स्वां स्वां गतिमुपाश्रितः॥

evaṃ tviha sa sarvatra prāṇena paricālyate| pṛṣṭhatastu samānena svāṃ svāṃ gatimupāśritaḥ||

Thus Prana makes the living creature move about and exert. Then by virtue of the other vital air called Samana, every one of the senses performs its own work.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.6

बस्तिमूलं गुदं चैव पावकं समुपाश्रितः। वहन्मूत्रं पुरीषं चाप्यपान: परिवर्तते॥

bastimūlaṃ gudaṃ caiva pāvakaṃ samupāśritaḥ| vahanmūtraṃ purīṣaṃ cāpyapāna: parivartate||

The vital air called Apana, by the help of the heat that is in the urethra, abdomen and intestines, moves, carrying out urine and excreta.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.7

प्रयत्ने कर्मणि बले य एकस्त्रिषु वर्तते। उदान इति तं प्राहुरध्यात्मविदुषो जनाः॥

prayatne karmaṇi bale ya ekastriṣu vartate| udāna iti taṃ prāhuradhyātmaviduṣo janāḥ||

That single vital air which works in these three, is called Udana by those who are wellread in this science.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.8

संधिष्वपि च सर्वेषु संनिविष्टस्तथानिलः। शरीरेषु मनुष्याणां व्यान इत्युपदिश्यते॥

saṃdhiṣvapi ca sarveṣu saṃniviṣṭastathānilaḥ| śarīreṣu manuṣyāṇāṃ vyāna ityupadiśyate||

That vital air which works, living in all the joints, is called Vyana.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.9

धातुष्वग्निस्तु विततः समानेन समीरितः। रसान् धातूंश्च दोषांश्च वर्तयन्नवतिष्ठते॥

dhātuṣvagnistu vitataḥ samānena samīritaḥ| rasān dhātūṃśca doṣāṃśca vartayannavatiṣṭhate||

Heat is circulated all over the bodies of living creatures by the vital air Samana. Living creatures by the vital air Samana. Living thus in the body, that vital air works upon the various sorts of watery and other elementary substances and all bad humours.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.10

अपानप्राणयोर्मध्ये प्राणापानसमाहितः। समन्वितस्त्वधिष्ठानं सम्यक्पचति पावकः॥

apānaprāṇayormadhye prāṇāpānasamāhitaḥ| samanvitastvadhiṣṭhānaṃ samyakpacati pāvakaḥ||

The heat, living between Apana and Prana, in the navel, works, with the help of those two vital airs, in digesting all food that is taken by a living creature.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.11

आस्यं हि पायुपर्यन्तमन्ते स्याद् गुदसंज्ञितम्। स्रोतस्तस्मात् प्रजायन्ते सर्वस्रोतांसि देहिनाम्॥

āsyaṃ hi pāyuparyantamante syād gudasaṃjñitam| srotastasmāt prajāyante sarvasrotāṃsi dehinām||

There is a canal beginning from the mouth down to the anus. Its extremity is called the anus. From this main canal various minor oncs branch out in the bodies of all living creatures.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.12

प्राणानां संनिपाताच्च संनिपातः प्रजायते। उष्मा चाग्निरिति ज्ञेयो योऽनं पचति देहिनाम्॥

prāṇānāṃ saṃnipātācca saṃnipātaḥ prajāyate| uṣmā cāgniriti jñeyo yo'naṃ pacati dehinām||

The various vital air passing through these canals mix with each other. The heat which lives in Prana is called Ushman. This heat causes digestion in embodied creatures.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.13

अग्निवेगवहः प्राणो गुदान्ते प्रतिहन्यते। स उर्ध्वमागम्य पुनः समुत्क्षिपति पावकम्॥

agnivegavahaḥ prāṇo gudānte pratihanyate| sa urdhvamāgamya punaḥ samutkṣipati pāvakam||

The vital air called Prana, carrying a current of heat, goes (from the head) downwards to the extremity of the anal canal and thence goes up once more. Returning to the head again, it once more sends down the heat it carries.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.14

पक्वाशयस्त्वधो नाभ्यामूर्ध्वमामाशय: स्थितः। नाभिमध्ये शरीरस्य सर्वे प्राणाश्च संस्थिताः॥

pakvāśayastvadho nābhyāmūrdhvamāmāśaya: sthitaḥ| nābhimadhye śarīrasya sarve prāṇāśca saṃsthitāḥ||

Below the navel is the quarter of digested maller. Above it is that for the food which is taken. In the navel reside all the forces of life that keep up the body.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.15

प्रस्थिता हृदयात् सर्वे तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधस्तथा। वहन्त्यन्नरसान् नाड्यो दश प्राणप्रचोदिताः॥

prasthitā hṛdayāt sarve tiryagūrdhvamadhastathā| vahantyannarasān nāḍyo daśa prāṇapracoditāḥ||

Urged by the ton sorts of vital airs having Prana for their first, the canals, branching out from the heart, carry the liquid juices of food, upwards, downwards, and in contrary directions.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.16

एप मार्गोऽथ योगानां येन गच्छन्ति तत्पदम्। जितक्लमा: समा धीरा मूर्धन्यात्मानमादधन्॥

epa mārgo'tha yogānāṃ yena gacchanti tatpadam| jitaklamā: samā dhīrā mūrdhanyātmānamādadhan||

The main channel leading from the mouth to the anus is the path by which Yogins, knowing no fatigue, calm in happiness and misery, and highly patient, succeed in attaining to Brahma by drawing the soul within the brain.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 8 12.17

एवं सर्वेषु विहितः प्राणापानेषु देहिनाम्। तस्मिन् समिध्यते नित्यमग्निः स्थाल्यामिवाहितः॥

evaṃ sarveṣu vihitaḥ prāṇāpāneṣu dehinām| tasmin samidhyate nityamagniḥ sthālyāmivāhitaḥ||

Thus is heat placed in the vital air called Prana and Apana and others, of all embodied creatures. That heat is always burning thcre like a fire placed in vessel which can be seen.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)