[Y-Indology] Vital breaths

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. Fosse,

 

With ref. to the Upanisads P. Olivelle uses:

 

> praaNa = breathing out, out-breath

> apaana = breathing in, in-breath (also: the breath that

moves down from the navel, responsible for

evacuation and breaking wind)

 

> vyaana = inter-breath (where in-breath & out-breath meet)

> samaana = link breath

> udaana = up-breath

 

In his introduction to the paperback edition (pp. l-li) he gives a

succinct explanation with references to H. W. Bodewitz (Adyar Lib. Bull,

1986) and K. Zisk (JAOS 1993). Olivelle observes that the exact meaning

of these terms is "not altogether clear, and the meaning of some appears

to have changed over time." Happily, this did not prevent him from

actually TRANSLATING them!

 

best,

Tim Cahill

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. Fosse,

 

For first three, I like the A.B.Keith notation in Ai. Br.

 

praaNa = expiration (out-breathing)

apaana = inspiration, (in-breathing, apaana is drawing-in)

vyaana = cross-breathing

 

For vyaana I can live with cross-breathing because it is consistent

with older translations. vyaana actually means spreading (vyApt)

because vyaana is spread all over the body. spread-breathing may be

an innovation.

----

 

No idea what keith used for these two..

 

udaana = up-breathing is close.

 

samaana = equalizing breath or equal-breathing may be innovations.

 

best,

Bhadraiah

[Guest guest]

Bhadraiah writes:

>

>For first three, I like the A.B.Keith notation in Ai. Br.

>

>praaNa = expiration (out-breathing)

>apaana = inspiration, (in-breathing, apaana is drawing-in)

>vyaana = cross-breathing

 

But in the UpaniSads, at least, there are a numerous places where these

meanings don't fit. I discuss the problem briefly in the introduction to

my translation (The UpaniSads, Penguin India, 2000, pp. xvii-xix).

 

Dr Valerie J Roebuck

Manchester, UK

[Guest guest]

Prof Valerie J Roebuck wrote:

 

>>Bhadraiah Mallampalli wrote..

>>For first three, I like the A.B.Keith notation in Ai. Br.

>>

>>praaNa = expiration (out-breathing)

>>apaana = inspiration, (in-breathing, apaana is drawing-in)

>>vyaana = cross-breathing

>

>But in the UpaniSads, at least, there are a numerous places where

>these meanings don't fit. I discuss the problem briefly in the

>introduction to my translation (The UpaniSads, Penguin India, 2000,

>pp. xvii-xix).

 

I am sorry I did not read your works. It may be a good idea to stick

to textual meaning of words unless an author has a particular

interpretation to promote.

 

1. If the word prANa is used alone without mention of other items, it

means the combination of all five of them together (prANa, apAna,

vyAna, udAna, samAna).

 

2. If the word prANa is used along with other items (apAna is its

inseparable companion), then it is prANa only.

 

3. prANa & apAna defined:

 

Chandogya I.3.3

 

yadvai prANiti sa prANaH

yad apAniti so~pAnaH

 

 

3.a R.K.Mission translates as: That one exhales is prANa. That one

inhales is apAna.

 

3.b SACRED-TEXTS.COM (Max Muller) translates as: ... If we breathe

up, that is prana, the up-breathing. If we breathe down, that is

apana, the down-breathing.

 

(...The combination of prana and apana is vyana, back-breathing or

holding in of the breath. This vyana is speech. Therefore when we

utter speech, we neither breathe up nor down.)

 

I do not know how to translate the sanskrit of Ch.U. I.3.3.

 

But surprisingly for me, in terms of intended meaning, both R. K.

Mission and sacred-texts are correct even though they are verbally

different! I don't want to get into those details before I get a good

translation from the knowledgeable members of the list.

 

Re: Ch. U I.3.3, do we have to use up/down or out/in?

 

Regards

Bhadraiah