Upanishads · Praśna 3.4
॥
Devanāgarī
यथा सम्राड् एवाधिकृतान् विनियुङ्क्ते ।
एतान् ग्रामान् एतान् ग्रामान् अधितिष्ठस्वेति ।
एवम् एवैष प्राण इतरान् प्राणान् पृथक् पृथग् एव संनिधत्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
yathā samrāḍ evādhikṛtān viniyuṅkte |
etān grāmān etān grāmān adhitiṣṭhasveti |
evam evaiṣa prāṇa itarān prāṇān pṛthak pṛthag eva saṃnidhatte
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यथाyathāhow; like
सम्राट् एवsamrāṭ evaa king indeed; the sovereign ruler
अधिकृतान्adhikṛtānthe appointed officers (adhi-kṛta — 'set over'); the deputies; those charged
विनियुङ्क्तेviniyuṅktehe appoints (vi-ni-√yuj); he assigns; he posts
एतान् ग्रामान्etān grāmānthese villages; these districts
एतान् ग्रामान्etān grāmānthese villages; these districts
अधितिष्ठस्व इतिadhitiṣṭhasva iti'govern', thus; 'stand at the head'
एवम् एवevam evathus indeed; just so
एषः प्राणःeṣaḥ prāṇaḥthis prāṇa; vital force
इतरान् प्राणान्itarān prāṇānthe other prāṇas; the remaining vital functions
पृथक् पृथक्pṛthak pṛthakeach separately; severally
एवevaindeed; thus
संनिधत्तेsaṃnidhattehe stations (sam-ni-√dhā); he places; he sets
Translation
"As a king appoints his officers: 'Govern these villages, and you these,' — so this prāṇa stations the other prāṇas, each in its own [domain]."
Version
5ac7dfa3ef42 · published Jul 26, 2026, 8:35:21 PM UTC
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From the source to the arrangement: yathā samrāḍ evādhikṛtān viniyuṅkte — "as a sovereign appoints his commissioners": etān grāmān adhitiṣṭhasva — "govern these villages". The image of administration is exact and cheerful: the body is a kingdom, the chief prāṇa the monarch, and the other breaths are governors of districts; none is self-appointed, each is set in place.
pṛthak pṛthag eva sannidhatte — "he stations them severally, each to its own": life in the body is not a blending of forces but a distributed rule: every current has its district and its powers (the next verse will give the map of the districts). The order of the body is the image of every healthy order: a single source of authority, clear domains, no internecine strife; disease is either mutiny or the neglect of a district.
And a fine point: prāṇa appoints prāṇān — "the prāṇas": bearing the same name as her subordinates, the chief life divides herself, not something else. The ruler here is not of another nature than the ruled — they are all one life in different ministries; and so it is in the great world too: all powers are one energy of the Lord in different offices (the second question has already sung this).