LinuxTurn pages
Upanishads · Muktikā 2.26
॥
Devanāgarī
वासनावशतः प्राणस्पन्दस्तेन च वासना । क्रियते चित्तबीजस्य तेन बीजाङ्कुरक्रमः
Transliteration (IAST)
vāsanāvaśataḥ prāṇaspandastena ca vāsanā | kriyate cittabījasya tena bījāṅkurakramaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
वासना-वशतः प्राण-स्पन्दःvāsanā-vaśataḥ prāṇa-spandaḥby the power of habit, the pulsation of breath
तेन च वासना क्रियतेtena ca vāsanā kriyateand by it, habit is made
चित्त-बीजस्य तेनcitta-bījasya tenaof the seed of mind, by that
बीज-अङ्कुर-क्रमःbīja-aṅkura-kramaḥthe order of seed and sprout
Translation
«By the power of habit — the pulsation of breath, and by it, habit is made in turn. Of the seed of mind, thereby — the order of seed and sprout».
Version
ff80586cc929 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
An image explaining the circle is introduced: bīja-aṅkura-krama, «the order of seed and sprout». The seed gives rise to the sprout, the sprout grows and gives a seed; and one cannot ask which was first. That is, habit and the movement of breath give rise to one another, and this circle has no beginning.
This comparison is standing in Indian writing and serves for everything that has no beginning: ignorance and deed, deed and birth, habit and breath. Worth noting that in this circle is named prāṇa-spanda, «the movement of breath», not the mind alone. That is, the bodily and the mental are set in one circle: the mind's agitation quickens the breath, and quickened breath agitates the mind.
This observation is true and verifiable to this day; and it explains why these books hold so firmly to the breath. The Vaishnava side does not dispute the observation but disputes the conclusion; and its argument was cited at Varāha (5.38). It runs thus: the circle is not broken from within.
If habit and breath hold each other, then working with either of the two is working within the circle; and hence a third, come from outside, is needed. Its third is śabda, «sound heard» — the name and the story, come from another; and it was said at Saubhāgyalakṣmī (2.4) that one's own noise sounds in the evil man too, but a heard name brings what was not in the person before.