उपनिषद् · Praśna 2.13
॥
देवनागरी
प्राणस्येदं वशे सर्वं त्रिदिवे यत् प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
मातेव पुत्रान् रक्षस्व श्रीश् च प्रज्ञां च विधेहि न इति
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
prāṇasyedaṃ vaśe sarvaṃ tridive yat pratiṣṭhitam /
māteva putrān rakṣasva śrīś ca prajñāṃ ca vidhehi na iti
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
प्राणस्यprāṇasyaof the prāṇa; of the life-force
इदम्idamthis; the present
वशेvaśein the power (vaśa); in the will; in subjection
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
त्रिदिवेtridivein the third heaven (tri-diva — the highest celestial sphere); in the threefold heaven; in the heights
यत्yatwhat; that which
प्रतिष्ठितम्pratiṣṭhitamis established; is set
माता इवmātā ivaas a mother; like a mother
पुत्रान्putrānher sons; her children
रक्षस्वrakṣasvaguard (imperative of √rakṣ); shield; defend
श्रीः चśrīḥ caprosperity (śrī); well-being; fullness and fortune
प्रज्ञाम् चprajñām cawisdom (prajñā); intelligence; insight
विधेहिvidhehibestow (vi-√dhā — 'to apportion'); grant; ordain
नः इतिnaḥ iti'upon us', thus; for us
अनुवाद
"All this is in the power of prāṇa, [and] that which is established in the third heaven. Guard us as a mother her sons; bestow upon us prosperity and wisdom."
संस्करण
8d62a5191588 · प्रकाशित 26 जुल॰ 2026, 8:35:21 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The close of the second question. prāṇasyedaṁ vaśe sarvam — "all this is in prāṇa's power", tridive yat pratiṣṭhitam — "and what is set in the third heaven": not the earthly alone — the higher worlds too live by life; the confession of complete sovereignty is the ground of the petition that follows: of the all-powerful one may ask everything.
māteva putrān rakṣasva — "guard us as a mother her sons": the hymn that began with a quarrel over precedence ends in the image of motherhood. Rightly recognized, power turns out to be not tyranny but care: the same force that terrified the faculties by "going out" is, for those who have given themselves to her, a mother. And the petition is twofold: śrīś ca prajñāṁ ca vidhehi naḥ — "grant us śrī and prajñā" — prosperity and wisdom, the fullness of the outer and the inner life: the Vedic prayer does not choose between bread and light — it asks for both, knowing that both come from one Giver.
So the second question ("how many gods hold the body, and which is highest?") is resolved to the end: many hold it — One holds; and the best relation to her is a son's. And over the answer the third question is already raised, the most searching of all: if prāṇa is the mother of everything, then whence prāṇa herself? Kabandhin asked about creatures, Bhārgava about the powers; Kausalya will ask about the Source of the power.