Prashna Bhashya

Prashna Upanishad

Belonging to the Atherva Veda, the Prashna is thought to be of the Pippalada sakha. Sri Sankara refers to it as a Brahmana, complementary to the Mantra Upanishad, i.e. the Mundaka Upanisad, which also belongs to the same Veda. The word prashna means “question”, amd this Upanisad is a question-and-answer session in which a group of sincere seekers pose six questions to rishi Pippalada. The questions are discussed from the gross to sublemost aspects of creation. They include questions relating to the source of all beings, the number of deities, and chief among them, the nature and function of Prana (the vital force), the nature of waking, dream, and sleep states and the function of the senses in each if the states, meditation on ‘OM’ and what it leads to, ad finally the nature of man, consciousness or Brahman, knowing which ,all else is as well known. Engaging analogies and smilies are used in the traditional teaching methodology to help the student’s gain proper and complete clarity.