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    10. वाङ्मनःप्राणस्वरूपम् - Vanmanah Pranasvarupam - Class 9 - Shemushi 1

    • 4 days ago
    • 6 min read

    Updated: 14 hours ago

    1. Chapter Summary (Paath Saar)


    English Summary: This chapter is an excerpt from the fifth section of the sixth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad. It presents a philosophical yet scientific dialogue between the sage Aruni and his son/disciple Shvetaketu regarding the nature of the Mind (Manas), Life Force (Prana), and Speech (Vak) .


    Aruni explains that the subtle essence of the food we eat becomes the Mind, the subtle essence of the water we drink becomes Prana, and the subtle essence of the fire (energy/fats like ghee/oil) we consume becomes Speech. To illustrate this, he uses the analogy of churning curd: just as the subtle essence of curd rises up to become butter (ghee), the subtle essence of consumed food rises to become the mind. The lesson concludes with the profound truth that our mental constitution depends on the type of food we consume ("We are what we eat") .


    Moral (Sandesh):

    Our diet directly influences our mind and consciousness. Purity of food leads to purity of mind.


    2. Selected Dialogue Translation (Anuvad)

    Sanskrit Text (Split Sandhis)

    English Translation

    श्वेतकेतुः - भगवन्! श्वेतकेतुरहं वन्दे।

    Shvetaketu: O Lord/Revered Sir! I, Shvetaketu, bow to you.

    आरुणिः - वत्स ! चिरञ्जीव।

    Aruni: Child! May you live long.

    श्वेतकेतुः - भगवन्! किञ्चित् प्रष्टुमिच्छामि।

    Shvetaketu: Lord! I wish to ask something.

    आरुणिः - वत्स! किमद्य त्वया प्रष्टव्यमस्ति?

    Aruni: Child! What is to be asked by you today?

    श्वेतकेतुः - भगवन्! ज्ञातुम् इच्छामि यत् किमिदं मनः?

    Shvetaketu: Lord! I wish to know, what is this 'Mind'?

    आरुणिः - वत्स! अशितस्य अन्नस्य योऽणिष्ठः तन्मनः।

    Aruni: Child! That which is the subtlest part of the eaten food, that is the Mind .


    श्वेतकेतुः - कश्च प्राणः?

    Shvetaketu: And what is Prana (Life Force)?

    आरुणिः - पीतानाम् अपां योऽणिष्ठः स प्राणः।


    Aruni: That which is the subtlest part of the drunk water, that is Prana .


    श्वेतकेतुः - भगवन्! का इयं वाक्?

    Shvetaketu: Lord! What is this Speech?

    आरुणिः - वत्स! अशितस्य तेजसो योऽणिष्ठः सा वाक्।

    Aruni: Child! That which is the subtlest part of the consumed Fire (energy/fats), that is Speech.


    सौम्य! मनः अन्नमयं, प्राणः आपोमयः, वाक् च तेजोमयी भवति इत्यप्यवधार्यम्।

    O Gentle one! Mind is made of food, Prana is made of water, and Speech is made of fire; this should be understood.

    श्वेतकेतुः - भगवन्! भूय एव मां विज्ञापयतु।

    Shvetaketu: Lord! Please explain this to me again/further.

    आरुणिः - सौम्य! सावधानं शृणु। मथ्यमानस्य दध्नः योऽणिमा, स ऊर्ध्वं समुदीषति, तत् सर्पिः भवति।

    Aruni: Gentle one! Listen carefully. The subtle part of the curd being churned rises upward, and that becomes butter/ghee.


    एवमेव सौम्य! अश्यमानस्य अन्नस्य योऽणिमा, स ऊर्ध्वं समुदीषति। तन्मनो भवति।

    Similarly, O Gentle one! The subtle part of the food being eaten rises upward. That becomes the Mind.


    आरुणिः - वत्स! उपदेशान्ते भूयोऽपि त्वां विज्ञापयितुमिच्छामि...

    Aruni: Child! At the end of the teaching, I wish to inform you again...

    यत् अन्नमयं भवति मनः, आपोमयो भवति प्राणः तेजोमयी च भवति वागिति।

    ...that Mind is made of food, Prana is made of water, and Speech is made of fire.

    किञ्च यादृशमन्नादिकं गृह्णाति मानवस्तादृशमेव तस्य चित्तादिकं भवतीति मदुपदेशसारः।

    Moreover, whatever kind of food a human consumes, his mind becomes like that; this is the essence of my teaching.


    3. Word Meanings (Kathin Shabdarth)

    1. अशितस्य (Ashitasya) = Of the eaten (food)


    2. अणिष्ठः (Anishthah) = The smallest / subtlest part (लघिष्ठः)


    3. आपोमयः (Apomayah) = Made of water (जलमयः)


    4. सर्पिः (Sarpih) = Ghee / Clarified Butter (घृतम्)


    5. विज्ञापयतु (Vigyapayatu) = Explain / Inform (प्रबोधयतु)


    6. मथ्यमानस्य (Mathyamanasya) = Of that being churned (विलोद्यमानस्य)


    7. समुदीषति (Samudishati) = Rises up (उपरि गच्छति)


    8. तेजसः (Tejasah) = Of fire / energy (fats/oils)


    9. अवधार्यम् (Avadharyam) = Should be understood (ज्ञातव्यम्)


    10. चिरञ्जीव (Chiranjiva) = Live long (आयुष्मान् भव)


    4. Competency-Based Assessment

    A. Question Construction (Prashna Nirman)

    Sentence

    Question

    Explanation

    श्वेतकेतुः आरुणेः शिष्यः आसीत्।

    कः आरुणेः शिष्यः आसीत्?

    Used 'Kah' because 'Shvetaketu' is Masculine Singular.

    मनः अन्नमयं भवति।

    मनः कीदृशं भवति?

    Used 'Kidrisham' (What kind) to ask about the nature/adjective.

    मथ्यमानस्य दध्नः अणिमा ऊर्ध्वं गच्छति।

    कीदृशस्य दध्नः अणिमा ऊर्ध्वं गच्छति?

    Used 'Kidrishasya' to ask about the condition of the curd.

    पीतानाम् अपाम् अणिष्ठः प्राणः।

    कीदृशीनाम् / कासाम् अपाम् अणिष्ठः प्राणः?

    Used 'Kasam' (Of which/water) or 'Kidrishinam'.

    मानवः यादृशम् अन्नं गृह्णाति तादृशं मनः भवति।

    मानवः कीदृशम् अन्नं गृह्णाति तादृशं मनः भवति?

    Used 'Kidrisham' for the adjective 'Yadrisham'.

    B. Bhashik Karyam (Linguistic Work)


    1. Question: In "अशितस्य अन्नस्य योऽणिष्ठः तन्मनः", identify the Visheshan (Adjective).

      • Answer: अशितस्य (Eaten).

      • Explanation: It describes the noun 'Annasya' (Food). 'Anishthah' is also an adjective/superlative acting as a noun here.


    2. Question: In "अहं किञ्चित् प्रष्टुम् इच्छामि", what is the Kriya Padam (Verb)?

      • Answer: इच्छामि (I wish).

      • Explanation: It denotes the action of the subject 'Aham'.


    3. Question: Write the antonym for "गरिष्ठः" (Heaviest/Grossest) from the text context (Exercise 3-A).

      • Answer: अणिष्ठः (Subtlest/Smallest).

      • Explanation: The text discusses the 'Anishtha' part, which is the opposite of the gross part.

    4. Question: Write the synonym for "घृतम्" from the text.

      • Answer: सर्पिः.

      • Explanation: Aruni uses 'Sarpih' to describe what rises from churned curd.


    5. Subjective Q&A (Pathit Avabodhanam)

    A. Ekpaden Uttarat (One Word Answers)


    • Q: अन्नस्य कीदृशः भागः मनः? (What kind of part of food is the Mind?)

      • Ans: अणिष्ठः (The subtlest).


    • Q: मनः कीदृशं भवति? (What is the Mind made of?)

      • Ans: अन्नमयम् (Made of food).


    • Q: तेजोमयी का भवति? (What is made of Fire/Tejas?)

      • Ans: वाक् (Speech).


    • Q: पाठेऽस्मिन् आरुणिः कम् उपदिशति? (Whom does Aruni teach in this lesson?)

      • Ans: श्वेतकेतुम् (Shvetaketu).


    • Q: अयं पाठः कस्याः उपनिषदः संगृहीतः? (From which Upanishad is this lesson collected?)

      • Ans: छान्दोग्योपनिषदः (Chandogya Upanishad).


    B. Purnavakyen Uttarat (Full Sentence Answers)

    • Q: आरुणिः प्राणस्वरूपं कथं निरूपयति? (How does Aruni describe the nature of Prana?)

      • Ans: आरुणिः निरूपयति यत् पीतानाम् अपां यः अणिष्ठः भागः सः एव प्राणः भवति। (Aruni describes that the subtlest part of the water consumed is indeed Prana) .


    • Q: मानवानां चेतांसि कीदृशानि भवन्ति? (How do the minds of humans become?)

      • Ans: मानवः यादृशम् अन्नं गृह्णाति, तादृशमेव तस्य चित्तं (मनः) भवति। (Whatever kind of food a human eats, his mind becomes exactly like that) .


    • Q: सर्पिः किं भवति? (What is 'Sarpi'?)

      • Ans: मथ्यमानस्य दध्नः यः अणिमा ऊर्ध्वं समुदीषति तत् सर्पिः भवति। (The subtle part of churned curd that rises up becomes Sarpi/Ghee) .


    6. Integrated Grammar (Vyakaran)

    A. Sandhi (Joining/Splitting)

    1. तन्मनः = तत् + मनः (Vyanjan Sandhi - 't' becomes 'n' before 'm').

    2. इत्यप्यवधार्यम् = इति + अपि + अवधार्यम् (Yan Sandhi: i -> y).

    3. योऽणिष्ठः = यः + अणिष्ठः (Visarga Sandhi - Utvam + Purvarupa).

    4. किमद्य = किम् + अद्य (Vyanjan Sandhi/Sanyoga).

    5. भवन्तीति = भवन्ति + इति (Dirgha Sandhi).


    B. Pratyaya (Suffixes)

    Based on the 'Bhashik Vistar' and text usage :


    1. मयट् (Mayat): Used to denote "made of" or "abundance".

      • अन्न + मयट् = अन्नमयम् (Made of food).

      • तेजः + मयट् = तेजोमयः / तेजोमयी (Made of light/energy).

      • जल + मयट् = जलमयम् / आपोमयम्.


    2. तुमुन् (Tumun): Used for "to do something" (Purpose).

      • प्रच्छ् + तुमुन् = प्रष्टुम् (To ask).

      • वि + ज्ञा + णिच् + तुमुन् = विज्ञापयितुम् (To inform/explain).

      • श्रोतुम् (from Shru) = To hear.


    3. क्त (Kta): Past participle.

      • अधि + इ + क्त = अधीतम् (Studied/Learnt).

      • ख्यात + क्त = ख्यातम्.


    7. Dialogue Sequence (Ghatnakram)


    Logical Flow of Teaching:

    1. श्वेतकेतुः आरुणिं 'मनः' विषये पृच्छति। (Shvetaketu asks Aruni about the Mind).

    2. आरुणिः वदति यत् अशितस्य अन्नस्य अणिष्ठः भागः मनः भवति। (Aruni says the subtlest part of eaten food is Mind).

    3. पुनः सः 'प्राणः' 'वाक्' च विषये पृच्छति। (Again he asks about Prana and Speech).

    4. आरुणिः दध्नः उदाहरणं दत्त्वा विषयं स्पष्टयति। (Aruni clarifies the topic using the example of curd).

    5. अन्ते आरुणिः उपदिशति यत् "यादृशम् अन्नं गृह्णाति तादृशं मनः भवति"। (Finally Aruni teaches that "As the food, so the mind").

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