Taittiriya Upanishad (Brahmānanda Valli, Chapter 2, Verse 3)

Sanskrit (Transliteration)

“prāṇaṁ devā anu prāṇanti | manuṣyāḥ paśavaśca ye |

prāṇo hi bhūtānāmāyuḥ | tasmāt sarvāyuṣamucyate |

sarvameva ta āyuryanti | ye prāṇaṁ brahmopāsate |

prāṇo hi bhūtānāmāyuḥ | tasmāt sarvāyuṣamucyate iti |

tasya eṣa eva śārīra ātmā | yaḥ pūrvasya |

tasmādvā etasmāt prāṇamayāt | anyo’ntara ātmā manomayaḥ |

tenaiṣa pūrṇaḥ | sa vā eṣa puruṣavidh eva |

tasya puruṣavidhatām | anvayaṁ puruṣavidhḥ |

tasya yajureva śiraḥ | ṛg-dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ | sāmo-uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ |

ādeśa ātmā | atharvāṅgirasaḥ pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā |

tadapy eṣa śloko bhavati | 1 | iti tṛtīyo’nuvākaḥ |”

Word-by-word Transcription and English Translation

• prāṇaṁ – The vital force (prāṇa)

• devāḥ – The gods

• anu – Follow, sustain

• prāṇanti – They sustain (the life force)

• manuṣyāḥ – Humans

• paśavaḥ – Animals

• ca – And

• ye – Who

• prāṇaḥ – The life force

• hi – Indeed

• bhūtānām – Of all beings

• āyuḥ – Life span

• tasmāt – Therefore

• sarvāyuṣam – All life spans

• ucyate – Are considered

• sarvameva – All indeed

• taḥ – Those (who)

• āyuryanti – Attain life span

• ye – Those

• prāṇaṁ – The life force

• brahmopāsate – Meditate on Brahman (the Supreme)

• prāṇaḥ – Life force

• hi – Indeed

• bhūtānām – Of beings

• āyuḥ – Life span

• tasmāt – Therefore

• sarvāyuṣam – All life spans

• ucyate – Are called thus

• iti – Thus

• tasya – Of it (the life force)

• eṣaḥ – This

• eva – Indeed

• śārīra – Of the body

• ātman – The soul

• yaḥ – Which

• pūrvasyāḥ – Of the previous (before)

• tasmāt – Therefore

• etasmāt – From this (life force)

• prāṇamayāt – Made of life force

• anyo’ntara – Another, internal

• ātman – Soul

• manomayaḥ – Made of mind (mental force)

• tena – By that

• eṣaḥ – This

• pūrṇaḥ – Full (complete)

• saḥ – He (the person)

• vā – Indeed

• eṣaḥ – This

• puruṣavidh – Form of the person

• eva – Indeed

• tasya – His

• puruṣavidhatām – Form of the person

• anvayaṁ – Sequence, connection

• puruṣavidhḥ – Form of the person

• tasya – His

• yajureva – The Yajurveda (knowledge of sacrifice)

• śiraḥ – Head

• ṛg-dakṣiṇaḥ – Right wing (of the Rigveda)

• pakṣaḥ – Wing

• sāmo-uttaraḥ – Left wing (of the Samaveda)

• pakṣaḥ – Wing

• ādeśa – Instruction

• ātman – Soul

• atharvāṅgirasaḥ – Atharvaveda (another Vedic scripture)

• pucchaṁ – Tail

• pratiṣṭhā – Foundation

• tadapy – Even that

• eṣaḥ – This

• ślokaḥ – Verse

• bhavati – Becomes

• 1 – (Verse number)

• iti – Thus

• tṛtīyo’nuvākaḥ – Third section

Translation of the Verse

“The gods sustain the prāṇa (vital force), and so do humans and animals. Indeed, prāṇa is the life span of all beings, and therefore it is called the measure of all life. All beings attain their life span through prāṇa, and those who meditate on prāṇa attain Brahman. Therefore, prāṇa is the source of all life. It is the inner soul made of prāṇa. From this prāṇa, the inner mind (manas) arises. This soul is full and complete. It follows the form of the person: prāṇa is the head, the right wing is the Rigveda, the left wing is the Samaveda, the soul is the space, and the earth is the tail. This structure is symbolized in this verse. Thus, this is the third section.”

This verse elaborates on how prāṇa (the life force) is central to all life, acting as the very essence of beings, and how it links to the Vedas in a symbolic form. The body is described in terms of the Vedic scriptures, showing a profound connection between the microcosm (human body) and the macrocosm (cosmic order).