Prasna Upanishad •
It iconsists of 6 chapters, each containing one question (prasna) asked to Pippalada Rishi by his disciples Sukesha, Satyakama, Gargya, Kousalya, Bhargava and Kabandhi.
These sons of illustrious families approached the Rishi to obtain knowledge, and in observance of the tradition they brought firewood for the fire sacrifice that would officialize their acceptance in the teacher's school.
• The Rishi asked them to live in his ashrama for one year before asking questions, when the time came, Kabandhi asked the first question: "Whence come those who take birth?"
• "The Prajapati ("Lord of the creatures") created a couple - Anna and Prana (food and life energy) that are the Moon and the Sun, the two halves of the year and the month, night and day. Food has two dimensions: the subtle and the gross. Knowing all this, one can give birth to worthy children."
• The second question was asked by Bhargava: "How many are the Deities that sustain the existence of a creature, and which one is the most important?"
• "Space, air, fire, water, earth, speech, mind, eyesight and hearing, but the most important is the prana, the life energy, that incarnates the manifestation of all the Devas."
• The third question was asked by Kousalya: "From where this prana is originated, how it enters the body and how it resides within it, how it leaves it, and how it sustains the physical elements?“
• "Prana comes from the Atman, just like a shadow is generated by the real object that projects it. Like a king instructing his officers, the Atman directs the secondary manifestations of the prana - Apana, Prana, Samana, Vyana and Udana. One who knows the prana becomes immortal."
• The fourth question was asked by Gargya: "Which organs sleep and which remain awake? Who perceives the dreams?"
• "The five pranas are the fires of the sacrifice and the officiants. Just like the sun rays at sunset merge into the sun disc and again are emanated at sunrise, all the forms of awareness are contained within the mind; therefore when the senses are inert, we say that a person is sleeping. Actually it is the Purusha who is established in the supreme and immutable Self. One who becomes aware of it achieves omniscience."
• The fifth question was asked by Satyakama: "What is obtained by meditating on the pranava Omkara?"
• "Trascendence manifested in the pranava Omkara is Brahman itself. One who meditates on Om as one syllable only obtains a further human birth. The mantras of the Rig Veda grant a virtuous rebirth, the mantras of the Yajur grant birth on the Moon level, while one who meditates on Om as Purusha attains the level of the Sun. The mantras of the Sama lead to the level of Brahma (Hiiranyagarbha)."
• The sixth and last question was asked by Sukesha: "Where is the 16-limbed Purusha?"
• "Within the human body itself. The 16 components of the Purusha are prana, faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, organs, mind, food, strength, self-control, mantras, rituals, worlds and names of the worlds."