The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)
The translator’s English as printed (K. T. Telang). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
Devamata said:
By which (of the life-winds) is a creature produced ? and which (of them) first comes to him? Explain to me also the pairs of the life-winds, which (move) upwards, or downwards, or transversely.
Narada said:
Pleasure is produced from a mental operation, and (it) is also produced from a sound, (it) is also produced from taste, and (it) is also produced from colour, and (it) is also produced from touch, and (it) is also produced from smell. This is the effect² of the Udana; the pleasure is produced from union*, From desire the semen is produced; and from the semen is produced menstrual excretion. The semen and the blood are produced by the Samana and the Vyâna in common‘. From the combination of the semen and the blood, the Prâṇa comes first into operation; and the semen being developed by the Prâṇa, the Apâna then comes into operation. The pair Prâṇa and Apâna go upwards and downwards, and the Samana and Vyâna are called the pair (moving) transversely. It is the teaching of the
1 I.e. desire. ‘Sound’=recollection of a woman’s voice ; ‘taste,’ scil. of chastity ; ‘colour’=the beauty of a woman, Arguna Misra. Ch. Apastamba I, 2, 7, 8, and Lalita Vistara, p. 19.
2 Literally, ‘form,’ which Arguna Misra interprets to mean effect, and adds, ‘The Udâna causes mental activity, and by mental activity sound &c. are apprehended.’ ® J.e, of Udâna and mind, Arguna Misra; adding, ‘the result is that a creature is produced by the Udana.’ # Or, perhaps, generally, that is to say, the store of them, the specific semen being produced from desire, as before stated. The Samâna’s function is the digestion of food, and that of the Vyana is the distribution of the digested food to the whole body through the nâḍis, hence the proposition in the text,
Devamata said:
By which of the life-winds is a creature produced? Which of them comes to him first? Explain to me also the pairs of the life-winds—those that move upwards, those that move downwards, and those that move transversely.
Narada said:
Pleasure arises from a mental operation, and also from sound, from taste, from colour, from touch, and from smell. This is the effect² of the Udana; pleasure is produced from union*. From desire, semen is produced; and from semen, menstrual excretion is produced. Semen and blood are both produced by the Samana and the Vyâna together'. From the combination of semen and blood, the Prâṇa comes first into operation; and as the semen is developed by the Prâṇa, the Apâna then comes into operation. The pair Prâṇa and Apâna move upwards and downwards, while Samana and Vyâna are called the pair that moves transversely. It is the teaching of the
1 I.e. desire. 'Sound' = recollection of a woman's voice; 'taste,' scil. of chastity; 'colour' = the beauty of a woman, Arjuna Misra. Cf. Apastamba I, 2, 7, 8, and Lalita Vistara, p. 19.
2 Literally, 'form,' which Arjuna Misra interprets to mean effect, and adds, 'The Udâna causes mental activity, and by mental activity sound &c. are apprehended.' ® That is, of Udâna and mind, Arjuna Misra; adding, 'the result is that a creature is produced by the Udana.' # Or, perhaps, generally, that is to say, the store of them, the specific semen being produced from desire, as previously stated. The Samâna's function is the digestion of food, and that of the Vyana is the distribution of the digested food throughout the whole body by way of the nâḍis, hence the proposition in the text,