Sanskrit Text
प्राणो र॑क्षति विश्वमेज॑त्। इर्यो॑ भूत्वा बहुदा बहूनि॑। स इत्सर्वं व्या॑नशे। यो देवो देवेषु॑ विभूरन्त:। आवृ॑दूदात् क्षेत्रिय॑ध्वगद्वृषा। तमित्प्राणं मनसो-प॑शिक्षत। अग्रं॑ देवाना॑मिदम॑त्तु नो हवि:। मन॑सश्चित्तेदं। भूतं भव्यं॑ च गुप्यते। तद्धि देवेष्व॑ग्रियं॥ 51 ॥
(Note: The text corresponds to Taittiriya Brahmana 2.5.1.1 – 2.5.1.3 as noted in the XML source.)
IAST Transliteration
prāṇo rakṣati viśvam ejat | iryo bhūtvā bahudā bahūni | sa it sarvaṃ vyānaśe | yo devo deveṣu vibhūr antaḥ | āvṛdūdāt kṣetriyadhvagadvṛṣā | tam it prāṇaṃ manasopaśikṣata | agraṃ devānām idam attu no haviḥ | manasaś cittedam | bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ ca gupyate | tad dhi deveṣvagriyam || 51 ||
Word-by-Word Meaning
- प्राणः (prāṇaḥ): The vital breath / life force (Prana)
- रक्षति (rakṣati): protects
- विश्वम् (viśvam): the entire universe
- एजत् (ejat): moving / living / vibrating
- इर्यः (iryaḥ): the active master / powerful lord
- भूत्वा (bhūtvā): having become
- बहुदा (bahudā): in manifold ways (often written bahudhā)
- बहूनि (bahūni): many things / beings
- सः इत् (saḥ it): He indeed
- सर्वम् (sarvam): everything
- व्यानशे (vyānaśe): pervades / encompasses
- यः (yaḥ): who
- देवः (devaḥ): the deity
- देवेषु (deveṣu): among the gods
- विभूः (vibhūḥ): all-pervading / powerful
- अन्तः (antaḥ): within
- आवृदूदात् (āvṛdūdāt): driving away malevolent forces / cutting off the destructive ones
- क्षेत्रियध्वगत् वृषा (kṣetriyadhvagat vṛṣā): the mighty bull (showerer of grace) who destroys inherited diseases/impurities
- तम् इत् (tam it): Him indeed
- प्राणम् (prāṇam): Prana (the vital breath)
- मनसा (manasā): with the mind
- उपशिक्षत (upaśikṣata): serve / approach with devotion and discipline
- अग्रम् (agram): the foremost / the first
- देवानाम् (devānām): of the gods
- इदम् (idam): this
- अत्तु (attu): let Him eat / accept
- नः (no / naḥ): our
- हविः (haviḥ): sacrificial oblation
- मनसः (manasaḥ): of the mind
- चित्ते (citte): in the thought / consciousness
- इदम् (idam): this
- भूतम् (bhūtam): the past (what has been)
- भव्यम् च (bhavyaṃ ca): and the future (what will be)
- गुप्यते (gupyate): is protected / guarded
- तत् हि (tat hi): that indeed
- देवेषु (deveṣu): among the gods
- अग्रियम् (agriyam): the supreme / most excellent
Summary Meaning
“The vital breath (Prana) protects this entire moving and living universe. Becoming the active master in manifold ways over all beings, He indeed pervades everything. He is the powerful deity residing within all the gods.
He is the mighty bull who drives away inherited afflictions and destructive forces. Approach and serve that Prana with a disciplined and devoted mind. May He, the foremost among the gods, accept this oblation of ours.
Within the consciousness of the mind, both the past and the future are safely guarded. Indeed, that Mind/Prana is the supreme and foremost among all the gods.”