Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Pancapranas included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of Pañcaṇa
The five ṇa (life breaths) of any living being are ʰṇa, Բ, ղԲ, Բ and Բ. There is a story in 'ٱī 岵ٲ' regarding the origin of the Pañcaṇa.
Once Śrī ṛṣṇa met Rādhādevī at Rāsamaṇḍala and in seclusion they spent in sexual sport the period of one day of . Then ṛṣṇa selecting an auspicious time dropped his vital fluid into her womb at the end of the sexual sport. Tired by the prolonged carnal sport and shaken by the impact of the hot semen Rādhādevī perspired profusely and the exhaustion produced deep and long breaths. The whole universe was covered with her sweat and her sighs became the goddess of the life-giving breaths of all created animals. From the left side of goddess was born Vāyupatnī and to her were born the Pañcaṇa. Besides these, another five younger ṇa were also born. From the sweat of the ٱī was born ղṇa and from the left side of ղṇa was born Varuṇānī. (9th Skandha, ٱī 岵ٲ).
Māṇḍūkyopanisad gives the following details regarding the working of the ʰṇas in the body:—ʰṇa was first used in the sense of breath. Later it got the meaning of life. Life is in fact breath to all living beings. Only when a man is awake, his mind and sense organs are active. But ʰṇa is active always both in the state of wakefulness and sleep. Therefore ʰṇa is the vigour of life. It may be said that when a man is asleep his senses merge with his mind and his mind with the prāṇa. The five factors of ʰṇa are the Pañcaṇa. The first of the five is called ʰṇa itself. It is called Mukhyaprāṇa or chief ʰṇa. Just as a King appoints his ministers at different places to do specified jobs the chief ʰṇa posts the other ṇa at different parts in the body with specific purposes of their own. ʰṇa is seated in the heart and does the work of breathing. Բ is seated in anus and directs the organs of excretion of the body. ղԲ is spread throughout the body and it is this life-wind which keeps one alive even when breathing is stopped for some time. When an archer stands in deep concentration with his bent bow without breathing he lives with the help of ղԲ. Բ controls the breathing-in and breathing-out to a specified rhythm. Բ (equaliser) is so called because it balances the force of the in-coming and outgoing breaths. There is a school of thought that ʰṇa is not seated in the heart but spread over the ears, eyes nose and face. Բ is seated at the navel midway between the seats of ʰṇa and Բ. This is also a reason why life wind got that name. This breath does the work of prompting digestion. The four ṇa, ʰṇa, Բ, Բ and ղԲ sustain life. The fifth one, Բ, takes the soul of the being out of the body when it dies.