REIKI AND THE VEDIC VAISHNAVA TRADITION The ancient Vedic scriptures (about 5000 years old) contain great amount of information on all material and spiritual subjects, reiki (in Sanskrit "prana") being one of them. In fact, to gather all the available facts would be practically a lifetime job. I will therefore limit myself to the most important sources: Bhagavad-gita, Upanisads, Vedanta-sutra and its commentary, Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). Reiki - Prana: spiritual or material? Prana is a Sanskrit word for "life air" or "life force". In Chinese it is known as cchi, in Japanese ki. It is present all over the universe both in macrocosm (space) and microcosm (bodies of living beings). Its proper flow in our bodies assures their healthy state. Bhagavad-gita (BG) 7.4 states: bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha bhumih--earth; apah--water; analah--fire; vayuh--air; kham--ether; manah--mind; buddhih--intelligence; eva--certainly; ca--and; ahankarah--false ego; iti--thus; iyam--all these; me--My; bhinna--separated; prakrtih--energies; astadha--eightfold. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego--all together these eight constitute My separated material energies. The first five elements - earth (solid substances), water (liquids), fire, air, ether - are gross material. Three other - mind, intelligence, false ego - are subtle material. Prana is a form of air (also known as vayu, vata, anila etc.). It is not "spiritual" in a sense of being of the same nature as jivatma (soul) which is above these eight elements (BG 7.5): apareyam itas tv anyam prakrtim viddhi me param jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat apara--inferior; iyam--this; itah--besides this; tu--but; anyam--another; prakrtim--energy; viddhi--just try to understand; me--My; param--superior; jiva-bhutam--comprising the living entities; maha-baho--O mighty-armed one; yaya--by whom; idam--this; dharyate--is utilized or exploited; jagat--the material world. Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature. Prashna Upanisad: ten pranas in the body Ten pranas ("life airs") - Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana, Vyana, Naga, Krkara, Kurma, Devadatta, Dhananjaya (for definitions see below the commentary to SB 3.6.9) and their actions are mentioned by spiritual masters (acaryas) in their commentaries to Bhagavad-gita 4.27. The life airs circulate in the 72.000 nadis of the human body. There is much information about this in the Prasna Upanisad (translations by Ekanath Das): 3.6 In the heart verily is the Jivatma (soul). Here arise 101 nadis (subtle pranic channels). Each of them has 100 sub-nadis. Each sub-nadi has 72.000 branch nadis. The Vyana moves in them. 3.7 But by one of these 101 nadis the up-going Udana leads by virtue of good deeds to the worlds of the good, by sin to worlds of the sinful, by both to worlds of the men indeed. 3.8 (The cosmic correspondences are): the sun is the reservoir of the cosmic light or Prana. He rises helping the microcosmic Prana to see objects. The goddess who presides over the Earth (Bhumi) is the cosmic Apana and she helps man by attracting the downwards the apana of the person. The space which is between the Earth and the Sun (antariksa) is the cosmic Samana, (and it helps the Samana inside man). The atmosphere or Vayu is cosmic Vyana (and helps the Vyana inside man). Vedanta-sutra: origin and function of prana What follows are the paraphrases (by Suhotra Swami) of the Vedanta-sutras (Vs) with their corresponding commentary verses in the Bhagavata Purana (Srimad Bhagavatam, SB): As the elements beginning with ether are manifest by the Supreme Lord, so too is the vital prana (life force). (Vs 2.4.1) SB 2.10.15 As was shown before, 'prana' is a name of the Supreme Lord as well as the name of the life force he creates. In the sruti-sastra, the original prana is addressed in the plural (pranah). This indicates the variegated manifestations of the one original Supreme Lord. (Vs 2.4.2) SB 2.10.36 The plurality of the word pranah cannot be applied to the life force, because pranah is identified with 'asat.' As was shown before, asat is the state of nonmanifestation after the annihilation of the cosmos. Asat is also a name of the Supreme Lord. Hence pranah cannot refer to material variety. The variety indicated is transcendental. (Vs 2.4.3) SB 2.10.43,44 Speech exists before the cosmic manifestation. Hence prana as the name of the Supreme Lord is a word of that transcendental speech, not the mundane speech of the created world. (Vs 2.4.4) SB 6.16.51 It might be falsely argued that if the prana or life force accompanies the soul at the time of death, this prana must have no origin, just as the soul has no origin. But this standpoint is false. Prana is created, as the elements of the universe are created. (Vs 2.4.8) SB 2.10.15 It might be falsely argued on the basis of certain sastric statements that the prana or life force is the material element air (or the vibration of air, the activities of air or a condition of air). But in fact prana is created separately from that element; the scriptures likewise describe their functions separately. It is thus a special kind of air. (Vs 2.4.9) SB 2.10.15-17 It may be falsely argued that the vital prana is itself the individual spirit soul. It is really an instrument associated with the soul for as long as the soul is in material existence. (Vs 2.4.10) SB 11.3.39 The vital prana, being neutral and pervading the whole body, has no particular function like the senses. It is the soul's primary agent for governing the senses. (Vs 2.4.11) SB 4.16.13 Just as the mind is said to have multiple functions, so the prana has five functions. (Vs 2.4.12) SB 4.29.6,7 It might be falsely argued that the vital prana is all-pervading. Being the agent of the atomic soul, the vital prana is really atomic; thus it leaves the body along with the soul at the time of death. (Vs 2.4.13) SB 4.28.24 The secondary pranas activate the physical senses under the shelter of the vital prana, which is moved by the Supersoul. The pranas do not move themselves, nor are they moved by the devas, nor are they even moved by the individual spirit soul alone. (Vs 2.4.14) SB 7.2.45, 5.20.28 The Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad declares the individual soul to also be a ruler of the pranas by his enjoyment of them, for instance during sleep. The demigods are also rulers of the pranas because they define the activities of the senses. All this is under the supervision of the Supreme Lord. (Vs 2.4.15) SB 3.26.71, 6.4.25 The Supersoul is the eternal controller of the individual spirit souls and the demigods. (Vs 2.4.16) SB 5.11.13-14 The vital prana is not a sense organ, though the subordinate pranas may be taken as such because they move through the apertures of the sensory gates. (Vs 2.4.17) SB 4.28.56-58 In the vedic description of creation, the vital prana is distinguished from the senses. Therefore it is not a sense itself. (Vs 2.4.18) SB 3.26.54 By the movement of the vital prana, the living entity maintains his conception of the body as the self. Only when the movement of the life air is arrested is the bodily identification submerged in ignorance. Thus is the prana distinguished from the senses, for even if the movements of all the senses are arrested, the bodily identification remains. (Vs 2.4.19) SB 4.29.71 Srimad Bhagavatam, the commentary on Vedanta-sutra: more on pranas Below are some of the Srimad Bhagavatam verses in full, with English transliteration and word-by-word and verse translation: taijasat tu vikurvanad indriyani dasa bhavan jnana-saktih kriya-saktir buddhih pranas ca taijasau srotram tvag-ghrana-drg jihva vag-dor-medhranghri-payavah taijasat--by the passionate egoism; tu--but; vikurvanat--transformation of; indriyani--the senses; dasa--ten; abhavan--generated; jnana-saktih--the five senses for acquiring knowledge; kriya-saktih--the five senses of activities; buddhih--intelligence; pranah--the living energy; ca--also; taijasau--all products of the mode of passion; srotram--the sense for hearing; tvak--the sense for touching; ghrana--the sense for smelling; drk--the sense for seeing; jihvah--the sense for tasting; vak--the sense for speaking; doh--the sense for handling; medhra--the genitals; anghri--the legs; payavah--the sense for evacuating. By further transformation of the mode of passion, the sense organs like the ear, skin, nose, eyes, tongue, mouth, hands, genitals, legs, and the outlet for evacuating, together with intelligence and living energy, are all generated. (SB 2.5.31) antah sarira akasat purusasya vicestatah ojah saho balam jajne tatah prano mahan asuh antah sarire--within the body; akasat--from the sky; purusasya--of Maha-Visnu; vicestatah--while so trying, or willing; ojah--the energy of the senses; sahah--mental force; balam--bodily strength; jajne--generated; tatah--thereafter; pranah--the living force; mahan asuh--the fountainhead of everyone's life. From the sky situated within the transcendental body of the manifesting Maha-Visnu, sense energy, mental force and bodily strength are all generated, as well as the sum total of the fountainhead of the total living force. (SB 2.10.15) sa vai visva-srjam garbho deva-karmatma-saktiman vibabhajatmanatmanam ekadha dasadha tridha sah--that; vai--certainly; visva-srjam--of the gigantic virat form; garbhah--total energy; deva--living energy; karma--activity of life; atma--self; saktiman--full with potencies; vibabhaja--divided; atmana--by Himself; atmanam--Himself; ekadha--in oneness; dasadha--in ten; tridha--and in three. The total energy of the mahat-tattva, in the form of the gigantic virat-rupa, divided Himself by Himself into the consciousness of the living entities, the life of activity, and self-identification, which are subdivided into one, ten and three respectively. (SB 3.6.7) sadhyatmah sadhidaivas ca sadhibhuta iti tridha- virat prano dasa-vidha ekadha hrdayena ca sa-adhyatmah--the body and mind with all the senses; sa-adhidaivah--and the controlling demigods of the senses; ca--and; sa-adhibhutah--the present objectives; iti--thus; tridha--three; virat--gigantic; pranah--moving force; dasa-vidhah--ten kinds; ekadha--one only; hrdayena--living energy; ca--also. The gigantic universal form is represented by three, ten and one in the sense that He is the body and the mind and the senses, He is the dynamic force for all movements by ten kinds of life energy, and He is the one heart where life energy is generated. (SB 3.6.9) PURPORT In Bhagavad-gita (7.4-5) it is stated that the eight elements earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and false ego are all products of the Lord's inferior energy, whereas the living entities, who are seen to utilize the inferior energy, originally belong to the superior energy, the internal potency of the Lord. The eight inferior energies work grossly and subtly, whereas the superior energy works as the central generating force. This is experienced in the human body. The gross elements, namely, earth, etc., form the external gross body and are like a coat, whereas the subtle mind and false ego act like the inner clothing of the body. The movements of the body are first generated from the heart, and all the activities of the body are made possible by the senses, powered by the ten kinds of air within the body. The ten kinds of air are described as follows: The main air passing through the nose in breathing is called prana. The air which passes through the rectum as evacuated bodily air is called apana. The air which adjusts the foodstuff within the stomach and which sometimes sounds as belching is called samana. The air which passes through the throat and the stoppage of which constitutes suffocation is called the udana air. Aid the total air which circulates throughout the entire body is called the vyana air. Subtler than these five airs, there are others also. That which facilitates the opening of the eyes, mouth, etc., is called naga air. The air which increases appetite is called krkara air. The air which helps contraction is called kurma air. The air which helps relaxation by opening the mouth wide (in yawning) is called devadatta air, and the air which helps sustenance is called dhananjaya air. All these airs are generated from the center of the heart, which is one only. This central energy is superior energy of the Lord, who is seated within the heart with the soul of the body, who acts under the guidance of the Lord. This is explained in Bhagavad-gita (15.15) as follows: sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham The complete central force is generated from the heart by the Lord, who is seated there and who helps the conditioned soul in remembering and forgetting. The conditioned state is due to the soul's forgetfulness of his relationship of subordination to the Lord. One who wants to continue to forget the Lord is helped by the Lord to forget Him birth after birth, but one who remembers Him, by dint of association with a devotee of the Lord, is helped to remember Him more and more. Thus the conditioned soul can ultimately go back home, back to Godhead. This process of transcendental help by the Lord is described in Bhagavad-gita (10.10) as follows: tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te The buddhi-yoga process of self-realization with intelligence transcendental to the mind (devotional service) can alone elevate one from the conditioned state of material entanglement in the cosmic construction. The conditioned state of the living entity is like that of a person who is within the depths of a huge mechanical arrangement. The mental speculators can reach the point of buddhi-yoga after many, many lifetimes of speculation, but the intelligent person who begins from the platform of intelligence above the mind makes rapid progress in self-realization. Because the buddhi-yoga process entails no fear of deterioration or retrogression at any time, it is the guaranteed path to self-realization, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (2.40). The mental speculators cannot understand that the two birds (Svetasvatara Upanisad) sitting in one tree are the soul and the Supersoul. The individual soul eats the fruit of the tree, while the other bird does not eat the fruit but only observes the activities of the eating bird. Without attachment, the witnessing bird helps the fruit-eating bird perform fruitful activities. One who cannot understand this difference between the soul and the Supersoul, or God and the living entities, is certainly still in the entanglement of the cosmic machinery and thus must still await the time when he will be free from bondage. calanam vyuhanam praptir netrtvam dravya-sabdayoh sarvendriyanam atmatvam vayoh karmabhilaksanam calanam--moving; vyuhanam--mixing; praptih--allowing approach; netrtvam--carrying; dravya-sabdayoh--particles of substances and sound; sarva-indriyanam--of all the senses; atmatvam--providing for the proper functioning; vayoh--of air; karma--by actions; abhilaksanam--the distinct characteristics. The action of the air is exhibited in movements, mixing, allowing approach to the objects of sound and other sense perceptions, and providing for the proper functioning of all other senses. (SB 3.26.37) nirabhidyatasya prathamam mukham vani tato 'bhavat vanya vahnir atho nase pranoto ghrana etayoh nirabhidyata--appeared; asya--of Him; prathamam--first of all; mukham--a mouth; vani--the organ of speech; tatah--then; abhavat--came forth; vanya--with the organ of speech; vahnih--the god of fire; athah--then; nase--the two nostrils; prana-the vital air; utah--joined; ghranah--the olfactory sense; etayoh--in them. First of all a mouth appeared in Him, and then came forth the organ of speech, and with it the god of fire, the deity who presides over that organ. Then a pair of nostrils appeared, and in them appeared the olfactory sense, as well as prana, the vital air. (SB 3.26.54) ghranad vayur abhidyetam aksini caksur etayoh tasmat suryo nyabhidyetam karnau srotram tato disah ghranat--from the olfactory sense; vayuh--the wind-god; abhidyetam--appeared; aksini--the two eyes; caksuh--the sense of sight; etayoh--in them; tasmat--from that; suryah--the sun-god; nyabhidyetam--appeared; karnau--the two ears; srotram--the auditory sense; tatah--from that; disah--the deities presiding over the directions. In the wake of the olfactory sense came the wind-god, who presides over that sense. Thereafter a pair of eyes appeared in the universal form, and in them the sense of sight. In the wake of this sense came the sun-god, who presides over it. Next there appeared in Him a pair of ears, and in them the auditory sense and in its wake the Dig-devatas, or the deities who preside over the directions. (SB 3.26.55) panca-sirsahina guptam pratiharena sarvatah anvesamanam rsabham apraudham kama-rupinim panca--five; sirsa--heads; ahina--by a snake; guptam--protected; pratiharena--by a bodyguard; sarvatah--all around; anvesamanam--one who is searching after; rsabham--a husband; apraudham--not very old; kama-rupinim--very attractive to fulfill lusty desires. The woman was protected on all sides by a five-hooded snake. She was very beautiful and young, and she appeared very anxious to find a suitable husband. (SB 4.25.21) PURPORT The vital force of a living entity includes the five kinds of air working within the body, which are known as prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana. The vital force is compared to a serpent because a serpent can live by simply drinking air. The vital force carried by the air is described as the pratihara, or the bodyguard. Without the vital force one cannot live for a moment. Indeed, all the senses are working under the protection of the vital force. The woman, who represents intelligence, was searching after a husband. This indicates that intelligence cannot act without consciousness. A beautiful woman is useless unless protected by the proper husband. Intelligence must always be very fresh; therefore the word apraudham ("very young") is used here. Material enjoyment means utilizing the intelligence for the sake of rupa, rasa, gandha, sabda and sparsa, or form, taste, smell, sound and touch. sakhaya indriya-gana jnanam karma ca yat-krtam sakhyas tad-vrttayah pranah panca-vrttir yathoragah sakhayah--the male friends; indriya-ganah--the senses; jnanam--knowledge; karma--activity; ca--also; yat-krtam--done by the senses; sakhyah--female friends; tat--of the senses; vrttayah--engagements; pranah--life air; panca-vrttih--having five processes; yatha--like; uragah--the serpent. The five working senses and the five senses that acquire knowledge are all male friends of Puranjani. The living entity is assisted by these senses in acquiring knowledge and engaging in activity. The engagements of the senses are known as girl friends, and the serpent, which was described as having five heads, is the life air acting within the five circulatory processes. (SB 4.29.6) deho rathas tv indriyasvah samvatsara-rayo 'gatih dvi-karma-cakras tri-guna- dhvajah pancasu-bandhurah mano-rasmir buddhi-suto hrn-nido dvandva-kubarah pancendriyartha-praksepah sapta-dhatu-varuthakah akutir vikramo bahyo mrga-trsnam pradhavati ekadasendriya-camuh panca-suna-vinoda-krt dehah--body; rathah--chariot; tu--but; indriya--the knowledge-acquiring senses; asvah--the horses; samvatsara--total years; rayah--duration of life; agatih--without advancing; dvi--two; karma--activities; cakrah--wheels; tri--three; guna--modes of nature; dhvajah--flags; panca--five; asu--life airs; bandhurah--bondage; manah--the mind; rasmih--rope; buddhi--intelligence; sutah--chariot driver; hrt--heart; nidah--sitting place; dvandva--duality; kubarah--the posts for the harness; panca--five; indriya-artha--sense objects; praksepah--weapons; sapta--seven; dhatu--elements; varuthakah--coverings; akutih--attempts of the five working senses; vikramah--prowess or processes; bahyah--external; mrga-trsnam--false aspiration; pradhavati--runs after; ekadasa--eleven; indriya--senses; camuh--soldiers; panca--five; suna--envy; vinoda--pleasure; krt--doing. Narada Muni continued: What I referred to as the chariot was in actuality the body. The senses are the horses that pull that chariot. As time passes, year after year, these horses run without obstruction, but in fact they make no progress. Pious and impious activities are the two wheels of the chariot. The three modes of material nature are the chariot's flags. The five types of life air constitute the living entity's bondage, and the mind is considered to be the rope. Intelligence is the chariot driver. The heart is the sitting place in the chariot, and the dualities of life, such as pleasure and pain, are the knotting place. The seven elements are the coverings of the chariot, and the working senses are the five external processes. The eleven senses are the soldiers. Being engrossed in sense enjoyment, the living entity, seated on the chariot, hankers after fulfillment of his false desires and runs after sense enjoyment life after life. (SB 4.29.18-20) supti-murcchopatapesu pranayana-vighatatah nehate 'ham iti jnanam mrtyu-prajvarayor api supti--in deep sleep; murccha--fainting; upatapesu--or in great shock; prana-ayana--of the movement of the life air; vighatatah--from prevention; na--not; ihate--thinks of; aham--I; iti--thus; jnanam--knowledge; mrtyu--while dying; prajvarayoh--or during high fever; api--also. When the living entity is in deep sleep, when he faints, when there is some great shock on account of severe loss, at the time of death, or when the body temperature is very high, the movement of the life air is arrested. At that time the living entity loses knowledge of identifying the body with the self. (SB 4.29.71) antah-pravisya bhutani yo bibharty atma-ketubhih antaryamisvarah saksat patu no yad-vase sphutam antah-pravisya--entering within; bhutani--all living entities; yah--who; bibharti--maintains; atma-ketubhih--by the functions of the inner airs (prana, apana, etc.); antaryami--the Supersoul within; isvarah--the Supreme person; saksat--directly; patu--please maintain; nah--us; yat-vase--under whose control; sphutam--the cosmic manifestation. [The inhabitants of Sakadvipa worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of Vayu in the following words.] O Supreme Person, situated as the Supersoul within the body, You direct the various actions of the different airs, such as prana, and thus You maintain all living entities. O Lord, O Supersoul of everyone, O controller of the cosmic manifestation under whom everything exists, may You protect us from all dangers. (SB 5.20.28) yam vai na gobhir manasasubhir va hrda gira vasu-bhrto vicaksate atmanam antar-hrdi santam atmanam caksur yathaivakrtayas tatah param yam--whom; vai--indeed; na--not; gobhih--by the senses; manasa--by the mind; asubhih--by the life breath; va--or; hrda--by thoughts; gira--by words; va--or; asu-bhrtah--the living entities; vicaksate--see or know; atmanam--the Supersoul; antah-hrdi--within the core of the heart; santam--existing; atmanam--of the living entities; caksuh--the eyes; yatha--just like; eva--indeed; akrtayah--the different parts or limbs of the body; tatah--than them; param--higher. As the different limbs of the body cannot see the eyes, the living entities cannot see the Supreme Lord, who is situated as the Supersoul in everyone's heart. Not by the senses, by the mind, by the life air, by thoughts within the heart, or by the vibration of words can the living entities ascertain the real situation of the Supreme Lord. (SB 6.3.16) dehendriya-prana-mano-dhiyo 'mi yad-amsa-viddhah pracaranti karmasu naivanyada lauham ivaprataptam sthanesu tad drastrapadesam eti deha--the body; indriya--senses; prana--life airs; manah--mind; dhiyah--and intelligence; ami--all those; yat-amsa-viddhah--being influenced by rays of Brahman, or the Supreme Lord; pracaranti--they move; karmasu--in various activities; na--not; eva--indeed; anyada--at other times; lauham--iron; iva--like; aprataptam--not heated (by fire); sthanesu--in those circumstances; tat--that; drastrapadesam--the name of a subject matter; eti--achieves. As iron has the power to burn when made red-hot in the association of fire, so the body, senses, living force, mind and intelligence, although merely lumps of matter, can function in their activities when infused with a particle of consciousness by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As iron cannot burn unless heated by fire, the bodily senses cannot act unless favored by the Supreme Brahman. (SB 6.16.24) na srota nanuvaktayam mukhyo 'py atra mahan asuh yas tv ihendriyavan atma sa canyah prana-dehayoh na--not; srota--the listener; na--not; anuvakta--the speaker; ayam--this; mukhyah--chief; api--although; atra--in this body; mahan--the great; asuh--life air; yah--he who; tu--but; iha--in this body; indriya-van--possessing all the sense organs; atma--the soul; sah--he; ca--and; anyah--different; prana-dehayoh--from the life air and the material body. In the body the most important substance is the life air, but that also is neither the listener nor the speaker. Beyond even the life air, the soul also can do nothing, for the Supersoul is actually the director, in cooperation with the individual soul. The Supersoul conducting the activities of the body is different from the body and living force. (SB 7.2.45) tvam vayur agnir avanir viyad ambu matrah pranendriyani hrdayam cid anugrahas ca sarvam tvam eva saguno vigunas ca bhuman nanyat tvad asty api mano-vacasa niruktam tvam--You (are); vayuh--air; agnih--fire; avanih--earth; viyat--sky; ambu--water; matrah--the sense objects; prana--the life airs; indriyani--the senses; hrdayam--the mind; cit--consciousness; anugrahah ca--and false ego or the demigods; sarvam--everything; tvam--You; eva--only; sa-gunah--material nature with its three modes; vigunah--the spiritual spark and Supersoul, which are beyond material nature; ca--and; bhuman--O my great Lord; na--not; anyat--other; tvat--than You; asti--is; api--although; manah-vacasa--by mind and words; niruktam--everything manifested. O Supreme Lord, You are actually the air, the earth, fire, sky and water. You are the objects of sense perception, the life airs, the five senses, the mind, consciousness and false ego. Indeed, You are everything, subtle and gross. The material elements and anything expressed, either by the words or by the mind, are nothing but You. (SB 7.9.48) vipascitam prana-mano-dhiyatmanam arthendriyabhasam anidram avranam chayatapau yatra na grdhra-paksau tam aksaram kham tri-yugam vrajamahe vipascitam--unto the omniscient; prana--how the living force is working; manah--how the mind is working; dhiya--how the intelligence is working; atmanam--of all living entities; artha--the objects of the senses; indriya--the senses; abhasam--knowledge; anidram--always awake and free from ignorance; avranam--without a material body subject to pains and pleasures; chaya-atapau--the shelter for all who are suffering from ignorance; yatra--wherein; na--not; grdhra-paksau--partiality toward any living being; tam--unto Him; aksaram--infallible; kham--all-pervading like the sky; tri-yugam--appearing with six opulences in three yugas (Satya, Treta and Dvapara); vrajamahe--I take shelter. The Supreme Personality of Godhead directly and indirectly knows how everything, including the living force, mind and intelligence, is working under His control. He is the illuminator of everything and has no ignorance. He does not have a material body subject to the reactions of previous activities, and He is free from the ignorance of partiality and materialistic education. I therefore take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, who is eternal, all-pervading and as great as the sky and who appears with six opulences in three yugas [Satya, Treta and Dvapara]. (SB 8.5.27) pranad abhud yasya caracaranam pranah saho balam ojas ca vayuh anvasma samrajam ivanuga vayam prasidatam nah sa maha-vibhutih pranat--from the vital force; abhut--generated; yasya--of whom; cara- acaranam--of all living entities, moving and nonmoving; pranah--the vital force; sahah--the basic principle of life; balam--strength; ojah--the vital force; ca--and; vayuh--the air; anvasma--follow; samrajam--an emperor; iva--like; anugah--followers; vayam--all of us; prasidam--may be pleased; nah--upon us; sah--He; maha-vibhutih--the supremely powerful. All living entities, moving and nonmoving, receive their vital force, their bodily strength and their very lives from the air. All of us follow the air for our vital force, exactly as servants follow an emperor. The vital force of air is generated from the original vital force of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. May that Supreme Lord be pleased with us. (SB 8.5.37) tvam sabda-yonir jagad-adir atma pranedriya-dravya-gunah svabhavah kalah kratuh satyam rtam ca dharmas tvayy aksaram yat tri-vrd-amananti tvam--Your Lordship; sabda-yonih--the origin and source of Vedic literature; jagat-adih--the original cause of material creation; atma--the soul; prana--the living force; indriya--the senses; dravya--the material elements; gunah--the three qualities; sva-bhavah--material nature; kalah--eternal time; kratuh--sacrifice; satyam--truth; rtam--truthfulness; ca--and; dharmah--two different types of religion; tvayi--unto you; aksaram--the original syllable, omkara; yat--that which; tri-vrt--consisting of the letters a, u and m; amananti--they say. O Lord, you are the original source of Vedic literature. You are the original cause of material creation, the life force, the senses, the five elements, the three modes and the mahat-tattva. You are eternal time, determination and the two religious systems called truth [satya] and truthfulness [rta]. You are the shelter of the syllable om, which consists of three letters a-u-m. (SB 8.7.25) BG and SB verses & purports by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: (c) 1987 Bhaktivendanta Book Trust