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Prāṇa
प्राणपुल्लिङ्ग (masculine) · प्र (forward) + अन् धातु (an — to breathe) · घञ् प्रत्यय
prāṇa
Fundamental Concepts
Vital force — the energy that sustains all manifestation of life
Prāṇa is not simply the air we breathe — it is the vital force that animates the body and sustains all physiological functions. It divides into five: prāṇa (breathing), apāna (excretion), vyāna (circulation), udāna (speech), and samāna (digestion). In the Praśna Upaniṣad, prāṇa is described as the first manifestation of Brahman in the body. Without prāṇa, there is no life.
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