4.11.4 Sukta 4 – Prāṇa (Life; Breath), personified as the Supreme Spirit
1. Reverence to Prāṇa, to whom all this (universe) is subject, who has become the lord of the all, on whom the all is supported!
2. Reverence, O Prāṇa, to thy roaring (wind), reverence, O Prāṇa, to thy thunder, reverence, O Prāṇa, to thy lightning, reverence, O Prāṇa, to thy rain!
When Prāṇa calls aloud to the plants with his thunder, they are fecundated, they conceive, and then are produced abundant (plants).
4. When the season has arrived, and Prāṇa calls aloud to the plants, then everything rejoices, whatsoever is upon the earth.
5. When Prāṇa has watered the great earth with rain, then the beasts rejoice; (they think): 'strength, forsooth, we shall now obtain.'
6. When they had been watered by Prāṇa, the plants spake in concert: 'thou hast, forsooth, prolonged our life, thou hast made us all fragrant.'
7. Reverence be, O Prāṇa, to thee coming, reverence to thee going; 'reverence to thee standing, and reverence, too, to thee sitting!
8. Reverence be to thee, O Prāṇa, when thou breatbest in (primate), reverence when thou breathest out!
Reverence be to thee when thou art turned away, reverence to thee when thou art turned hither: to thee, entire, reverence be here!
9. Of thy dear form, O Prāṇa, of thy very dear form, of the healing power that is thine, give unto us, that we may live!
10. Prāṇa clothes the creatures, as a father his dear son. Prāṇa, truly, is the lord of all, of all that breathes, and does not breathe.
11. Prāṇa is death, Prāṇa is fever. The Gods worship Prāṇa. Prāṇa shall place the truth-speaker in the highest world!
12. Prāṇa is Virāga (power, lustre), Prāṇa is Deṣṭṛ(Deshtri)[the divinity that guides]: all worship Prāṇa. Prāṇa verily is sun and moon. They call Prāṇa Prāgapati.
13. Rice and barley are in-breathing and outbreathing. Prāṇa is called a steer. In-breathing forsooth, is founded upon barley; rice is called out-breathing.
14. Man breathes out and breathes in when within the womb. When thou, O Prāṇa, quickenest him, then is he born again.
15. They call Prāṇa Mâtarisvan (the wind); Prāṇa, forsooth, is called Vāta (the wind). The past and the future, the all, verily is supported upon Prāṇa.
16. The holy (âtharvana) plants, the magic (ângirasa) plants, the divine plants, and those produced by men, spring forth, when thou, O Prāṇa, quickenest them.
17. When Prāṇa has watered the great earth with rain, then the plants spring forth, and also every sort of herb.
18. Whoever, O Prāṇa, knows this regarding thee, and (knows) on what thou art supported, to him all shall offer tribute in yonder highest world.
19. As all these creatures, O Prāṇa, offer thee tribute, so they shall offer tribute (in yonder world) to him who hears thee, O far-famed one!
20. He moves as an embryo within the gods; having arrived, and being in existence, he is born again. Having arisen he enters with his mights the present and the future, as a father (goes to) his son.
21. When as a swan he rises from the water he does not withdraw his one foot. If in truth he were to withdraw it, there would be neither to-day, nor to-morrow, no night and no day, never would the dawn appear.
22. With eight wheels, and one felloe he moves, containing a thousand sounds (elements), upward in the east, downward in the west. With (his) half he produced the whole world: what is the visible sign of his (other) half?
23. He who rules over all, derived from every source, and over everything that movesreverence be to thee, O Prāṇa, that wieldest a swift bow against our enemies!
24. May Prāṇa, who rules over all, derived from every source, and over everything that moves, (may he) unwearied, strong through the brahma, adhere to me!
25. Erect he watches in those that sleep, nor does lie lie down across. No one has heard of his sleeping in those that sleep.
26. O Prāṇa, be not turned away from me, thou shalt not be other than myself! As the embryo of the fiery waters , thee, O Prāṇa, do bind to me, that I may live.
—AtharvaVeda
