National Seminar:Shatapatha Brahmaṇa Vijnana Bhāshya: A Discussion on Apaṃ-Praṇayana (Part–2)
Report A National Seminar was organized by Shri Shankar Shikshayatan Vedic Research Institute on 28 February 2026 (Saturday) from 5:00–7:00 PM through an online platform. The seminar was based on various themes from the second Brāhmaṇa titled “Apāṃ-Praṇayana” in the work Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa Vijñāna Bhāṣya, composed by Pandit Motilal Shastri. Prof. Gopal Prasad Sharma, Professor in the Department of Veda at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, New Delhi, stated during his discussion on Apāṃ-Praṇayana that the Adhvaryu priest sits to the north of the Gārhapatya fire. Placing the Praṇīta vessel on his left hand, he fills it with water using his right hand. This ritual act within the sacrificial procedure is called Apāṃ-Praṇayana. Dr. Prachetas, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sanskrit at Allahabad University, Prayagraj, explained that Brahma-Prajāpati has four “faces”: Prāṇa (vital force), Ap (water), Vāk (speech), and Anna–Annāda (food and eater of food). Among these, the second face is called Āpomaya (composed of water). From this water-formed aspect of Brahmā arises the creation of the worlds (loka-sṛṣṭi). For this cosmic creation to take place, the sacrificial process known as Apāṃ-Praṇayana continually operates within nature. Dr. Ramashankar Mishra, Assistant Professor in the Department of Veda at Maharshi Panini Sanskrit and Vedic University, Ujjain, stated that Prajāpati is the principal being in the sacrifice. The word “ka” signifies water, and it is also used to denote Prajāpati. The question of how this term should be connected is clarified through the explanation of the mantra “kasmai yunakti”, which indicates that “ka” refers to Prajāpati. In the Vijñāna Bhāṣya on the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, Prajāpati has been explained in great detail. Shri Pranav Kashyap, Assistant Professor in the Department of Veda at Central Sanskrit University, Lucknow Campus, stated that creation occurs through the union of two vital principles: the feminine life-force (yoṣā-prāṇa) and the masculine life-force (vṛṣā-prāṇa). The seminar was presided over by Prof. Santosh Kumar Shukla, Professor at the Institute of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. In his presidential remarks he said that the program was being conducted on the basis of the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa. The Vijñāna Bhāṣya written by Pandit Motilal Shastri is extremely comprehensive and insightful. In this commentary, numerous symbolic interpretations have been firmly supported with references from the Brāhmaṇa texts. He also appreciated all the scholars who kindly delivered lectures at the Shikshayatan and expressed gratitude to both the speakers and the audience. At the beginning of the program, Dr. Satyavrata Pandey, Assistant Professor in the Department of Veda at Central Sanskrit University, Ranveer Campus, recited the Vedic invocation with proper intonation. The program was conducted by Dr. Lakshmi Kant Vimal, Research Officer at Shri Shankar Shikshayatan Vedic Research Institute. Professors, research scholars, and individuals interested in Sanskrit studies from various universities and colleges across different states participated enthusiastically in the event, making the seminar a successful one.