Now, in this, different parts are used for different oblations.
The Rishi says, when one falls asleep, everything returns to the centre, which is the mind. Therefore, the person speaks not, hears not, experiences not; but that part of the life energy which is required to keep the body alive, remains functioning.
That which is between the inner and the outer breath is the Samana. Samana, between the inner and the outer breaths, is also called equalising breath, because it equalises the outer and the inner. The mind here is the one who performs the sacrifice. The fruit of the sacrifice is the up-breath. It leads the one, who performs the sacrifice everyday, to Brahman.
Watch the word–’upward breath’. It means that when the mind and the Prana are completely moving upwards, that is moving to the higher states of consciousness, which a practitioner of Yoga will understand, then one is in touch daily, all the time with the Highest Supreme Reality, which is the super-conscious state.
The fifth Sloka in the fourth question of Prasnopanishad says: “There in that sleep, mind that is the God, experiences greatness. He sees again what object has been seen, he hears again whatever has been heard, he experiences again and again whatever has been experienced in different places and directions.”
He also sees what has been seen and not been seen; what has been heard and not been heard; what has been experienced and what has not been experienced; what is existent and what is non-existent; he sees all!
Why? Because he is All; being all, he sees all.
The mind at rest, free from the trammels and conditioning of the sensory data, becomes once again all powerful and all-pervading and sees everything; and, experiences everything, about which the Rishi says, He is All!
Then, what happens? When the upper breath or the consciousness has moved to the highest realm, where the mind is overcome with light–auspicious, peaceful, tranquil and filled with light–in this state, that God who is named the mind sees no dreams.
Then, here in this body arises this great happiness of dreamless sleep–Sushupti. It says in the seventh verse: “Even as the birds, O dear, return to a tree that is their resting place and find their rest, so does everything here return to the Supreme Self. They all find their rest in the Supreme Self.”
So every night–after all the day’s activity, action and exhaustion–when the mind goes back to sleep, and is filled with light, it sees no dreams and is happy! Just as birds go and rest in a tree, so does the mind rest in the Supreme Self, because the Supreme Self is all, the restful Being.
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