[2] The Sanskrit text is one of the 22 Samanya Upanishads,[3] part of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy literature and is attached to the Atharva Veda.
[5] The Pranagnihotra Upanishad's title literally means Hotra (sacrifice) offered to the Agni (fire) of Prana (breath, life force).
[8] The Upanishad suggests that even if one does not perform external rituals such as the Vedic Agnihotra and one lacks the knowledge of Samkhya or Yoga philosophy, one can nevertheless achieve moksha (liberation, freedom) by realizing that the God is within one's body, and the universal soul in the individual self represents the all pervading Brahman.
[9] The Upanishad in its final passages states that virtuous duty of non-violence, compassion, patience and memory unto others is an act of worship to the God within.
"[6] The term Pranagnihotra (or prana agnihotra) appears in many ancient Sanskrit texts, and has been generally interpreted in two ways, states Bodewitz.
[17] The Pranagnihotra Upanishad, states Paul Deussen, builds upon the foundation presented in the ancient Principal Upanishads wherein the soul within the individual is identified with all-encompassing universal soul, and various old Vedic nature gods are envisioned to be aspects of human body, sensory organs and powers of abstraction.
[1] The text adopts the ideas from the more ancient texts such as the Chandogya Upanishad of human body as the holistic city where Brahman (universal soul) resides, where Surya (sun deity) is envisioned as eyes to see light, Vayu (wind deity) as nose for breathing air, Indra as hands, Vishnu as legs, Kama or Prajapati as sexual organs, and other organs work together with Atman.
[20] The text, notes Deussen, mentions Ahimsa twice, once as Samyajas (virtuous duty and offering) and another as Iṣṭis (desired object).
[22] In the first part, the Upanishad opens its thesis with the declaration that liberation (freedom) is possible without the ritual of Agnihotra, the knowledge of Samkhya and Yoga philosophies.
This offering is made to prana, meaning life-force, which satiates the needs of the sensory organs with the related internal gods also satisfied.
[27] The person, states Deussen, then rinses his mouth with water, and murmurs, "the highest Atman gives peace to all the creatures!
[9][22][20] The significant answers include the assertion that virtuous duty of non-violence, compassion, patience and memory unto others is an act of worship of one's soul (God within).
[1] The idea of gods (Deva) referring to the sense organs within one's body found in Pranagnihotra Upanishad, similarly, has ancient roots.
[37] Bodewitz states that the development of pranagnihotra is significant as it reflects the stage in ancient Indian thought where "the self or the person as a totality became central, with the self or soul as the manifestation of the highest principle or god".
[31] Klaus Witz states that the specific details of pranagnihotra offers an introduction to water rituals and mouth rinsing observed among some Hindus before a meal.