A rare accessibly lucid yet profound exploration of Hindu metaphysics, through a dialogue between students and their teacher in the Prashna Upanishad, gives this text value for any one wishing to know the basic tenets of Hinduism and apply it to their lives in a systematic question-and-answer format. 

Structure and Origin

Prashna Upanishad belongs to the Atharva Veda and has six sections (prashna), consisting of a total of 67 verses. The word "prashna" means "question", a most suitable word to describe the text's structure. Each section deals with one more primal existential question asked of the sage Pippalada by a different student.  

The Six Seekers and The Questions

The Upanishad begins with six knowledge-seeking students approaching sage Pippalada. After instructing them to practice austerities, celibacy, and faith for one year, he said to them:

 "Then ask whatever you wish. If I know, I will explain it all to you." (Verse 1.1)

With that, each student asked some soulful questions about existence:

Kabandhi Katyayana: "From where are all these creatures born?" (Origin of life) 

Bhargava Vaidarbhi: "How many deities support a creature? Which of them manifest this glory? Who is the most important?" (Forces sustaining life) 

Kausalya Ashvalayana: "From where does this prana come? How does it enter the body? How does it live? How does it depart?" (Nature of vital force) 

Gargya: "What entities sleep in man? What remain awake? Which deity experiences dreams? To whom does this happiness belong?" (States of consciousness) 

Satyakama Shaibya: "What world does he conquer who meditates on OM until death?" (Spiritual practices and attainments) 

Sukesa Bharadvaja: "Who is the person with sixteen parts?" (Constitution of a human being)

 Major Teachings

 1. The Birth of Creation 

Pippalada narrates about how the Prajapati (creator) did tapas (austerities) and created two principles—Rayi (matter) and Prana (energy). These two principles, like the sun and moon, create all life: 

"The sun is, indeed, prana, life itself. It is rayi, matter. Matter, indeed, is everything that is visible." (Verse 1.5) 

This teaching introduces the complementary dualities upon which creation survives. 

2. Prana: The Supreme Life Force

The second section establishes prana as the supreme force supporting all life functions. Answering which force is most important, Pippalada says: 

"Just as when the king commands, 'I am departing from this city,' all officers prepare to leave...similarly, when Prana decides to leave, all the other pranas follow." (Verse 2.4) 

This analogy gives meaning to the idea that all bodily functions depend on this life-charging force at the intermediary level. 

 3. The Source and Distribution of Prana

The third question is directed towards how prana enters and operates within the body: 

"From the Atman arises this prana. As a shadow is cast by a person, so prana is extended from the Atman." (Verse 3.3) 

Pippalada then speaks of how prana partitions into five functions (pancha prana) working throughout the body, with each having appointed duties.   

4. States of Consciousness

In the fourth question, conscious states are looked into—waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.

"Just as all rays of the sun go to rest in the solar orb at sunset and emerge again at sunrise, similarly all senses gather in the supreme deity, the Mind." (Verse 4.2)

 It describes how, in deep sleep, the mind unites itself temporarily into pure consciousness. 

 5. Meditation on OM

The fifth question inquires into the spiritual benefits of meditating on the sacred syllable OM: 

"If one meditates on the single syllable OM, one attains knowledge and reaches this earth again. If through OM one meditates on two syllables, one attains the mind and is led to the intermediate space, to the lunar sphere." (Verses 5.1-2) 

Different levels of meditation on OM lead to different spiritual attainments.

 6. The Sixteen Parts of a Person

The last section describes how the sixteen constituent parts of a human being are made up, from the elementary level to the senses, mind, and subtle aspects: 

"O Satyakama, that is Brahman, the Supreme Self, with sixteen parts." (Verse 6.2)

 Practical Applications for Seekers

 The Prashna Upanishad offers several practical applications for seekers of Hinduism.

Holistic Understanding: See life as an interplay of complementary forces 

Energy Management: Recognize and honor the life force (prana) through breath practices 

Conscious Awareness: Understand different states of consciousness through meditation 

Sound Meditation: Practice meditation on OM as a pathway to spiritual development 

Self-Knowledge: Recognize the various dimensions of your being

Further Study Resources

For deepening the investigation:

The Principal Upanishads by S. Radhakrishnan  

Eight Upanishads with the Commentary of Shankaracharya translated by Swami Gambhirananda  

The Upanishads: Breath of the Eternal by Swami Prabhavananda  Upanishads by Patrick Olivelle 

The Prashna Upanishad beautifully ends with a celebration of the teaching's effectiveness:

"He who knows this Imperishable Being is free from all the sins and reaches the highest place accordingly." (Verse 6.8)

With its systematic exploration of the six questions from the most fundamental of inquiries, the Upanishad gives a complete structure in which to see Hindu metaphysics and spiritual practice, making this a vital text both for beginners and old monks on the path to self-realization.