Bhashya
प्राणमय पुरुषविध मूषानिषिक्तप्रतिमावत् , न स्वत एव ।एव पूर्वस्य पूर्वस्य पुरुषविधता , तामनु उत्तरोत्तर पुरुषविधो भवति, पूर्व पूर्वश्चोत्तरोत्तरेण पूर्ण ।कथ पुन पुरुषविधता अस्येति, उच्यते— तस्य प्राणमयस्य प्राण एव शिर प्राणमयस्य वायुविकारस्य प्राण मुखनासिकासं - सरणो वृत्तिविशेष शिर इति कल्प्यते, वचनात् ।सर्वत्र वचनादेव पक्षादिकल्पना ।व्यान व्यानवृत्ति दक्षिण पक्ष ।अपान उत्तर पक्ष ।आकाश आत्मा, य आकाशस्थो वृत्तिविशेष समानाख्य , स आत्मैव आत्मा प्राणवृत्त्यधिकारात् ।मध्यस्थत्वादितरा पर्यन्ता वृत्तीरपेक्ष्य आत्मा, ‘मध्य ह्येषामङ्गानामात्मा’ इति प्रसिद्ध मध्यस्थस्यात्मत्वम् ।पृथिवी पुच्छ प्रतिष्ठा ।पृथिवीति पृथिवीदेवता आध्यात्मिकस्य प्राणस्य धारयित्री स्थितिहेतुत्वात् ।‘सैषा पुरुषस्यापानमवष्टभ्य’ इति हि श्रुत्यन्तरम् ।अन्यथा उदानवृत्त्या ऊर्ध्वगमन गुरुत्वात्पतन वा स्याच्छरीरस्य ।तस्मात्पृथिवी देवता पुच्छ प्रतिष्ठा प्राणमयस्य आत्मन ।तत् तस्मिन्नेवार्थे प्राणमयात्मविषये एष श्लोको भवति ॥
In plain words
The vital sheath (pranamaya) assumes a human form not by itself, but like a molten image poured into a mould. In this manner, each preceding sheath takes human form, and each inner layer is completely filled by the one following it. How is its human form understood? For that vital sheath, prana is the head, vyana the right wing, apana the left wing, and space the central trunk—because samana, residing in the heart space among the vital airs, acts as the center. Earth is the tail support, for the earth deity sustains the internal vital breath of the person. Regarding this pranamaya self, the following verse appears.
Close to the Sanskrit
The pranamaya has human form like an image poured into a mould, not independently. Thus the human form of each preceding, following that each subsequent has human form, each preceding one being filled by each succeeding. How again is its human form? It is said: of that pranamaya, prana alone is the head... vyana is the right wing, apana is the left wing, space is the self, since the space-situated particular function named samana is the self itself due to its governing prana functions... Therefore the earth deity is the tail support of the pranamaya self. That verse regarding the pranamaya self occurs in this very context.