अग्नीषोमोत्पत्तिः
Agni–Soma Origin and the Brahmāgnīṣomīya Doctrine
प्राणिनां सर्वतो वायुश्रैष्टां वर्तयते पृथक् । प्राणनाच्चैव भूतानां प्राण इत्यभिधीयते
prāṇināṁ sarvato vāyuḥ śraiṣṭhāṁ vartayate pṛthak | prāṇanāc caiva bhūtānāṁ prāṇa ity abhidhīyate ||
قال بهيشما: «إن الريح، إذ تسري في كل جهة، تُحرِّك على نحوٍ منفصل شتّى الوظائف الرفيعة في الكائنات الحيّة؛ ولأنها تُحيي جميع المخلوقات بإقامة النفس والحياة، سُمّيت “پرانا”؛ أي نَفَسَ الحياة.»
भीष्म उवाच
That the all-pervading Vāyu functions as the vital force (prāṇa): it animates and sustains the diverse activities of beings, so ‘prāṇa’ is named from its role in keeping creatures alive. Ethically, it points to a shared life-principle in all beings, supporting reverence and restraint.
In the Śānti Parva instruction, Bhīṣma explains a doctrinal point about the life-breath: how Vāyu operates within living beings to sustain their functions and life, clarifying why it is termed ‘prāṇa.’