Shloka 11
Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)
अपान उवाच मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति सर्वे प्राणा: प्राणभूतां शरीरे । मयि प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति श्रेष्ठो हाहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम्
apāna uvāca mayi pralīne pralayaṁ vrajanti sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhūtāṁ śarīre | mayi pracīrṇe ca punaś caranti śreṣṭho hāhaṁ paśyata māṁ pralīnam ||
অপানে ক’লে—মই লয় হ’লে জীৱৰ দেহত থকা সকলো প্ৰাণ লয়লৈ যায়; আৰু মই গতি ল’লে সিহঁত সকলোৱে পুনৰ গতি ধৰে। সেয়ে মই শ্ৰেষ্ঠ। চোৱা—এতিয়া মই নিজতে লয় হ’বলৈ ধৰিছোঁ; মোৰ লয়ৰ সৈতে বাকিসকলেও নিস্তব্ধ হ’ব।
अपान उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the interdependence of the life-functions (prāṇas) and highlights Apāna’s crucial role: when Apāna withdraws, the other vital operations subside; when it moves, they resume. Ethically, it points to disciplined awareness of the body’s forces as a basis for self-mastery.
Apāna is speaking in a competitive or comparative discourse among the prāṇas, claiming superiority by demonstrating that its withdrawal leads the others toward cessation, and its activity enables their functioning.