Shloka 10
Brahmā’s Enumeration of Primacies (Ādi) and the Supremacy of Knowledge
Jñāna
सर्वेषां भक्ष्यभोज्यानामन्नं परममुच्यते । द्रवाणां चैव सर्वेषां पेयानामाप उत्तमा:
sarveṣāṁ bhakṣyabhojyānām annaṁ paramam ucyate | dravāṇāṁ caiva sarveṣāṁ peyānām āpa uttamāḥ ||
বায়ুদেব বললেন—সমস্ত ভক্ষ্য-ভোজ্য দ্রব্যের মধ্যে অন্নই পরম শ্রেষ্ঠ বলা হয়; আর সকল তরলের মধ্যে, সকল পানীয়ের মধ্যে, জলই সর্বোত্তম।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse ranks essentials: among foods, anna (staple nourishment) is foremost; among drinks, water is best. Ethically, it points to honoring basic sustenance as the foundation of life, restraint, and righteous living.
Vāyu-deva is speaking and delivering a concise instruction that elevates fundamental necessities—food and water—over luxuries, reinforcing a dharmic perspective on what truly sustains beings.