Shloka 35
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 ||
Bhishma sprach: „Der Wind, der sich überallhin bewegt, setzt die verschiedenen vortrefflichen Funktionen der Lebewesen jeweils gesondert in Gang; und weil er alle Geschöpfe belebt, indem er Atem und Leben trägt, wird er ‘Prāṇa’ genannt, der Lebenshauch.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.’