Shloka 11
यज्ञमित्यपरे विप्रा: प्रदानमिति चापरे । तपस्त्वन्ये प्रशंसन्ति स्वाध्यायमपरे जना:,अन्य ब्राह्मण यज्ञको श्रेष्ठ बताते हैं और दूसरे दानकी प्रशंसा करते हैं। अन्य कई तपकी प्रशंसा करते हैं तथा दूसरे स्वाध्यायकी प्रशंसा करते हैं
yajñam ity apare viprāḥ pradānam iti cāpare | tapas tv anye praśaṃsanti svādhyāyam apare janāḥ ||
Vāyu said: “Some learned brāhmaṇas declare sacrifice (yajña) to be the highest good; others uphold charitable giving (pradāna). Some praise austerity (tapas), while other people extol self-study and recitation of sacred knowledge (svādhyāya).”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that within dharma there are multiple respected disciplines—sacrifice, charity, austerity, and sacred study—and different authorities emphasize different means of spiritual and ethical excellence.
Vāyudeva is speaking and summarizing differing viewpoints among brāhmaṇas and people about which religious practice is most praiseworthy, setting up a broader discussion on the relative value of various dharmic acts.