Shloka 21
Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)
ब्राह्मण उवाच ततस्तानब्रवीद् ब्रह्मा समवेतान् प्रजापति: । सर्वे श्रेष्ठा न वा श्रेष्ठा: सर्वे चान्योन्य धर्मिण:
brāhmaṇa uvāca | tatastān abravīd brahmā samavetān prajāpatiḥ | sarve śreṣṭhā na vā śreṣṭhāḥ sarve cānyonya-dharmiṇaḥ |
Le brāhmaṇa dit : Alors tous ces êtres vitaux se rassemblèrent devant Brahmā, le Prajāpati, Seigneur des créatures. Et Prajāpati Brahmā leur déclara : «Ô cohortes de Vāyu, vous êtes tous supérieurs — ou bien aucun de vous ne l’est. Car le dharma qui soutient chacun dépend des autres.»
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
No single life-force can claim absolute superiority, because each function is sustained by the others; true dharma is mutual support and interdependence rather than rivalry.
Various vital beings (prāṇas/winds) assemble before Brahmā. Brahmā, as Prajāpati, addresses their implicit contest over who is greatest by asserting that either all are greatest together or none is—since their sustaining roles depend on one another.