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 ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Le Vent, se mouvant de toutes parts, met en action, séparément, les diverses fonctions excellentes des êtres vivants ; et parce qu’il vivifie toutes les créatures en soutenant leur souffle et leur vie, on l’appelle “Prāṇa”, le souffle vital.»
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.’