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 ||
वायु-देव बोले—समस्त भक्ष्य-भोज्य पदार्थों में अन्न को परम श्रेष्ठ कहा गया है; और समस्त द्रवों में, समस्त पेयों में, जल ही उत्तम है।
वायुदेव उवाच
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.