Shloka 9
Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)
ब्राह्मण उवाच प्राण: प्रालीयत तत: पुनश्न प्रचचार ह । समानश्षाप्युदानश्व वचोडब्रूतां पुन: शुभे,ब्राह्मण कहते हैं--शुभे! यों कहकर प्राणवायु थोड़ी देरके लिये छिप गया और उसके बाद फिर चलने लगा। तब समान और उदानवायु उससे पुनः बोले--
brāhmaṇa uvāca | prāṇaḥ prālīyata tataḥ punaś ca pracacāra ha | samānaś cāpy udānaś ca vaco ’brūtāṃ punaḥ śubhe ||
Sang Brāhmaṇa berkata: “Wahai wanita yang mulia, setelah berkata demikian, prāṇa mereda sejenak lalu bergerak kembali. Maka Samāna dan Udāna pun kembali berbicara kepadanya.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the primacy and indispensability of Prāṇa: when Prāṇa withdraws, life-functions falter; when it resumes, the system revives. The renewed address by Samāna and Udāna frames an ethical-philosophical inquiry into how different faculties depend upon the central life-force.
After speaking, Prāṇa briefly becomes latent (as if demonstrating its power), then starts moving again. Seeing this, the other life-winds—Samāna and Udāna—again speak to Prāṇa, continuing their discussion about roles and hierarchy among the vital functions.