Shloka 17
दमप्रशंसा — Praise of Self-Restraint
Dama
स्पर्शने त्वक् तथा वायु: प्राणापानव्यपाश्रय: । व्यानोदानौ समानश्न पञज्चधा देहयापनम्
sparśane tvak tathā vāyuḥ prāṇāpāna-vyapāśrayaḥ | vyān-udānau samānaś ca pañcadhā deha-yāpanam ||
Bhīṣma menjelaskan: ketika timbul keterikatan pada indra sentuh, maka daya indra kulit dan angin-hayat (vāyu) menjadi nyata. Angin-hayat itu menopang gerak yang disebut prāṇa dan apāna; ia pula dikenal sebagai udāna, vyāna, dan samāna. Demikianlah, tampil dalam lima fungsi, ia menegakkan perjalanan hidup tubuh.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Attachment to sensory contact (here, touch) is linked with the activation of the tactile faculty and the vital principle (vāyu). That single vital principle functions in five modes—prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna—by which embodied life is maintained. Understanding this supports ethical self-regulation: mastery over sense-attachment and awareness of bodily processes aids steadiness and restraint.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma is describing the inner constitution of embodied beings—how sense engagement relates to physiological-vital functions. The verse is part of a broader didactic exposition on the body, senses, and the principles that sustain life, aimed at guiding the king toward calm, disciplined governance and personal self-control.