Shloka 16
Skanda-janma: Śivā/Svāhā, Agni, and the Manifestation of Guha
Mahābhārata 3.214
प्रवृत्ता हृदयात् सर्वे तिर्यगूर्धष्वमधस्तथा । वहन्त्यन्नरसान् नाड्यो दशप्राणप्रचोदिता:,नाड़ियाँ हृदयसे नीचे-ऊपर और इधर-उधर फैली हुई हैं। वे दस प्राणवायुओंसे प्रेरित हो शरीरके सब भागोंमें अन्नके रसोंको पहुँचाती रहती हैं
pravṛttā hṛdayāt sarve tiryagūrdhvaṣvamadhastathā | vahanty annarasān nāḍyo daśaprāṇapracoditāḥ ||
Nāḍī-nāḍī yang keluar dari jantung menyebar ke segala arah—menyamping, ke atas, dan ke bawah. Didorong oleh sepuluh prāṇa-vāyu, ia senantiasa mengalirkan sari makanan ke seluruh anggota tubuh.
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that life in the body is maintained by an organized network of channels (nāḍīs) powered by vital airs (prāṇas) that distribute nourishment. Ethically, it supports a message of self-control and mindful conduct: since the body depends on regulated inner processes, one should live with restraint and responsibility rather than uncontrolled appetite.
In the Vyādha’s instruction (the hunter’s discourse on dharma), he explains aspects of bodily functioning—how nourishment is distributed from the heart through nāḍīs under the impulse of the prāṇas—using this as part of a broader moral and spiritual teaching to his listener.