Shloka 5

Ācāra-vidhi (Rules of Conduct) — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Catalogue

Devanagari script

एवं त्विह स सर्वत्र प्राणेन परिचाल्यते । पृष्ठतस्तु समानेन स्वां स्वां गतिमुपाश्रित:

Transliteration

evaṃ tv iha sa sarvatra prāṇena paricālyate | pṛṣṭhatas tu samānena svāṃ svāṃ gatim upāśritaḥ ||

Translation

バラドヴァージャは言った。「この身体においては、あらゆる所の働きがプラーナ（prāṇa）によって動かされる。さらにそののち、背後より、均衡の息と呼ばれるサマーナ（samāna）として、同じプラーナが—自らにふさわしい道筋を取って—身体の諸作用をそれぞれの路において統べ、支え続けるのである。」

Word by Word

• {'evaṃ': 'thus, in this manner', 'tu': 'but, indeed', 'iha': 'here (in this context

• in the body)', 'saḥ': 'he/that (referring to prāṇa as the operative principle)', 'sarvatra': 'everywhere, in all parts', 'prāṇena': 'by prāṇa

• by the vital breath/life-force (instrumental case)', 'paricālyate': 'is moved, is activated, is set in motion', 'pṛṣṭhataḥ': 'from behind

• from the rear/back (as a supporting/propelling force)', 'samānena': 'by samāna (the equalizing/balancing vital air)', 'svām svām': 'each its own

• respective', 'gatim': 'course, movement, function, pathway', 'upāśritaḥ': 'having resorted to

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• prāṇa
• samāna (vāyu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse explains prāṇa as the organizing life-force that activates all bodily functions, and highlights samāna as the harmonizing aspect that regulates and sustains each function in its proper course.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bharadvāja is describing an inner, quasi-physiological doctrine: how the vital airs operate within the embodied being, presenting prāṇa as the mover of the organs and samāna as the balancing regulator that supports their respective activities.