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 ||
ພີສະມະ ອະທິບາຍວ່າ ເມື່ອມີຄວາມຕິດພັນຕໍ່ອາລົມແຫ່ງການສຳຜັດ ອິນທຣີຍ໌ແຫ່ງຜິວ (ອາລົມສຳຜັດ) ແລະ ລົມຊີວິດ ກໍປາກົດຂຶ້ນ. ລົມຊີວິດນັ້ນເປັນທີ່ພຶ່ງຂອງ ປຣານ ແລະ ອະປານ; ມັນຍັງຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າ ອຸດານ, ວະຍານ, ແລະ ສະມານ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ມັນປາກົດເປັນຫ້າຮູບແບບໜ້າທີ່ ເພື່ອຄ້ຳຈຸນການດຳເນີນຊີວິດຂອງຮ່າງກາຍ.
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.