Brahmā’s Enumeration of Primacies (Ādi) and the Supremacy of Knowledge
Jñāna
सर्वेषां भक्ष्यभोज्यानामन्नं परममुच्यते । द्रवाणां चैव सर्वेषां पेयानामाप उत्तमा:
sarveṣāṁ bhakṣyabhojyānām annaṁ paramam ucyate | dravāṇāṁ caiva sarveṣāṁ peyānām āpa uttamāḥ ||
Vāyu-deva bersabda: “Dalam segala sesuatu yang dimakan dan segala makanan yang dinikmati, anna—bijirin yang dimasak—diisytiharkan sebagai yang tertinggi. Dan dalam segala cecair—dalam segala yang diminum—airlah yang paling utama.”
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse ranks essentials: among foods, anna (staple nourishment) is foremost; among drinks, water is best. Ethically, it points to honoring basic sustenance as the foundation of life, restraint, and righteous living.
Vāyu-deva is speaking and delivering a concise instruction that elevates fundamental necessities—food and water—over luxuries, reinforcing a dharmic perspective on what truly sustains beings.