Shloka 21

Vāc–Manas Saṃvāda: Prāṇa-Apāna and the Primacy Debate (वाक्–मनस् संवादः)

Devanagari script

घोषिणी जातनिर्घोषा नित्यमेव प्रवर्तते । तयोरपि च घोषिण्या निर्घोषैव गरीयसी,वाणी दो प्रकारकी होती है--एक घोषयुक्त (स्पष्ट सुनायी देनेवाली) और दूसरी घोषरहित, जो सदा सभी अवस्थाओंमें विद्यमान रहती है। इन दोनोंमें घोषयुक्त वाणीकी अपेक्षा घोषरहित ही श्रेष्ठतम है (क्योंकि घोषयुक्त वाणीको प्राणशक्तिकी अपेक्षा रहती है और घोषरहित उसकी अपेक्षाके बिना भी स्वभावत: उच्चरित होती रहती है)

Transliteration

ghoṣiṇī jātanirghoṣā nityam eva pravartate | tayor api ca ghoṣiṇyā nirghoṣaiva garīyasī ||

Translation

Disse o brāhmaṇa: “A fala é de dois tipos—uma sonora e claramente audível, e outra insonora. A fala insonora atua continuamente, presente em toda condição. Dentre as duas, a fala insonora é superior à sonora, pois a fala sonora depende do amparo do sopro vital, ao passo que a insonora surge naturalmente sem tal dependência.”

Word by Word

घोषिणीsoundful, voiced (speech)

जातनिर्घोषाhaving arisen as soundless / becoming soundless

नित्यम्always

एवindeed, only

प्रवर्ततेcontinues/operates, proceeds

तयोःof those two

अपिalso, even

चand

घोषिण्याःthan the voiced (speech)

निर्घोषाsoundless, unvoiced

एवindeed

गरीयसीsuperior, weightier

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa speaker)

व

वाणी (speech)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes audible speech from inner, unvoiced speech and values the latter as superior because it is continuous and less dependent on bodily supports like breath—pointing toward restraint, inwardness, and disciplined communication.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brāhmaṇa is instructing the listener by analyzing the nature of speech, contrasting spoken utterance with inner speech, and using that contrast to emphasize a subtler, more self-controlled mode of expression.