Shloka 5
Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)
व्यानेन सम्भृतो वायुस्ततोदान: प्रवर्तते । उदाने सम्भूतो वायु: समानो नाम जायते,ब्राह्मणने कहा--प्रिये! वायु प्राणके द्वारा पुष्ट होकर अपानरूप, अपानके द्वारा पुष्ट होकर व्यानरूप, व्यानसे पुष्ट होकर उदानरूप, उदानसे परिपुष्ट होकर समानरूप होता है। एक बार इन पाँचों वायुओंने सबके पूर्वज पितामह ब्रह्माजीसे प्रश्न किया--'भगवन्! हममें जो श्रेष्ठ हो उसका नाम बता दीजिये, वही हमलोगोंमें प्रधान होगा”
vyānena sambhṛto vāyus tatodānaḥ pravartate | udāne sambhūto vāyuḥ samāno nāma jāyate |
Disse o brāhmaṇa: “Sustentado por vyāna, o vento vital então atua como udāna; e sustentado por udāna, esse mesmo vento vital surge como o que se chama samāna. Assim, nutridos e amparados em sucessão, os sopros assumem seus papéis distintos. Certa vez, esses cinco ventos aproximaram-se de Brahmā, o avô de todos os seres, e disseram: ‘Senhor bem-aventurado, declara qual de nós é śreṣṭha (o melhor); que esse seja tido como nosso chefe.’”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the five vital airs as interdependent functions of one life-force, each arising and operating through the support of another. Ethically, it sets up a reflection on true ‘superiority’: rather than mere status, primacy is to be understood in terms of sustaining the whole system and serving the common good.
A Brāhmaṇa explains to his beloved how the vital winds transform and function in sequence (vyāna → udāna → samāna, within the broader set of five). Then the five winds, seeking to know which is greatest, approach Brahmā and ask him to name the best among them so that one may be acknowledged as chief.