Shloka 8
Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)
प्राण उवाच मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति सर्वे प्राणा: प्राणभूतां शरीरे । मयि प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति श्रेष्ठो हाहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम्,यह सुनकर प्राणवायुने अपान आदिसे कहा--मेरे लीन होनेपर प्राणियोंके शरीरमें स्थित सभी प्राण लीन हो जाते हैं तथा मेरे संचरित होनेपर सब-के-सब संचार करने लगते हैं, इसलिये मैं ही सबसे श्रेष्ठ हूँ। देखो, अब मैं लीन हो रहा हूँ (फिर तुम्हारा भी लय हो जायगा)
prāṇa uvāca mayi pralīne pralayaṁ vrajanti sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhūtāṁ śarīre | mayi pracīrṇe ca punaś caranti śreṣṭho hy ahaṁ paśyata māṁ pralīnam ||
Prāṇa disse: “Quando eu me recolho, todas as funções vitais no corpo do ser encarnado desabam para a dissolução. Quando volto a mover-me, todas retomam sua atividade. Por isso sou o primeiro. Vede: agora me retiro para a quietude.”
प्राण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prāṇa asserts primacy among the life-functions: when prāṇa withdraws, the other vital operations cease; when it moves, they revive. The ethical implication is humility and discernment—recognizing the central support that enables all activity, and the dependence of subsidiary powers on a sustaining principle.
In a disputation among the vital airs about superiority, Prāṇa demonstrates its dominance by ‘withdrawing’ (pralīna). As prāṇa subsides, the other prāṇas are said to collapse; when it circulates again, they function. This serves as a proof by demonstration within the dialogue.