Shloka 2

Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)

Devanagari script

प्राणापानावुदानश्च॒ समानो व्यान एव च | पज्चहोतुस्तथैतान्‌ वै परं भावं विदुर्बुधा:

Transliteration

prāṇāpānāv udānaś ca samāno vyāna eva ca | pañcahotṛs tathaitān vai paraṁ bhāvaṁ vidur budhāḥ ||

Translation

బ్రాహ్మణుడు అన్నాడు—ప్రాణ, అపాన, ఉదాన, సమాన, వ్యాన—ఈ ఐదు ప్రాణవాయువులనే జ్ఞానులు ‘పంచహోతృలు’ అని తెలుసుకొంటారు. వీటి పరమార్థాన్ని గ్రహించినవాడు అంతర్యజ్ఞాన్ని గుర్తిస్తాడు; నియమిత ప్రాణాలే ఆత్మనిగ్రహానికి, ఆధ్యాత్మికోన్నతికి సాధనమవుతాయి.

Word by Word

• प्राण: in-breath / vital air (prāṇa)
• प्राण: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपानौ: the two: prāṇa and apāna (as a pair)
• अपानौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• उदानः: udāna (upward vital air)
• उदानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• समानः: samāna (equalizing vital air)
• समानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: समान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यानः: vyāna (pervading vital air)
• व्यानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च

• होतुः: of the Hotṛ (priest)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होतृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तथा: thus / likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एतान्: these (ones)
• एतान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वै: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• परम्: supreme / highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भावम्: state / nature / condition
• भावम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विदुः: know
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• बुधाः: the wise (people)
• बुधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (speaker)
• प्राण
• अपान
• उदान
• समान
• व्यान
• पञ्चहोतृ (metaphorical ‘five priests’)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the five principal vital airs (prāṇa, apāna, udāna, samāna, vyāna) can be understood as the ‘five hotṛ-priests’ of an inner sacrifice. The wise discern their highest meaning: spiritual practice is not only external ritual but also the disciplined harmonizing of life-forces toward a supreme state.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker explains a doctrinal point using Vedic ritual language. He identifies the five vital breaths as ritual officiants, shifting attention from outer ceremony to an inward, ethical-spiritual interpretation where mastery of the prāṇas constitutes the true sacrificial act.