Shloka 23
Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)
एक: स्थिरश्नास्थिरश्न॒ विशेषात् पज्च वायव: । एक एव ममैवात्मा बहुधाप्युपचीयते
ekaḥ sthiraśnaḥ asthiraśnaḥ viśeṣāt pañca vāyavaḥ | eka eva mamaivātmā bahudhāpy upacīyate ||
Wika ng Brahmin: “Iisa ang hininga ng buhay, subalit lumilitaw ito sa anyong matatag at di-matatag. Sa mga natatanging pagkakaiba nito, tinatawag itong limang prāṇa—limang hininga ng buhay. Gayon din, ang iisang Sarili (Ātman) ko lamang ay waring lumalago at lumalawak tungo sa maraming anyo.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unity underlying apparent plurality: just as one life-wind is classified into five functions by differentiation, the one Self is spoken of as many through its manifestations. The verse points toward discerning the single underlying reality behind changing bodily and psychological processes.
Within the Anugītā’s Brahmin discourse (Brahmaṇa-gītā), the Brahmin speaker explains an inner, yogic physiology and metaphysics. He uses the example of the five vital airs to illustrate how a single principle can appear as multiple modes, preparing the listener for a non-dual or integrative understanding of the Self.