Shloka 17
दमप्रशंसा — Praise of Self-Restraint
Dama
स्पर्शने त्वक् तथा वायु: प्राणापानव्यपाश्रय: । व्यानोदानौ समानश्न पञज्चधा देहयापनम्
sparśane tvak tathā vāyuḥ prāṇāpāna-vyapāśrayaḥ | vyān-udānau samānaś ca pañcadhā deha-yāpanam ||
جب لمس کے موضوع میں رغبت پیدا ہوتی ہے تو جلد کی حس (त्वक्) اور وायु ظاہر ہوتی ہے۔ وہی وायु پران اور اپان کی بنیاد ہے؛ اسی کو اُدان، ویان اور سمان بھی کہا جاتا ہے۔ یوں وہ پانچ فعلی صورتوں میں جلوہ گر ہو کر جسم کی یاترا کو قائم رکھتی ہے۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Attachment to sensory contact (here, touch) is linked with the activation of the tactile faculty and the vital principle (vāyu). That single vital principle functions in five modes—prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna—by which embodied life is maintained. Understanding this supports ethical self-regulation: mastery over sense-attachment and awareness of bodily processes aids steadiness and restraint.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma is describing the inner constitution of embodied beings—how sense engagement relates to physiological-vital functions. The verse is part of a broader didactic exposition on the body, senses, and the principles that sustain life, aimed at guiding the king toward calm, disciplined governance and personal self-control.