Shloka 14

Vāc–Manas Saṃvāda: Prāṇa-Apāna and the Primacy Debate (वाक्–मनस् संवादः)

Devanagari script

उभे वाड्मनसी गत्वा भूतात्मानमपृच्छताम्‌ | आवयो: श्रेष्ठमाचश्व छिन्धि नौ संशयं विभो,मन और वाणी दोनोंने जीवात्माके पास जाकर पूछा--'प्रभो! हम दोनोंमें कौन श्रेष्ठ है? यह बताओ और हमारे संदेहका निवारण करो”

Transliteration

ubhe vāḍmanasī gatvā bhūtātmānam apṛcchatām | āvayoḥ śreṣṭham ācakṣva chindhi nau saṁśayaṁ vibho ||

Translation

Tâm và Lời cùng đến gần Tự Ngã nội tại mà thưa hỏi: “Ôi bậc đại hùng! Xin nói cho chúng tôi biết ai trong hai chúng tôi là bậc hơn cả, và xin chém đứt mối nghi của chúng tôi.”

Word by Word

उभेboth (two)

वाक्speech

मनसीtwo minds / mind (as one of the pair)

गत्वाhaving gone

भूतात्मानम्the living self / spirit-being

अपृच्छताम्they two asked

आवयोःof us two / between us two

श्रेष्ठम्the superior (one)

आचक्ष्वtell (us)

छिन्धिcut off / remove

नौus two

संशयम्doubt

विभोO mighty one / O lord

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāk (Speech)

Manas (Mind)

Bhūtātman (indwelling Self / soul of beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up a moral-philosophical test: whether inner intention (mind) or outward expression (speech) is superior. By appealing to the indwelling Self as judge, it implies that ethical evaluation must consider both—thought as the source of motive and speech as the vehicle that can uphold or violate truth and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Personified Mind and Speech go together to the Bhūtātman (the inner Self) and ask for a ruling on which of them is greater, requesting that their uncertainty be decisively resolved.