Shloka 19
Vāc–Manas Saṃvāda: Prāṇa-Apāna and the Primacy Debate (वाक्–मनस् संवादः)
प्राणापानान्तरे देवी वाग् वै नित्यं सम तिष्ठति । प्रेयमाणा महाभागे विना प्राणमपानती । प्रजापतिमुपाधावत् प्रसीद भगवज्निति,महाभागे! प्राण और अपानके बीचमें देवी सरस्वती सदा विद्यमान रहती हैं। वह प्राणकी सहायताके बिना जब निम्नतम दशाको प्राप्त होने लगी, तब दौड़ी हुई प्रजापतिके पास गयी और बोली--“भगवन्! प्रसन्न होइये”
prāṇāpānāntare devi vāk vai nityaṃ samatiṣṭhati | preyamaṇā mahābhāge vinā prāṇam apānatī | prajāpatiṃ upādhāvat prasīda bhagavan iti ||
Vị Bà-la-môn nói: “Hỡi nữ thần, Lời (Vāk) hằng ngự giữa hơi thở vào và hơi thở ra. Nhưng khi không còn chỗ nương nhờ nơi prāṇa và apāna, nàng bắt đầu chìm xuống đến cảnh trạng thấp nhất; nàng vội chạy đến Prajāpati mà khẩn cầu: ‘Bậc Thế Tôn, xin đoái thương!’”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Speech (vāk)—especially sacred, truth-bearing speech—is sustained by the balanced functioning of the life-breaths (prāṇa and apāna). When that inner support collapses, one must seek restoration at the highest principle (here, Prajāpati), implying that disciplined breath and reverence for the source of order are prerequisites for stable, ethical speech.
The brāhmaṇa describes how Vāk, who normally abides between prāṇa and apāna, begins to fall into a diminished state when separated from their support. In response, she rushes to Prajāpati and petitions him for grace, setting up a motif of cosmic dependence and recovery through appeal to the progenitor.