Shloka 14
Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)
मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति सर्वे प्राणा: प्राणभूतां शरीरे । मयि प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति श्रेष्ठो हाहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम्
mayi pralīne pralayaṁ vrajanti sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhūtāṁ śarīre | mayi pracīrṇe ca punaś caranti śreṣṭho hāhaṁ paśyata māṁ pralīnam ||
婆罗门说道：“当我沉寂时，寄居于众生之身、使其得以生动的一切诸气息也随之归于消融；当我再度运行时，它们便一齐复动。故我为最上。看吧——此刻我正收摄退隐；随后，你们自身的消散也将紧随而至。”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the dependence of all bodily life-functions (prāṇas) on a single governing principle: when that principle withdraws, life collapses into dissolution; when it becomes active, life resumes. Ethically, it redirects pride and fear toward discernment of what truly sustains life, encouraging humility and insight into impermanence.
In a brāhmaṇa’s discourse, a principle identified with the life-force (prāṇa) proclaims its supremacy by describing how all other vital functions cease when it ‘dissolves’ and revive when it ‘moves.’ The speaker urges the listeners to witness this withdrawal, warning that their own dissolution follows when the sustaining life-force departs.