Shloka 22

Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)

Devanagari script

सर्वे स्वविषये श्रेष्ठा: सर्वे चान्योन्यधर्मिण: । इति तानब्रवीत्‌ सर्वान्‌ समवेतान्‌ प्रजापति:

Transliteration

sarve svaviṣaye śreṣṭhāḥ sarve cānyonyadharmiṇaḥ | iti tān abravīt sarvān samavetān prajāpatiḥ ||

Translation

生主（Prajāpati）对聚集在场的众生宣告道：“你们各自在自身应有的领域中皆为最胜，而每一位的法与职责都依赖于他者。”他如是开示，确认相互依存乃正当秩序之根本。

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वविषये: in (one's) own sphere/domain
• स्वविषये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वविषय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठाः: excellent/superior
• श्रेष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्योन्यधर्मिणः: having mutually dependent functions/dharma
• अन्योन्यधर्मिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्योन्यधर्मिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

• सर्वान्: all (of them)
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• समवेतान्: assembled/gathered
• समवेतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समवेत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati (Lord of creatures)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Prajāpati
• the assembled beings (sarve samavetāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That excellence is contextual: each being or faculty is ‘best’ within its own rightful sphere, and dharma is sustained through mutual dependence rather than isolated supremacy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Prajāpati addresses a gathered group and resolves their implicit comparison or rivalry by stating that all are superior in their own domains and that their functions support one another.