Shloka 5
Pañcahotṛ-Vidhāna and the Dispute of the Five Vāyus (पञ्चहोतृविधानम् — पञ्चवायूनां श्रेष्ठत्वविवादः)
व्यानेन सम्भृतो वायुस्ततोदान: प्रवर्तते । उदाने सम्भूतो वायु: समानो नाम जायते
vyānena sambhṛto vāyus tatodānaḥ pravartate | udāne sambhūto vāyuḥ samāno nāma jāyate |
婆罗门说道：“当生命之风得维亚那（vyāna）所扶持，便作为乌达那（udāna）而运行；当又得乌达那所扶持，同一生命之风便生起为所谓萨玛那（samāna）。如此相继滋养、相继支撑，诸气各司其职。曾有一次，这五种风气来到众生之祖梵天（Brahmā）前，说道：‘吉祥的主啊，请宣告我们之中谁为“श्रेष्ठ”（最胜者）；愿那一位被奉为我们的首领。’”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the five vital airs as interdependent functions of one life-force, each arising and operating through the support of another. Ethically, it sets up a reflection on true ‘superiority’: rather than mere status, primacy is to be understood in terms of sustaining the whole system and serving the common good.
A Brāhmaṇa explains to his beloved how the vital winds transform and function in sequence (vyāna → udāna → samāna, within the broader set of five). Then the five winds, seeking to know which is greatest, approach Brahmā and ask him to name the best among them so that one may be acknowledged as chief.