Shloka 17
दमप्रशंसा — Praise of Self-Restraint
Dama
स्पर्शने त्वक् तथा वायु: प्राणापानव्यपाश्रय: । व्यानोदानौ समानश्न पञज्चधा देहयापनम्
sparśane tvak tathā vāyuḥ prāṇāpāna-vyapāśrayaḥ | vyān-udānau samānaś ca pañcadhā deha-yāpanam ||
毗湿摩开示道：当众生执著于触觉之时，皮肤之根（触根）与生命之风便显现。此生命之风依持名为“普罗那”(prāṇa)与“阿帕那”(apāna)的运行，又称“乌达那”(udāna)、“维亚那”(vyāna)与“萨玛那”(samāna)。因此，它以五种功用之相出现，维系身体生命旅程的延续。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Attachment to sensory contact (here, touch) is linked with the activation of the tactile faculty and the vital principle (vāyu). That single vital principle functions in five modes—prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna—by which embodied life is maintained. Understanding this supports ethical self-regulation: mastery over sense-attachment and awareness of bodily processes aids steadiness and restraint.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma is describing the inner constitution of embodied beings—how sense engagement relates to physiological-vital functions. The verse is part of a broader didactic exposition on the body, senses, and the principles that sustain life, aimed at guiding the king toward calm, disciplined governance and personal self-control.