The Five Breaths Contend for Precedence

Verse 1 (14.24.1)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । सुभगे पञ्चहोतॄणां विधानमिह यादृशम् ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | subhage pañcahotṝṇāṃ vidhānamiha yādṛśam

On this subject too they recall an ancient account, O fortunate one: how the five priests of the sacrifice are arranged here.

Note on the text: The speaker heading "।।ब्राह्मण उवाच।" is on the page; the input read it as the speaker "।।ब्राह्मण" (stray danda); settled as ब्राह्मण. This is the page's first 'verse' of a poem-only page (the whole adhyaya is a <poem> block).

Verse 2 (14.24.2)

प्राणापानावुदानश्च समानो व्यान एव च । पञ्चहोतॄंस्तथैतान्वै परं भावं विदुर्बुधाः ॥

prāṇāpānāvudānaśca samāno vyāna eva ca | pañcahotṝṃstathaitānvai paraṃ bhāvaṃ vidurbudhāḥ

Prana, Apana, Udana, Samana and Vyana: the wise know these five priests as the higher reality.

Note on the text: Corrected प्राणापानवुदानश्च → प्राणापानावुदानश्च (misprint in Wikisource; broken sandhi, a dropped ā; the critical edition reads prāṇāpānāv udānaś ca).

Verse 3 (14.24.3)

स्वभावात्सप्तहोतार इति मे पूर्विका मतिः । यथा वै पञ्च होतारः परो भावस्तदुच्यताम् ॥

svabhāvātsaptahotāra iti me pūrvikā matiḥ | yathā vai pañca hotāraḥ paro bhāvastaducyatām

"By nature the priests are seven" — such was my earlier understanding. Now tell me how the five priests are the higher reality.

Verse 4 (14.24.4)

प्राणेन सम्भृतो वायुरपानो जायते ततः । अपाने सम्भृतो वायुस्ततो व्यानः प्रवर्तते ॥

prāṇena sambhṛto vāyurapāno jāyate tataḥ | apāne sambhṛto vāyustato vyānaḥ pravartate

From Prana the wind is gathered, and from it Apana is born. The wind gathered in Apana, from that Vyana comes into being.

Verse 5 (14.24.5)

व्यानेन सम्भृतो वायुस्ततोदानः प्रवर्तते । उदाने सम्भृतो वायुः समानो नाम जायते ॥

vyānena sambhṛto vāyustatodānaḥ pravartate | udāne sambhṛto vāyuḥ samāno nāma jāyate

The wind gathered in Vyana gives rise to Udana. The wind gathered in Udana is born as the one called Samana.

Verse 6 (14.24.6)

तेऽपृच्छन्त पुरो गत्वा पूर्वजातं पितामहम् । यो नः श्रेष्ठस्तमाचक्ष्व स नः श्रेष्ठो भविष्यति ॥

te'pṛcchanta puro gatvā pūrvajātaṃ pitāmaham | yo naḥ śreṣṭhastamācakṣva sa naḥ śreṣṭho bhaviṣyati

They went before the first-born Grandfather and asked: "Tell us which of us is the eldest; he will be the best among us."

Verse 7 (14.24.7)

यस्मिन्प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति । सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे । यस्मिन्प्रवृत्ते च पुनश्चरन्ति । स वै श्रेष्ठो गच्छत यत्र कामः ॥

yasminpralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti | sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre | yasminpravṛtte ca punaścaranti | sa vai śreṣṭho gacchata yatra kāmaḥ

"He into whose dissolution all the life-breaths in the bodies of living beings pass, and by whose movement they move again, is the best. Go wherever you wish."

Verse 8 (14.24.8)

मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति । सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे । मयि प्रवृत्ते च पुनश्चरन्ति । श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम् ॥

mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti | sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre | mayi pravṛtte ca punaścaranti | śreṣṭho hyahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam

"When I am dissolved, all the life-breaths of living beings in their bodies are dissolved; when I move again, they move again. I am the best; look at me dissolved."

Verse 9 (14.24.9)

प्राणः प्रालीयत ततः पुनश्च प्रचचार ह । समानश्चाप्युदानश्च वचो ब्रूतां पुनः शुभे ॥

prāṇaḥ prālīyata tataḥ punaśca pracacāra ha | samānaścāpyudānaśca vaco brūtāṃ punaḥ śubhe

Prana dissolved, then moved again, O lovely one. Then Samana and Udana spoke these words.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रामः → प्राणः (misprint in Wikisource; not a Sanskrit word in context; the critical edition reads prāṇaḥ pralīyata, and Prana is the breath under test).

Verse 10 (14.24.10)

न त्वं सर्वमिदं व्याप्य तिष्ठसीह यथा वयम् । न त्वं श्रेष्ठो हि नः प्राण अपानो हि वशे तव । प्रचचार पुनः प्राणस्ततोऽपानोऽभ्यभाषत ॥

na tvaṃ sarvamidaṃ vyāpya tiṣṭhasīha yathā vayam | na tvaṃ śreṣṭho hi naḥ prāṇa apāno hi vaśe tava | pracacāra punaḥ prāṇastato'pāno'bhyabhāṣata

"You do not pervade all this and stand here as we do. You are not the best of us, Prana, for Apana is under your control." Prana moved again, and then Apana spoke.

Verse 11 (14.24.11)

मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति । सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे । मयि प्रवृत्ते च पुनश्चरन्ति । श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम् ॥

mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti | sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre | mayi pravṛtte ca punaścaranti | śreṣṭho hyahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam

"When I am dissolved, all the life-breaths of living beings in their bodies are dissolved; when I move again, they move again. I am the best; look at me dissolved."

Note on the text: The speaker heading "उपान उवाच। 11 ।" slipped into the text; removed from the verse and made the speaker. उपान is a misprint of अपान (the critical edition has the same speaker, Apana; the page's own verse 11).

Verse 12 (14.24.12)

व्यानश्च तमुदानश्च भाषमाणमथोचतुः । अपान न त्वं श्रेष्ठोऽसि प्राणो हि वशगस्तव ॥

vyānaśca tamudānaśca bhāṣamāṇamathocatuḥ | apāna na tvaṃ śreṣṭho'si prāṇo hi vaśagastava

As he spoke, Vyana and Udana said to him: "Apana, you are not the best, for Prana is in your control."

Note on the text: The speaker heading "ब्राह्मण उवाच। 12 ।" slipped into the text; removed from the verse and made the speaker. Corrected तमुदानश्चि → तमुदानश्च (misprint in Wikisource; not a valid form; the critical edition reads udānaś ca). Also श्रेष्ठोसि → श्रेष्ठोऽसि (missing avagraha, as in the critical edition).

Verse 13 (14.24.13)

अपानः प्रचचाराथ व्यानस्तं पुनरब्रवीत् । श्रेष्ठोऽहमस्मि सर्वेषां श्रूयतां येन हेतुना ॥

apānaḥ pracacārātha vyānastaṃ punarabravīt | śreṣṭho'hamasmi sarveṣāṃ śrūyatāṃ yena hetunā

Apana moved again, and Vyana spoke to him in turn: "I am the best of all; hear the reason."

Verse 14 (14.24.14)

मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति । सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे । मयि प्रवृत्ते च पुनश्चरन्ति । श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम् ॥

mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti | sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre | mayi pravṛtte ca punaścaranti | śreṣṭho hyahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam

"When I am dissolved, all the life-breaths of living beings in their bodies are dissolved; when I move again, they move again. I am the best; look at me dissolved."

Verse 15 (14.24.15)

प्रालीयत ततो व्यानः पुनश्च प्रचचार ह । प्राणापानावुदानश्च समानश्च तमब्रुवन् ॥

prālīyata tato vyānaḥ punaśca pracacāra ha | prāṇāpānāvudānaśca samānaśca tamabruvan

Vyana dissolved, then moved again. Prana, Apana, Udana and Samana said to him:

Note on the text: Corrected उदानस्च → उदानश्च (misprint in Wikisource; not a Sanskrit word; the critical edition reads udānaś ca). Critical edition: lines 15a, 15c of the CE verse 14.23.15 (the verse's third line, 15e, is the first line of Wikisource verse 16).

Verse 16 (14.24.16)

न त्वं श्रेष्ठोऽसि नो व्यान समानस्तु वशे तव । प्रचचार पुनर्व्यानः समानः पुनरब्रवीत् । श्रेष्ठोऽहमस्मि सर्वेषां श्रूयतां येन हेतुना ॥

na tvaṃ śreṣṭho'si no vyāna samānastu vaśe tava | pracacāra punarvyānaḥ samānaḥ punarabravīt | śreṣṭho'hamasmi sarveṣāṃ śrūyatāṃ yena hetunā

"You are not the best of us, Vyana, for Samana is under your control." Vyana moved again, and Samana spoke once more: "I am the best of all; hear the reason."

Note on the text: Critical edition: Wikisource's first line is the third line (15e) of the CE verse 14.23.15, the rest are CE 14.23.16ac; the CE's 15e reads samāno hi vaśe tava for Wikisource's समानस्तु वशे तव (a variant). Corrected श्रेष्ठोसि → श्रेष्ठोऽसि (missing avagraha, as in the critical edition).

Verse 17 (14.24.17)

मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति । सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे । मयि प्रवृत्ते च पुनश्चरन्ति । श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम् ॥

mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti | sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre | mayi pravṛtte ca punaścaranti | śreṣṭho hyahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam

"When I am dissolved, all the life-breaths of living beings in their bodies are dissolved; when I move again, they move again. I am the best; look at me dissolved."

Verse 18 (14.24.18)

ततः समानः प्रालिल्ये पुनश्च प्रचचार ह । प्राणापानावुदानश्च व्यानश्चैव तमब्रवीत् । न त्वं समान श्रेष्ठोऽसि व्यान एव वशे तव ॥

tataḥ samānaḥ prālilye punaśca pracacāra ha | prāṇāpānāvudānaśca vyānaścaiva tamabravīt | na tvaṃ samāna śreṣṭho'si vyāna eva vaśe tava

Then Samana dissolved and moved again. Prana, Apana, Udana and Vyana said to him: "Samana, you are not the best; only Vyana is under your control."

Note on the text: Split: the input ran Wikisource verse 18 (printed as a three-line verse inside quotation marks and backticks, labelled 18) together with verse 19; split here. Removed the wiki quote marks (backtick and apostrophe) and the verse label "18 ।". Corrected उदानस्च → उदानश्च (misprint in Wikisource; not a Sanskrit word; the critical edition reads udānaś ca). Also श्रेष्ठोसि → श्रेष्ठोऽसि (missing avagraha, as in the critical edition). Critical edition: CE 14.23.18 lines a, c, e (the CE also has star-line 18b*0058 and 18f*0059/0060, vulgate additions not on this page). Wikisource's तमब्रवीत् (singular) for the CE's तम् अब्रुवन् is kept as printed.

Verse 19 (14.24.19)

समानः प्रचचाराथ उदानस्तमुवाच ह । श्रेष्ठोऽहमस्मि सर्वेषां श्रूयतां येन हेतुना ॥

samānaḥ pracacārātha udānastamuvāca ha | śreṣṭho'hamasmi sarveṣāṃ śrūyatāṃ yena hetunā

Samana moved again, and Udana said to him: "I am the best of all; hear the reason."

Note on the text: Split: second half of the input row (Wikisource verse 19); see the note on the preceding verse.

Verse 20 (14.24.20)

मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति । सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे । मयि प्रवृत्ते च पुनश्चरन्ति । श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम् ॥

mayi pralīne pralayaṃ vrajanti | sarve prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ śarīre | mayi pravṛtte ca punaścaranti | śreṣṭho hyahaṃ paśyata māṃ pralīnam

"When I am dissolved, all the life-breaths of living beings in their bodies are dissolved; when I move again, they move again. I am the best; look at me dissolved."

Verse 21 (14.24.21)

ततः प्रालीयतोदानः पुनश्च प्रचचार ह । प्राणापानौ समानश्च व्यानश्चैव तमब्रुवन् । उदान न त्वं श्रेष्ठोऽसि व्यान एव वशे तव ॥

tataḥ prālīyatodānaḥ punaśca pracacāra ha | prāṇāpānau samānaśca vyānaścaiva tamabruvan | udāna na tvaṃ śreṣṭho'si vyāna eva vaśe tava

Then Udana dissolved and moved again. Prana, Apana, Samana and Vyana said to him: "Udana, you are not the best; only Vyana is under your control."

Note on the text: Corrected उदानि → उदान (misprint in Wikisource; vocative; the critical edition reads udāna). Corrected व्यानि → व्यान (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads vyāna eva vaśe tava). Also श्रेष्ठोसि → श्रेष्ठोऽसि (missing avagraha, as in the critical edition).

Verse 22 (14.24.22)

ततस्तानब्रवीत्सर्वान्स्मयमानः प्रजापतिः । सर्वे श्रेष्ठा न च श्रेष्ठाः सर्वे चान्योन्यकाङ्क्षिणः ॥

tatastānabravītsarvānsmayamānaḥ prajāpatiḥ | sarve śreṣṭhā na ca śreṣṭhāḥ sarve cānyonyakāṅkṣiṇaḥ

Then Prajapati, smiling, said to them all: "All are best, and yet none is the best; all long for one another."

Note on the text: Critical edition: lines 22a and 22c of CE 14.23.22 (22e is the first line of the next Wikisource verse); the wording differs (CE abravīd brahmā samavetān prajāpatiḥ, sarve śreṣṭhā na vā śreṣṭhāḥ) and is kept as printed.

Verse 23 (14.24.23)

सर्वे स्वविषये श्रेष्ठाः सर्वे चान्योन्यधर्मिणः । इति तानब्रवीत्सर्वान्समवेतान्प्रजापतिः ॥

sarve svaviṣaye śreṣṭhāḥ sarve cānyonyadharmiṇaḥ | iti tānabravītsarvānsamavetānprajāpatiḥ

"All are best in their own sphere, and all share in one another's function." So Prajapati spoke to them all as they stood assembled.

Note on the text: Critical edition: first line is CE 14.23.22e (sarve svaviṣaye śreṣṭhāḥ sarve cānyonyarakṣiṇaḥ; Wikisource reads धर्मिणः); the second line repeats the sense of CE 22a in other words and has no counterpart of its own in the CE.

Verse 24 (14.24.24)

एकः स्थिरश्चराश्चान्ये विशेषात्पञ्च वायवः । एक एव च सर्वात्मा बहुधाऽप्युपचीयते ॥

ekaḥ sthiraścarāścānye viśeṣātpañca vāyavaḥ | eka eva ca sarvātmā bahudhā'pyupacīyate

"One of them is steady, the others move about; so the winds are five by their special functions. Yet the one Self of all grows manifold."

Verse 25 (14.24.25)

परस्परस्य सुहृदो भावयन्तः परस्परम् । स्वस्ति व्रजत भद्रं वो धारयध्वं परस्परम् ॥

parasparasya suhṛdo bhāvayantaḥ parasparam | svasti vrajata bhadraṃ vo dhārayadhvaṃ parasparam

"Be friends to one another, each nourishing the other. Go in peace, and good fortune be yours; support one another."