Critical Edition
ब्राह्मण उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् सुभगे पञ्चहोतॄणां विधानमिह यादृशम्
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana said Regarding it, О blessed lady, is cited the ancient story of what kind the institution is of the five sacrificing priests.
प्राणापानावुदानश्च समानो व्यान एव च पञ्चहोतॄनथैतान्वै परं भावं विदुर्बुधाः
M. N. Dutt: The learned know this to be a great principle that Prana and Apana and Udana and Şamana and Vyana are the five sacrificing priests.
ब्राह्मण्युवाच स्वभावात्सप्त होतार इति ते पूर्विका मतिः यथा वै पञ्च होतारः परो भावस्तथोच्यताम्
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana's wife said I naturally believed that there are seven sacrificing priests. Let the great principle be declared to me as to how, indeed, the number is five of the sacrificing priests.
ब्राह्मण उवाच प्राणेन संभृतो वायुरपानो जायते ततः अपाने संभृतो वायुस्ततो व्यानः प्रवर्तते
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana said The wind nursed y Prana afterwards takes birth in Apana. The wind nursed in Apana then becomes developed into Vyana.
व्यानेन संभृतो वायुस्ततोदानः प्रवर्तते उदाने संभृतो वायुः समानः संप्रवर्तते
M. N. Dutt: Nursed by Vyana, the wind is then developed into Udana. Nursed in Udana, the wind is then generated as Samana.
तेऽपृच्छन्त पुरा गत्वा पूर्वजातं प्रजापतिम् यो नो ज्येष्ठस्तमाचक्ष्व स नः श्रेष्ठो भविष्यति
M. N. Dutt: Those good beings formerly asked the first born Grandfather, saying, Do you say who amongst us is the foremost. He alone will be our chief.
ब्रह्मोवाच यस्मिन्प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति; सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे यस्मिन्प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति; स वै श्रेष्ठो गच्छत यत्र कामः
M. N. Dutt: Brahman said He upon whose extinction all the vital airs become extinct in the bodies of living creatures, he upon whose moving they move, is, indeed, the foremost. Do you go where you like.
प्राण उवाच मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति; सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे मयि प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति; श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम्
M. N. Dutt: Brahman said He upon whose extinction all the vital airs become extinct in the bodies of living creatures, he upon whose moving they move, is, indeed, the foremost. Do you go where you like.
ब्राह्मण उवाच प्राणः प्रलीयत ततः पुनश्च प्रचचार ह समानश्चाप्युदानश्च वचोऽब्रूतां ततः शुभे
AI Translation: The Brāhmaṇa said: Then the vital breath dissolved and again began to flow. Then Samāna and Udāna spoke, O auspicious one.
न त्वं सर्वमिदं व्याप्य तिष्ठसीह यथा वयम् न त्वं श्रेष्ठोऽसि नः प्राण अपानो हि वशे तव प्रचचार पुनः प्राणस्तमपानोऽभ्यभाषत
M. N. Dutt: The Brahniana said Prana then became extinct and once more moved about. Then Saman and Udana also, O blessed one, said these words, You do not live here, pervading all this, as we do. You are not the foremost amongst us, O Prana! (Only) Apana is under your dominion! Prana then moved about, and to him Apana spoke.
मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति; सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे मयि प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति; श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम्
M. N. Dutt: When I become extinct, all the vital airs become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move about, they again move about. I am, therefore, the foremost, See, I go into extinction.
Supplementary Passages:
14.23.11 After apānaḥ, T2 ins.: *57 श्रेष्ठोऽहमस्मि सर्वेषां श्रूयतां येन हेतुना
व्यानश्च तमुदानश्च भाषमाणमथोचतुः अपान न त्वं श्रेष्ठोऽसि प्राणो हि वशगस्तव
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana said To Apana who said so, both Vyana and Udana said, O Apana, you are not the foremost (Only) Prana is under your dominion.
अपानः प्रचचाराथ व्यानस्तं पुनरब्रवीत् श्रेष्ठोऽहमस्मि सर्वेषां श्रूयतां येन हेतुना
M. N. Dutt: Then Apana began to move about, Vyana once more addressed him, saying I am the foremost of all. Listen, for what reason.
मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति; सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे मयि प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति; श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम्
M. N. Dutt: When I become extinct, all the vital airs become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move about, they once more move about. I am (therefore) the foremost. Sce, I go into extinction.
प्रालीयत ततो व्यानः पुनश्च प्रचचार ह प्राणापानावुदानश्च समानश्च तमब्रुवन् न त्वं श्रेष्ठोऽसि नो व्यान समानो हि वशे तव
M. N. Dutt: Then Udana, after having become extinct, began to once more move about. Prana and Apana and Samana and Vyana said to him, O Udana, you are not the foremost one among us. (Only) Vyana is under your dominion.
प्रचचार पुनर्व्यानः समानः पुनरब्रवीत् श्रेष्ठोऽहमस्मि सर्वेषां श्रूयतां येन हेतुना
AI Translation: Vyana again began to move, and Samaana again spoke: "I am the best of all, listen to the reason why."
मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति; सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे मयि प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति; श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम्
AI Translation: When I am absorbed, all the vital airs of embodied beings enter into dissolution in the body. When I am scattered, they again move. Behold me, the best, absorbed.
ततः समानः प्रालिल्ये पुनश्च प्रचचार ह प्राणापानावुदानश्च व्यानश्चैव तमब्रुवन् समान न त्वं श्रेष्ठोऽसि व्यान एव वशे तव
M. N. Dutt: Then Udana, after having become extinct, began to once more move about. Prana and Apana and Samana and Vyana said to him, O Udana, you are not the foremost one among us. (Only) Vyana is under your dominion.
Supplementary Passages:
14.23.18 After 18b, M1.2 ins.: *58 ततो व्यानः समानं तु प्राणापानौ तथोचतुः After 18, M1.2 ins.: *59 श्रेष्ठोऽहमस्मि सर्वेषां श्रूयतां केन हेतुना M1.2 cont.: G3 M4 ins. after 18: *60 ततोदानः प्रलीयाशु समानः पुनरब्रवीत्
समानः प्रचचाराथ उदानस्तमुवाच ह श्रेष्ठोऽहमस्मि सर्वेषां श्रूयतां येन हेतुना
AI Translation: Then Samaṇa went forth, and Udanta said to him: "I am the best of all, hear by what reason"
मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति; सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे मयि प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति; श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम्
AI Translation: When I am absorbed, all the vital airs of embodied beings enter into dissolution in the body. When I am scattered, they again move. Behold me, the best, absorbed.
ततः प्रालीयतोदानः पुनश्च प्रचचार ह प्राणापानौ समानश्च व्यानश्चैव तमब्रुवन् उदान न त्वं श्रेष्ठोऽसि व्यान एव वशे तव
M. N. Dutt: Then Udana, after having become extinct, began to once more move about. Prana and Apana and Samana and Vyana said to him, O Udana, you are not the foremost one among us. (Only) Vyana is under your dominion.
ततस्तानब्रवीद्ब्रह्मा समवेतान्प्रजापतिः सर्वे श्रेष्ठा न वा श्रेष्ठाः सर्वे चान्योन्यधर्मिणः सर्वे स्वविषये श्रेष्ठाः सर्वे चान्योन्यरक्षिणः
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana said To them assembled together, the Lord of creatures, Brahman, said, You are all foremost and not foremost. You are all gified with the attributes of one another.
एकः स्थिरश्चास्थिरश्च विशेषात्पञ्च वायवः एक एव ममैवात्मा बहुधाप्युपचीयते
M. N. Dutt: There is one that is unmoving, and one that is moving. On account of special attributes, there are five vital airs. My own self is one. That one accumulates into many forms.
परस्परस्य सुहृदो भावयन्तः परस्परम् स्वस्ति व्रजत भद्रं वो धारयध्वं परस्परम्
M. N. Dutt: Becoming friendly to one another, and pleasing one another, depart in depart in peace. Blessings to you, do you up hold one another.