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The Brâhmana said:
On this, too, they relate an ancient story, O beautiful one! (showing) of what description is the institution of the five sacrificial priests. The learned know this to be a great principle, that the Prâna and the Apâna, and the Udâna, and also the Samâna and the Vyâna, are the five sacrificial priests.
The Brâhmana's wife said:
My former belief was that the sacrificial priests were seven. by (their) nature 4. State how the great principle is that there are verily five sacrificial priests 5.
The Brâhmana said:
The wind prepared by the Prâna afterwards becomes the Apâna. The wind prepared in the Apâna then works as the Vyâna. The wind prepared by the Vyâna works as the Udâna. And the wind prepared in the Udâna is produced as Samâna 1. They formerly went to the grandsire, who was born first, and said to him, 'Tell us which is greatest among us. He shall be the greatest among us 2.'
Brahman said:
He, verily, is the greatest, who being extinct, all the life-winds in the body of living creatures become extinct; and on whose moving about, they again move about. (Now) go where (you) like.
The Prâna said:
When I am extinct, all the life-winds in the body
of living creatures become extinct; and on my moving about, they again move about. I am the greatest. See I am extinct!
The Brâhmana said:
Then the Prâna became extinct, and again moved about. Then the Samâna and Udâna also 1, O beautiful one! spoke these words, 'You do not pervade all this here as we do. You are not the greatest among us, O Prâna, because the Apâna is subject to you 2.' The Prâna again moved about 3, and the Apâna 4 said to him.
The Apâna said:
When I am extinct, all the life-winds in the body of living creatures become extinct; and on my moving about, they again move about. I am the. greatest. See I am extinct!
The Brâhmana said:
Then the Vyâna and the Udâna addressed him who was speaking (thus): 'You are not the greatest, O Apâna! because the Prâna is subject to you.' Then the Apâna moved about, and the Vyâna spoke to him: 'I am the greatest among (you) all. Hear the reason why. When I am extinct, all the life-winds in the body of living creatures become extinct.
And on my moving about, they again move about. I am the greatest. See I am extinct!'
The Brâhmana said:
Then the Vyâna became extinct, and again moved about. And the Prâna and Apâna, and the Udâna, and the Samâna, spoke to him, 'You are not the greatest among us, O Vyâna! because the Samâna 1 is subject to you.' The Vyâna moved about again, and the Samâna spoke again. 'I am the greatest among (you) all. Hear the reason why. When I am extinct, all the life-winds in the body of living creatures become extinct; and on my moving about, they again move about. I am the greatest. See I am extinct!' Then the Samâna moved about, and the Udâna said to him: 'I am the greatest among (you) all. Hear the reason why. When I am extinct, all the life-winds in the body of living creatures become extinct; and on my moving about, they again move about. I am the greatest. See I am extinct!' Then the Udâna became extinct, and again moved about. And the Prâna and Apâna, and the Samâna, and the Vyâna also, spoke to him: 'O Udâna! you are not the greatest. The Vyâna 2 only is subject to you.'
The Brâhmana said:
Then Brahman, the lord of (all) creatures, said. to them who were assembled together: You are all greatest, and not greatest 3. You are all possessed
of one another's qualities 1. All are greatest in their own spheres, and all support one another. There is one unmoving 2 (life-wind). There are others moving about, (which are) five, owing to (their) specific qualities. My own self is one only 3, (but) accumulated in numerous (forms). Being friendly with one another, and pleasing one another, go away happily. Welfare be to you! Support one another.'
270:1 The senses are the doors of the house here, as they are among the doors of the city at Gîtâ, p. 65.
270:2 Owing to the want of food, &c. Cf. Maitrî, p. 112, and Khândogya. p. 422.
270:3 Perception of pleasure, says Arguna Misra; but he takes the subsequent clause to mean this, 'and without you no pleasure accrues to us either.' The text is here in an unsatisfactory state.
270:4 As stated in the last chapter; some MSS. read 'your' for 'my' at the beginning of the sentence.
270:5 Arguna Misra says that in this Pañkahotri-vidhâna the five chief Hotris only are stated for briefly explaining the Prânâyâma.
271:1 Arguna Misra says, 'The wind going to the Prâna, and being obstructed in upward progress by the Prâna, goes to the Apâna, and then unable to go upwards or downwards, enters the passages or nâdîs of the body and becomes Vyâna. In the same way Udâna, by the collision of the two, produces sound in the throat, and depends on Prâna and Apâna; so, too, the Samâna dwelling in the navel and kindling the gastric fire is also dependent on those two.' The meaning seems to be that one life-wind is distributed in the different places, and gets different names, as stated, in the order mentioned. See Maitrî, p. 28.
271:2 A similar visit on the part of the Prânas (who, however, are not there the life-winds only, but the Prâna life-wind and the active organs) to Pragâpati is mentioned at Brihadâranyaka-upanishad, p. 1016, and Khândogya, p. 297. Cf. also Prasna, p. 178; Brihadâranyaka, p. 317; and Kaushîtaki, p. 63. See also, generally, as to the life-winds and their functions, Brihadâranyaka, p. 280, and Sankara's comment there; Yoga-sûtras III, 38, and comment; Cowell's note at Maitrî, p. 247; Sânti Parvan (Moksha Dharma), chap. 184, st. 24-25; chap. 185, st. 1 seq.; and p. 258 supra.
272:1 Arguna Misra says, Vyâna and Apâna also by force of the two 'ands' which occur in the original; and so in other places too.
272:2 Arguna Misra says on this, 'The Prâna moves upwards through the help of the Apâna. If it moved downwards, it would be simply absorbed into the Apâna.'
272:3 I. e. recommenced its, proper operation in its proper place.
272:4 And the other life-winds also, Arguna Misra says, the name Prâna being merely 'indicative,' as the phrase is, of the class to which it belongs.
273:1 Because the Samâna helps in the digestion of the food which afterwards goes to the Vyâna for distribution through the nâdîs.
273:2 Because the Udâna is able to generate sound after the nâdîs are filled up by the Vyâna.
273:3 'Not greatest' because none of them is independent of the other. 'Greatest' Arguna Misra renders by 'superior to objects.'