Ashvamedhika Parva 23.14
Rahular Itihasa / M. N. Dutt · Ashvamedhika Parva Chapter 23 · Verse 14
Sanskrit Original
ब्राह्मण उवाच प्रालीयत ततो व्यान: पुनश्च प्रचचार ह। प्राणापानावुदानश्च समानश्च तमब्रुवन्। न त्वं श्रेष्ठोऽसि नो व्यान समानस्तु वशे तव॥ प्रचचार पुनर्व्यानः समानः पुनरब्रवीत्। श्रेष्ठोऽहमस्मि सर्वेषां श्रूयतां येन हेतुना॥ मयि प्रलीने प्रलयं व्रजन्ति सर्वे प्राणाः प्राणभृतां शरीरे। मयि प्रचीर्णे च पुनश्चरन्ति श्रेष्ठो ह्यहं पश्यत मां प्रलीनम्॥
Then Vyana became extinct and once more began to move about. At this, Prana and Apana and Udana and Samana Addressed him, saying. You are not the foremost among us, O Vyana! (Only) Samana is under your dominion. Vyana then began to move about and Saman said to him, I am the foremost of you all! Listen, for what reason. When I become extinct, all the vital airs become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I begin to move about, they once more move about. Hence, I am the forcmost. See, I become extinct.