yo ha vai jyeṣṭhaṃ ca śreṣṭhaṃ ca veda jyeṣṭhaś ca ha vai śreṣṭhaś ca bhavati |
prāṇo vāva jyeṣṭhaś ca śreṣṭhaś ca ||

atha pañcamo ’dhyāyaḥ saguṇa brahmavidyāyā uttarā gatiruktā | athedānīṃ pañcame ’dhyāye pañcāgnivido gṛhasthasyordhvaretasāṃ ca śraddhālūnāṃ vidyāntaraśīlināṃ tāmeva gatimanūdyānyā dakṣiṇadiksambandhinī kevalakarmiṇāṃ dhūmādilakṣaṇā punarāvṛttirūpā tṛtīyā ca tataḥ kaṣṭatarā saṃsāragatirvairāgyahetorvaktavyetyārabhyate | prāṇaḥ śreṣṭho vāgādibhyaḥ prāṇo vāva saṃvarga ityādi ca bahuśo ’tīte granthe prāṇagrahaṇaṃ kṛtam | sa kathaṃ śreṣṭho vāgādiṣu sarvaiḥ saṃhatyakāritvāviśeṣe?kathaṃ ca tasyopāsanamiti tasya śreṣṭhatvādiguṇavidhitsayedamanantaramārabhyate-yo ha vai kaścijjyeṣṭhaṃ ca prathamaṃ vayasā vāva jyeṣṭhaśca vayasā vāgādibhyaḥ | garbhasthe hi puruṣe prāṇasya vṛttirvāgādibhyaḥ pūrvaṃ labdhātmikā bhavati yayā garbho vivardhate cakṣurādisthānāvayavaniṣpattau satyāṃ paścādvāgādīnāṃ vṛttilābha iti prāṇo jyeṣṭho vayasā bhavati | śreṣṭhatvaṃ tu pratipādayiṣyati suhaya ityādinidarśanena | ataḥ prāṇa eva jyeṣṭhaśca śreṣṭhaścāsminkāryakaraṇasaṅghāte || 1 ||