You are the best bearer of oblations to the gods; the first offering to the ancestors; you are the true conduct of the ṛṣis, of the Atharvāṅgiras.

Prāṇa is the vahni-tama — the best bearer of fire. He is the conduit through which oblations reach the gods. Without Prāṇa, no sacrifice is possible; with Prāṇa, all offerings become effective.

Svadhā — the ritual offering to the ancestors (pitṛs). Prāṇa is the first and most important offering, for without life there is no ritual.

Caritaṃ satya — true conduct, the authentic path. The ṛṣis, the seers of the mantras, followed Prāṇa as their guide. The Atharvāṅgiras — the priests of the Atharvaveda, known for their mystical powers — also depend on Prāṇa.

This section is a stotra (hymn of praise) that the senses offer to Prāṇa. Each verse raises the estimation of Prāṇa higher. Likewise, the yogī must elevate their recognition of the value of prāṇa. In daily prāṇāyāma practice, we remember: it is not “my” breath, but the universal Prāṇa that breathes through this body.