As an emperor assigns officials (saying): ‘Govern these villages, govern those villages’, so this prāṇa places the other prāṇas in their separate locations.

This verse introduces the hierarchy of the five prāṇas with a political metaphor: the main prāṇa is like an emperor who delegates functions to his ministers.

Yathā samrāṭ — as an emperor (samrāṭ, literally “one who shines completely”). The central prāṇa does not do all the work itself but governs by delegating.

Adhikṛtān viniyuṅkte — assigns the officials. Each subsidiary prāṇa receives its jurisdiction, its territory, its specific function.

Etān grāmān adhitiṣṭhasva — “govern these villages.” The villages are the different regions and functions of the body. Each prāṇa has its particular domain.

The five prāṇas and their territories:

1. Prāṇa — governs the heart and lung region; controls breathing and energy absorption
2. Apāna — governs the pelvic region; controls elimination and descending energy
3. Samāna — governs the navel; controls digestion and assimilation
4. Udāna — governs the throat; controls expression, speech and the ascent of energy at death
5. Vyāna — governs the entire body; controls circulation and distribution of energy

Pṛthak pṛthak eva sannidhatte — places them in separate locations. Each vāyu has its seat, but all work coordinately under the supervision of the main prāṇa.

This teaching is the anatomical basis of prāṇāyāma: understanding how vital energy divides into specialized functions allows the yogī to work with each one consciously.