a said, "Upon my extinction all the life-breaths become extinct in
the bodies of living creatures. Upon my moving they once more move. I am
(therefore) the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!"'

"'"The Brahmana continued, 'Prana then became extinct and once more moved
about. Then Samana and Udana also, O blessed one, said these words--"Thou
dost not dwell here, pervading all this, as we do. Thou art not the
foremost amongst us, O Prana. (Only) Apana is under thy dominion." Prana
then moved about, and unto him Apana spoke.

"'"'Apana said, "When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct
in the bodies of living creatures. When I move about, they again move
about. I am, therefore, the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!"

"'"The Brahmana continued, 'Unto Apana who said so, both Vyana and Udana
said--"O Apana, thou art not the foremost. (Only) Prana is under thy
dominion." Then Apana began to move about. Vyana once more addressed him
saying, "I am the foremost of all (the life-winds). Listen, for what
reason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the
bodies of living creatures. When I move about, they once more move about.
I am (therefore) the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!"

"'"The Brahmana continued, 'Then Vyana went into extinction and once more
began to move about. At this, Prana and Apana and Udana and Samana
addressed him, saying, "Thou art not the foremost among us, O Vyana!
(Only) Samana is under thy dominion."--Vyana then began to move about and
Samana said unto him,--"I am the foremost of you all. Listen, for what
reason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the
bodies of living creatures. When I begin to move about, they once more
move about. Hence, I am the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!" Then
Samana began to move about. Unto him Udana said, "I am the foremost of all
the life-winds. Listen, for what reason. When I become extinct, all the
life-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move
about they once more move about. Hence, I am the foremost. Behold, I go
into extinction!"--Then Udana, after having gone into extinction, began
once more to move about, Prana and Apana and Samana and Vyana said, unto
him, O Udana, "thou art not the foremost one among us, only Vyana is under
thy dominion."

"'"The Brahmana continued, 'Unto them assembled together, the Lord of
creatures, Brahma, said, "No one of you is superio