प्राणादयो वाक्यशेषात् ॥ १२ ॥
prāṇādayo vākyaśeṣāt || 12 ||
prāṇādayaḥ—The vital force etc.; vākyaśeṣāt—because of the complementary passage.
12. (The five people referred to are) the vital force etc., because (we- find it to be so) from the complementary passage.
“They who know the vital force of the vital force, the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the food of the food, the mind of the mind,” etc. (Brih. Madhy. 4. 4. 21).
The ‘five people’ refer to this vital force and the other four of the text, which are cited to describe Brahman.