āntarikṣāḥ- śabdaḥ śabdēndriyaṁ sarvacchidrasamūhō viviktatā ca; vāyavyāstu- sparśaḥ sparśēndriyaṁ sarvacēṣṭāsamūhaḥ sarvaśarīraspandanaṁ laghutā ca; taijasāstu- rūpaṁ rūpēndriyaṁ varṇaḥ santāpō bhrājiṣṇutā paktiramarṣastaikṣṇyaṁ śauryaṁ ca; āpyāstu- rasō rasanēndriyaṁ sarvadravasamūhō gurutā śaityaṁ snēhō rētaśca; pārthivāstu- gandhō gandhēndriyaṁ sarvamūrtasamūhō gurutā cēti ||19||
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आन्तरिक्षाः- शब्दः शब्देन्द्रियं सर्वच्छिद्रसमूहो विविक्तता च; वायव्यास्तु- स्पर्शः स्पर्शेन्द्रियं सर्वचेष्टासमूहः सर्वशरीरस्पन्दनं लघुता च; तैजसास्तु- रूपं रूपेन्द्रियं वर्णः सन्तापो भ्राजिष्णुता पक्तिरमर्षस्तैक्ष्ण्यं शौर्यं च; आप्यास्तु- रसो रसनेन्द्रियं सर्वद्रवसमूहो गुरुता शैत्यं स्नेहो रेतश्च; पार्थिवास्तु- गन्धो गन्धेन्द्रियं सर्वमूर्तसमूहो गुरुता चेति ||१९||
Meaning of the śloka
The text assigns bodily qualities to the five mahabhutas. Akasha is associated with sound, the faculty of hearing, all bodily spaces, and distinctness. Vayu is associated with touch, the faculty of touch, all activity, movement throughout the body, and lightness. Tejas is associated with visible form, sight, complexion, heat, radiance, transformation or digestion, impatience, sharpness, and courage. Ap is associated with taste, the faculty of taste, all bodily fluids, heaviness, coolness, unctuousness, and reproductive fluid. Prithivi is associated with smell, the faculty of smell, all solid or formed structures, and heaviness.
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mahābhūtaguṇānnirdiśannāha- āntarikṣā ityādi| āntarikṣā ākāśabhūtaguṇāḥ| śabdēndriyaṁ śravaṇēndriyam| viviktatā śārīrāṇāṁ bhāvānāṁ sirāsnāyvasthipēśīprabhr̥tīnāṁ jātivyaktibhyāṁ mithaḥ pr̥thaktvaṁ; gayī tu ‘viviktatā’ ityasya sthānē ‘viriktatā’ iti paṭhati vyākhyānayati ca- viriktatā śārīrāṇāṁ bhāvānāṁ riktatā| vāyavyā ityādi| sparśēndriyaṁ tvak| sarvacēṣṭāsamūhō namanōnnamanādisarvakriyāsamūhaḥ, kāyavāṅmanaḥ kriyāsamūha ityanyē| spandanaṁ calanam| taijasāstvityādi| rūpaṁ lāvaṇyam| rūpēndriyaṁ cakṣuḥ| varṇō gaurādiḥ| santāpa auṣṇyam| bhrājiṣṇutā dīptatā| paktiḥ agnikr̥tā''hārapariṇatiḥ| amarṣaḥ krōdhaḥ| taikṣṇyam āśukriyā| śauryaṁ vikrāntatā| āpyāstvityādi| sarvadravasamūhaḥ dōṣadhātumalēṣu drutimaddravyanivahaḥ | pārthivāstvityādi| sarvamūrtasamūha dōṣadhātumalēṣu yaḥ kaścit kāṭhinyanivahaḥ||19||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary identifies the first group as qualities of akasha and explains the organ of sound as hearing. It interprets distinctness as the mutual separation of bodily structures such as vessels, ligaments, bones, and muscles by class and individual form. Gayi instead reads 'emptiness' and understands it as the hollowness of bodily structures. For vayu, the faculty of touch is the skin; all activity includes bending, extending, and other actions, while others include actions of body, speech, and mind; spandana means movement. For tejas, rupa means beauty or appearance, its sense faculty is the eye, color includes fair and other complexions, santapa is heat, radiance is luminosity, pakti is transformation of food by agni, amarsha is anger, sharpness is quick action, and courage is valor. For ap, all fluid substance means the collection of liquid constituents among doshas, dhatus, and wastes. For prithivi, all formed substance means whatever hardness occurs among those same bodily constituents.
Key terms
- mahAbhUta (mahabhuta)
- One of the five classical elemental principles used to classify bodily qualities.
- AkAsha (akasha)
- The elemental principle associated here with sound, hearing, spaces, and distinctness or emptiness.
- vAyu (vayu)
- The elemental principle associated here with touch, activity, movement, and lightness.
- tejas
- The elemental principle associated here with sight, heat, radiance, transformation, sharpness, and courage.
- Ap (ap)
- The elemental principle associated here with taste, fluids, coolness, heaviness, unctuousness, and reproductive fluid.
- pRuthivI (prithivi)
- The elemental principle associated here with smell, solid structures, and heaviness.