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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Show commentary
महाभूतगुणान्निर्दिशन्नाह- आन्तरिक्षा इत्यादि| आन्तरिक्षा आकाशभूतगुणाः| शब्देन्द्रियं श्रवणेन्द्रियम्| विविक्तता शारीराणां भावानां सिरास्नाय्वस्थिपेशीप्रभृतीनां जातिव्यक्तिभ्यां मिथः पृथक्त्वं; गयी तु ‘विविक्तता’ इत्यस्य स्थाने ‘विरिक्तता’ इति पठति व्याख्यानयति च- विरिक्तता शारीराणां भावानां रिक्तता| वायव्या इत्यादि| स्पर्शेन्द्रियं त्वक्| सर्वचेष्टासमूहो नमनोन्नमनादिसर्वक्रियासमूहः, कायवाङ्मनः क्रियासमूह इत्यन्ये| स्पन्दनं चलनम्| तैजसास्त्वित्यादि| रूपं लावण्यम्| रूपेन्द्रियं चक्षुः| वर्णो गौरादिः| सन्ताप औष्ण्यम्| भ्राजिष्णुता दीप्तता| पक्तिः अग्निकृताऽऽहारपरिणतिः| अमर्षः क्रोधः| तैक्ष्ण्यम् आशुक्रिया| शौर्यं विक्रान्तता| आप्यास्त्वित्यादि| सर्वद्रवसमूहः दोषधातुमलेषु द्रुतिमद्द्रव्यनिवहः | पार्थिवास्त्वित्यादि| सर्वमूर्तसमूह दोषधातुमलेषु यः कश्चित् काठिन्यनिवहः||१९||
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.