12.177
bharadvāja uvāca॥
Bharadvāja said.
ete te dhātavaḥ pañca brahmā yān asṛjat purā। āvṛtā yair ime lokā mahābhūtābhi sañjñitaiḥ ॥12-177-1॥
These are those five elements which Brahmā formerly created. By which these worlds are enveloped, called the great elements.
yadāsṛjatsahasrāṇi bhūtānāṃ sa mahāmatiḥ। pañcānāmeva bhūtatvaṃ kathaṃ samupapadyate ॥12-177-2॥
When the great-minded one created thousands of beings, how is it that the state of being of the five elements is established?
bhṛguruvāca॥
Bhṛgu said.
amitānāṃ mahāśabdo yānti bhūtāni sambhavam। tatasteṣāṃ mahābhūtaśabdo'yamupapadyate ॥12-177-3॥
The great sound of the immeasurable reaches the origin of beings. Therefore, for them, the term 'great beings' is justified.
ceṣṭā vayūḥ kham ākāśam ūṣmā agniḥ salilaṃ dravaḥ। pṛthivī ca atra saṅghātaḥ śarīraṃ pāñcabhoutikam ॥12-177-4॥
Activity is air, space is ether, heat is fire, water is liquid, and the aggregate body here is composed of the five elements.
ityetaiḥ pañcabhir bhūtair yuktaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam। śrotraṃ ghrāṇaṃ rasaḥ sparśo dṛṣṭiś cendriyasanjñitāḥ ॥12-177-5॥
Thus, all immobile and mobile beings are composed of these five elements; the ear, nose, taste, touch, and sight are known as the senses.
bharadvāja uvāca॥
Bharadvāja said.
pañcabhir yadi bhūtaiḥ tu yuktāḥ sthāvara-jaṅgamāḥ। sthāvarāṇām na dṛśyante śarīre pañca dhātavaḥ॥12-177-6॥
If, indeed, both immobile and mobile beings are composed of the five elements, the five elements are not observed in the bodies of immobile beings.
anūṣmaṇām aceṣṭānām ghanānām caiva tattvataḥ। vṛkṣāṇāṃ nopalabhyante śarīre pañca dhātavaḥ॥12-177-7॥
In reality, in the bodies of trees, which are without heat, without movement, and are solid, the five elements are not found.
na śṛṇvanti na paśyanti na gandharasavedinaḥ। na ca sparśaṃ vijānanti te kathaṃ pāñcabhutikāḥ॥12-177-8॥
They neither hear nor see, nor do they know smell or taste; nor do they perceive touch. How then are they composed of the five elements?
adravatvād anagnitvād abhaumatvād avāyutaḥ। ākāśasya aprameyatvād vṛkṣāṇāṃ nāsti bhautikam ॥12-177-9॥
Because space is not liquid, not fiery, not earthy, not airy, and is immeasurable, trees do not have a material (elemental) nature in relation to space.
bhṛguruvāca॥
Bhṛgu said.
ghanānām api vṛkṣāṇām ākāśo 'sti na saṃśayaḥ। teṣāṃ puṣpaphale vyaktir nityaṃ samupalabhyate ॥12-177-10॥
Even among dense trees, there is certainly space; and among them, the appearance of flowers and fruits is always evident.
ūṣmato glānaparṇānāṃ tvakphalaṃ puṣpameva ca| mlāyate caiva śīte na sparśastenātra vidyate ||12-177-11||
From heat, the bark, fruit, and flower of withered leaves wither away, but in cold, there is no such effect here.
vāyv-agni-aśani-niṣpeṣaiḥ phala-puṣpaṃ viśīryate। śrotreṇa gṛhyate śabdas-tasmāc-chṛṇvanti pādapāḥ ॥12-177-12॥
Fruit and flowers are scattered by wind, fire, thunderbolt, and crushing. Sound is received by the ear; therefore, trees hear.
vallī veṣṭayate vṛkṣaṃ sarvataścaiva gacchati। na hyadṛṣṭeśca mārgo'sti tasmātpashyanti pādapāḥ ॥12-177-13॥
The creeper wraps around the tree and spreads in all directions. There is no path for the unperceiving; therefore, trees are aware.
puṇyāpuṇyaistathā gandhairdhūpaiśca vividhairapi। arogāḥ puṣpitāḥ santi tasmājjighranti pādapāḥ ॥12-177-14॥
Trees, being free from disease and in bloom, exist because of merit and demerit, as well as various scents and incenses; therefore, they are able to smell.
pādaiḥ salilapānaṃ ca vyādhīnām api darśanam। vyādhipratikriyatvācca vidyate rasanaṃ drume ॥12-177-15॥
In trees, water is absorbed by the roots, and even diseases can be observed; because of their ability to counteract diseases, taste is present in the tree.
vaktreṇotpalanālena yathordhvaṃ jalamādadet। tathā pavanasamyuktaḥ pādaiḥ pibati pādapaḥ ॥12-177-16॥
Just as one would take water upwards with the mouth through the stalk of a lotus, so too the tree drinks (water) with its feet, aided by the wind.
grahaṇātsukhaduḥkhasya chinnasya ca virohaṇāt। jīvaṃ paśyāmi vṛkṣāṇāmacaitanyaṃ na vidyate ॥12-177-17॥
Because pleasure and pain are experienced and cut branches sprout again, I see that trees possess life; there is no absence of consciousness in them.
tena taj-jalam ādattam jarayaty agni-mārutau। āhāra-pariṇāmāc ca sneho vṛddhiś ca jāyate ॥12-177-18॥
Thus, the water thus taken is digested by the action of fire and wind. From the transformation of food, unctuousness and growth arise.
jaṅgamānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ śarīre pañca dhātavaḥ। pratyekaśaḥ prabhidyante yaiḥ śarīraṃ viceṣṭate ॥12-177-19॥
In the bodies of all moving beings, there are five elements; each is individually divided, and by these, the body functions.
tvak ca māṁsaṁ tathā asthīni majjā snāyu ca pañcamam। ity etad iha saṅkhyātaṁ śarīre pṛthivīmayam ॥12-177-20॥
The skin, flesh, bones, marrow, and sinews—these five are described here as the earth element in the body.
tejo'gniś ca tathā krodhaś cakṣur ūṣmā tathaiva ca। agnir jarayate cāpi pañcāgneyaḥ śarīriṇaḥ ॥12-177-21॥
Lustre, fire, anger, the eye, and heat—these five, in the same way, are fiery in embodied beings; fire also causes decay.
śrotraṃ ghrāṇam athāsyaṃ ca hṛdayaṃ koṣṭham eva ca। ākāśāt prāṇinām ete śarīre pañca dhātavaḥ ॥12-177-22॥
The ear, nose, mouth, heart, and abdomen—these five elements in the body of living beings arise from space.
śleṣmā pittam atha svedo vasā śoṇitam eva ca। ity āpaḥ pañcadhā dehe bhavanti prāṇināṃ sadā ॥12-177-23॥
Phlegm, bile, sweat, fat, and blood—these five forms of water always exist in the bodies of living beings.
prāṇāt praṇīyate prāṇī vyānād vyāyacchate tathā। gacchaty apāno'vāk caiva samāno hṛdy avasthitaḥ ॥12-177-24॥
The living being is moved by prāṇa, expanded by vyāna; apāna moves downward, and samāna is established in the heart.
udānāducchvasiti ca pratibhedācca bhāṣate। ityetē vāyavaḥ pañca ceṣṭayantīha dēhinam ॥12-177-25॥
It is by udāna that one breathes upward, and by each division that one speaks. Thus, these five vital airs function here in the embodied being.
bhūmer gandhaguṇān vetti rasaṃ cādbhyaḥ śarīravān। jyotiḥ paśyati cakṣurbhyāṃ sparśaṃ vetti ca vāyunā॥12-177-26॥
The embodied being perceives the qualities of smell from earth and taste from water; perceives form through light with the eyes, and perceives touch through air.
tasya gandhasya vakṣyāmi vistarābhihitānguṇān। iṣṭaś cāniṣṭagandhaś ca madhuraḥ kaṭur eva ca ॥12-177-27॥
I will now explain in detail the qualities of that fragrance: both its desirable and undesirable aspects, as well as its sweet and pungent characteristics.
nirhārī saṃhataḥ snigdho rūkṣo viśada eva ca। evaṃ navavidho jñeyaḥ pārthivo gandhavistaraḥ ॥12-177-28॥
The earthly expansion of scent is to be known as ninefold: removing, compact, unctuous, dry, clear, indeed, and thus.
śabdaḥ sparśaś ca rūpaṃ ca rasaś cāpāṃ guṇāḥ smṛtāḥ। rasajñānaṃ tu vakṣyāmi tan me nigadataḥ śṛṇu॥12-177-29॥
Sound, touch, form, and taste are known as the qualities of water. Now, I will explain the knowledge of taste; listen to me as I speak.
raso bahuvidhaḥ proktaḥ sūribhiḥ prathitātmabhiḥ। madhuro lavaṇastiktaḥ kaṣāyo'mlaḥ kaṭustathā ॥ eṣa ṣaḍvidhavistāro raso vārimayaḥ smṛtaḥ ॥12-177-30॥
The wise, those of renowned self, have declared that taste is of many kinds: sweet, salty, bitter, astringent, sour, and pungent. This sixfold expansion of taste, consisting of water, is remembered.
śabdaḥ sparśaś ca rūpaṃ ca triguṇaṃ jyotir ucyate। jyotiḥ paśyati rūpāṇi rūpaṃ ca bahudhā smṛtam ॥12-177-31॥
Sound, touch, and form, which are of threefold quality, are called light. Light perceives forms, and form is remembered in many ways.
hrasvo dīrghas tathā sthūlaś caturasro'ṇu vṛttavān। śuklaḥ kṛṣṇas tathā rakto nīlaḥ pīto'ruṇas tathā ॥ evaṃ dvādaśa-vistāro jyotīrūpa-guṇaḥ smṛtaḥ ॥12-177-32॥
Short, long, thick, quadrangular, minute, circular; white, black, red, blue, yellow, and reddish-brown—these twelvefold characteristics are considered the qualities of the form of light.
śabdasparśau tu vijñeyau dviguṇo vāyurucyate। vāyavyastu guṇaḥ sparśaḥ sparśaśca bahudhā smṛtaḥ ॥12-177-33॥
Sound and touch are to be understood as the two qualities of air; air is said to possess two qualities. Of air, the quality is touch, and touch is remembered in many ways.
kaṭhinaścikkaṇaḥ ślakṣṇaḥ picchalo mṛdudāruṇaḥ। uṣṇaḥ śītaḥ sukho duḥkhaḥ snigdho viśada eva ca॥ evaṃ dvādaśavistāro vāyavyo guṇa ucyate॥12-177-34॥
The qualities of wind are described as twelvefold: hard, slippery, smooth, sticky, soft, harsh, hot, cold, pleasant, unpleasant, unctuous, and clear.
tatraika-guṇam ākāśaṃ śabda ity eva tat smṛtam। tasya śabdasya vakṣyāmi vistaraṃ vividhātmakam ॥12-177-35॥
There, ether is said to have one quality, namely sound. I shall now explain in detail the various forms of that sound.
ṣaḍja ṛṣabhagāndhārau madhyamaḥ pañcamastathā। dhaivatashcāpi vijñeyastathā cāpi niṣādakaḥ ॥12-177-36॥
The notes ṣaḍja, ṛṣabha, gāndhāra, madhyama, pañcama, dhaivata, and niṣāda are to be known as such.
eṣa saptavidhaḥ prokto guṇa ākāśalakṣaṇaḥ। traisvaryeṇa tu sarvatra sthito'pi paṭahādiṣu ॥12-177-37॥
This sevenfold quality, described as the characteristic of space, is present everywhere by means of threefold sound, even in drums and similar objects.
ākāśajaṃ śabdam āhur ebhir vāyuguṇaiḥ saha। avyāhataiś cetayate na vetti viṣamāgataiḥ ॥12-177-38॥
They say that sound, which is born in the sky and carried along with the qualities of wind, is perceived when the wind is unobstructed, but is not recognized when the wind comes in a disturbed manner.
āpyāyante ca te nityaṃ dhātavaḥ taiḥ tu dhātubhiḥ। āpaḥ agniḥ mārutaḥ ca eva nityaṃ jāgrati dehiṣu॥12-177-39॥
The elements are always nourished by those elements; waters, fire, and wind are always indeed awake in embodied beings.
