Shloka 20

Jvarotpatti — The Origin and Distribution of Jvara

Fever

Devanagari script

जल्पनाभ्यवहारार्थ मुखमिन्द्रियमुच्यते । गमनेन्द्रियं तथा पादौ कर्मण: करणे करौ,मुख-इन्द्रियका उपयोग बोलने और भोजन करनेके लिये बताया जाता है। पैर चलनेकी और हाथ काम करनेकी इन्द्रियाँ हैं

Transliteration

jalpanābhyavahārārthaṁ mukham indriyam ucyate | gamanendriyaṁ tathā pādau karmaṇaḥ karaṇe karau ||

Translation

قال أَسِيتا: «يُسمّى الفم عضوًا لأنه يُستعمل للكلام ولتناول الطعام. وكذلك فالقدمان هما عضو الحركة، واليدان هما أداتا إنجاز الفعل.»

Word by Word

जल्पनfor speaking

अभ्यवहारार्थfor the purpose of eating/ingestion

मुखम्mouth

इन्द्रियम्sense-organ

उच्यतेis said/called

गमनेन्द्रियम्the organ of locomotion

तथाlikewise

पादौthe two feet

कर्मणःof action/work

करणेin the instrument/means

करौthe two hands

Speaker

असित उवाच

Characters & Entities

Asita

mouth (mukha)

feet (pādau)

hands (karau)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

It classifies bodily faculties by their functions: the mouth serves speech and nourishment, the feet enable movement, and the hands are the chief instruments for carrying out work—supporting an ethical reflection on how actions arise through specific organs and should be governed by dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva’s instructional discourse, Asita explains the functional roles of different indriyas (organs/faculties), using simple examples to ground a broader teaching about action, conduct, and disciplined use of the body.