Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 423

Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga

Adhyātma-Upadeśa

Devanagari script

एवं दशविधो ज्ञेय: पार्थिवो गन्ध इत्युत । इष्ट (सुगन्ध), अनिष्ट (दुर्गन्‍्ध), मधुर, अम्ल, कटु, निहारी (दुरतक फैलनेवाली), मिश्रित, स्निग्ध, रूक्ष और विशद--ये पार्थिव गन्धके दस भेद समझने चाहिये

Transliteration

evaṁ daśavidho jñeyaḥ pārthivo gandha ity uta | iṣṭaḥ (sugandhaḥ), aniṣṭaḥ (durgandhaḥ), madhuraḥ, amlaḥ, kaṭuḥ, nihārī (dūratakaphailanavālī), miśritaḥ, snigdhaḥ, rūkṣaḥ ca viśadaḥ—ete pārthiva-gandhasya daśa bhedā jñeyāḥ |

Translation

বায়ুদেব বললেন—এইভাবে পার্থিব গন্ধ দশপ্রকার বলে জানতে হবে। ইষ্ট (সুগন্ধ) ও অনিষ্ট (দুর্গন্ধ), মধুর, অম্ল, কটু, নিহারী (দূর পর্যন্ত ছড়ায়), মিশ্রিত, স্নিগ্ধ, রূক্ষ ও বিশদ—এগুলোই পৃথিবীজাত গন্ধের দশ ভেদ।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• दशविधः: tenfold
• दशविधः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशविध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्ञेयः: to be known; should be understood
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थिवः: earthy; belonging to earth
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गन्धः: smell; odor
• गन्धः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus; as (it is said)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उत: and; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu-deva)
• पार्थिव गन्ध (earthly odor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse classifies the earth-element’s sensory property—smell—into ten recognizable types, training discernment of material qualities as part of a broader philosophical/educational exposition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is speaking in a didactic context, enumerating and defining categories of ‘earthly odor’ to instruct the listener in the analysis of elemental and sensory properties.