Shloka 53

Adhyaya 45 — Mount Meru

Sanskrit

द्विगुणो जायते वायुः तस्य स्पर्शो गुणो मतः ।

रूपन्तथैवाविशतः शब्दस्पर्शगुणावुभौ ॥

Transliteration

dviguṇo jāyate vāyustasya sparśo guṇo mataḥ / rūpantathaivāviśataḥ śabdasparśaguṇāvubhau

Translation

Die Luft (vāyu) entsteht als Trägerin zweier Qualitäten; ihre Qualität gilt als Tasten. Dann drang auch die Gestalt/Form (rūpa) ein, sodass sie beide Qualitäten, Klang und Tasten, trägt.

Word by Word

• dviguṇaḥ: twofold/with two qualities
• dviguṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying 'vāyuḥ'

• jāyate: is born/arises
• jāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• vāyuḥ: air/wind
• vāyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasya: of it
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); ‘of it/of that’

• sparśaḥ: touch
• sparśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• guṇaḥ: quality
• guṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mataḥ: is considered
• mataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicative ‘is considered’

• rūpam: form/color
• rūpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis

• aviśataḥ: entered
• aviśataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: viś (धातु) + ā- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); Vedic/epic variant ending -taḥ for -t

• śabda-sparśa-guṇau: the two qualities: sound and touch
• śabda-sparśa-guṇau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक) + sparśa (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); compound meaning ‘the qualities (guṇau) of sound and touch’

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); agreeing with 'guṇau'

Speakers

• Not explicitly indicated in the provided excerpt (cosmology narration within the Purāṇic discourse)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sāṅkhya
• Mahābhūtas
• Guṇa layering (sound, touch, form)
• Sarga

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The model explains perceptible complexity via incremental attributes: air is not an isolated ‘thing’ but a stage in the accumulation of sensory qualities. It encourages analytical discernment (viveka) about what we call ‘elements’—they are structured experiences.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sarga: continuation of elemental evolution through guṇa accumulation.

What is the esoteric significance?

Air as touch-dominant indicates prāṇic dynamism; adding form hints at the mind’s increasing capacity to ‘picture’ and stabilize appearances—movement begins to acquire visible pattern.