Shloka 20

Primordial Creation: From Brahman to the Cosmic Egg

Devanagari script

तानि वक्ष्यामि तेषां च कर्माणि कुलपावनाः । श्रवणं त्वक्चक्षुर्जिह्वा नासिका चैव पंचमी

Transliteration

tāni vakṣyāmi teṣāṃ ca karmāṇi kulapāvanāḥ | śravaṇaṃ tvakcakṣurjihvā nāsikā caiva paṃcamī

Translation

Ich werde jene Fähigkeiten und ihre Wirkungen darlegen, o Reiniger des Geschlechts: Hören, Tasten (Haut), Sehen (Augen), Schmecken (Zunge) und Riechen (Nase) als das fünfte.

Word by Word

• tāni: those (things)
• tāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन (pronoun; neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• vakṣyāmi: I will tell
• vakṣyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (Simple Future, 1st person, Singular)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• karmāṇi: functions/acts
• karmāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन (neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• kula-pāvanāḥ: O purifiers of the lineage
• kula-pāvanāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक) + pāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/सम्बोधनसमान), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कुलस्य पावनाः’ (masculine, Nominative, Plural; used as address)

• śravaṇam: hearing (ear)
• śravaṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/उद्देश्य), एकवचन (neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• tvak: skin (touch)
• tvak: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvac (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• cakṣuḥ: eye (sight)
• cakṣuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• jihvā: tongue (taste)
• jihvā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jihvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• nāsikā: nose (smell)
• nāsikā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāsikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• pañcamī: the fifth
• pañcamī: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम् (ordinal adjective; feminine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/speaker (context not provided in the input excerpt)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: tvakcakṣurjihvā = tvak + cakṣuḥ + jihvā; caiva = ca + eva.

FAQs

What is being listed in this verse?

The verse enumerates the five sense faculties (indriyas): hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell.

Why does the verse mention “their functions” (karmāṇi)?

It indicates that each sense faculty has a specific activity—hearing hears, skin senses touch, eyes see, tongue tastes, and nose smells.

Who is addressed as “kulapāvanāḥ” in this verse?

It is a respectful vocative meaning “purifiers of the lineage/family,” addressing the listener(s); the exact identity depends on the surrounding dialogue context.