Shloka 21

Primordial Creation: From Brahman to the Cosmic Egg

Devanagari script

शब्दादिज्ञानसिद्ध्यर्थं बुद्धियुक्तानि पंच वै । पायूपस्थं हस्तपादौ कीर्तिता वाक्चपंचमी

Transliteration

śabdādijñānasiddhyarthaṃ buddhiyuktāni paṃca vai | pāyūpasthaṃ hastapādau kīrtitā vākcapaṃcamī

Translation

Zur Vollendung der Erkenntnis von Klang und dem Übrigen gibt es wahrlich fünf mit dem Intellekt verbundene Vermögen: After, Geschlecht, Hände, Füße — und die Rede wird als das fünfte verkündet.

Word by Word

• śabda-ādi-jñāna-siddhi-artham: for the attainment of knowledge of sound etc.
• śabda-ādi-jñāna-siddhi-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (प्रयोजन/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः (मुख्यतः तत्पुरुषः) ‘शब्दादि-ज्ञानस्य सिद्ध्यर्थम्’ = for the accomplishment of knowledge of sound etc. (masculine, Accusative, Singular; purpose)

• buddhi-yuktāni: endowed with intellect
• buddhi-yuktāni: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त; √yuj युज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘बुद्ध्या युक्तानि’ (neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• pañca: five
• pañca: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्याशब्द; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; बहुवचनार्थे विशेषणम् (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• pāyu-upastham: anus and genitals
• pāyu-upastham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāyu (प्रातिपदिक) + upastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (pāyuś ca upasthaś ca) समाहारद्वन्द्ववत् एकवचनप्रयोगः (neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• hasta-pādau: hands and feet
• hasta-pādau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• kīrtitā: is declared
• kīrtitā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrtita (कृदन्त; √kīrtay/कीर्तय्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (understood with vāk) (PPP, feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• vāk: speech
• vāk: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, Nominative, Singular)

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

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

Speaker

Not explicitly identifiable from the single verse (context needed from surrounding verses).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: śabdādijñānasiddhyarthaṃ = śabda-ādi-jñāna-siddhi-artham; pāyūpasthaṃ = pāyu + upastham; vākcapaṃcamī = vāk + ca + pañcamī.

FAQs

What are the five faculties listed in this verse?

They are the anus (pāyu), genitals (upastha), hands (hasta), feet (pāda), and speech (vāk), described as five faculties connected with buddhi (intellect).

Why does the verse mention “śabda and the rest” (śabdādi) if it is listing action-faculties?

“Śabdādi” can function as a shorthand for the whole field of cognition/experience; the verse then specifies the five operative faculties (often grouped as karmendriyas) that function under the guidance of buddhi to engage with experience.

What is the ethical or practical takeaway from this enumeration?

By recognizing that these faculties operate under the governance of intellect (buddhi), one is encouraged to cultivate discrimination and restraint, directing speech and bodily actions toward dharmic conduct rather than impulsive behavior.