Shloka 21

Abhaya-Itihāsa: Karma, Indriyas, and the Non-sensory Brahman

Brāhmaṇī–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

'सूँघनेवाला, खानेवाला, देखनेवाला, स्पर्श करने-वाला, पाँचवाँ श्रवण करनेवाला एवं मनन करनेवाला और समझनेवाला--ये सात श्रेष्ठ ऋत्विज्‌ हैं

Transliteration

ghrāṇakartā bhoktā draṣṭā sparśakartā pañcamaḥ śrotā mananīyaḥ boddhā ca—ete sapta śreṣṭhā ṛtvijaḥ

Translation

Vāyu-deva said: “The one who smells, the one who eats, the one who sees, the one who touches, the fifth—who hears—and the one who reflects and the one who understands: these seven are the finest priests (ṛtvij-s).”

Word by Word

• सूँघनेवाला: the smeller
• सूँघनेवाला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूँघ (धातु: घ्राण/घ्रा- ‘to smell’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• खानेवाला: the eater
• खानेवाला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: खाद् (to eat)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देखनेवाला: the seer
• देखनेवाला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश् (to see)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्पर्श: touch
• स्पर्श: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (touch/contact)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करनेवाला: the doer (one who performs)
• करनेवाला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (to do)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पञ्चमः: the fifth
• पञ्चमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (fifth)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रवण: hearing
• श्रवण: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (hearing)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करनेवाला: the one who performs
• करनेवाला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (to do)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• मनन: reflection
• मनन: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनन (reflection)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करनेवाला: the one who performs
• करनेवाला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (to do)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• समझनेवाला: the understander
• समझनेवाला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध् (to understand/know)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (this)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (seven)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठाः: excellent
• श्रेष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (best/excellent)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऋत्विजः: priests (ṛtvij-s)
• ऋत्विजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (priest)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सन्ति: are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (to be)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथम, बहुवचन

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva
• ṛtvij (priests)
• seven faculties (smell, taste/eating, sight, touch, hearing, reflection, understanding)