Shloka 4
Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna
Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties
इन्द्रियाणां पृथग्भावाद् बुद्धिर्विक्रियते हृतः । शृण्वती भवति श्रोत्रं स्मृशती स्पर्श उच्यते
indriyāṇāṃ pṛthagbhāvād buddhir vikriyate hṛtaḥ | śṛṇvatī bhavati śrotraṃ smṛśatī sparśa ucyate ||
Vyāsa said: Because the senses exist as distinct faculties, their operations are distinct as well. Accordingly, the intellect—drawn outward by them—assumes many different modes. When that same inner faculty functions as hearing, it is called the ear; when it functions as touching, it is termed the sense of touch (the skin).
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse explains that the many sense-functions are distinct because the senses are distinct, and that the intellect (buddhi) appears to take on different forms depending on which sensory operation it is engaged in—hearing as ‘ear’ and touching as ‘touch.’ This supports the ethical-spiritual aim of mastering the senses by recognizing their operations as modes rather than the true Self.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, Vyāsa is describing an analysis of inner faculties—how cognition seems to diversify through the senses—guiding the listener toward discernment and restraint as part of the path to peace and liberation.