Shloka 7
धर्मलक्षण-प्रश्नः (Marks and Sources of Dharma) | Chapter 251: Inquiry into the Definition of Dharma
रसन॑ चेन्द्रियं जिह्दा रसश्चापां गुणो मतः । संघात: पार्थिवो धातुरस्थिदन््तनखानि च,रसनेन्द्रिय, जिह्ला और रस--ये सब जलके गुण माने गये हैं। शरीरमें जो संघात या कड़ापन है, वह पृथ्वीका कार्य है, अतः हड्डी, दाँत और नख आदिको पृथ्वीका अंश समझना चाहिये
rasanaṁ cendriyaṁ jihvā rasaś cāpāṁ guṇo mataḥ | saṅghātaḥ pārthivo dhātur asthi-danta-nakhāni ca ||
Vyāsa said: The organ of taste is the tongue, and ‘taste’ itself is held to be a quality of water. The body’s compactness and solidity arise from the earth-element; therefore bones, teeth, and nails should be understood as portions of earth. The teaching situates the senses and bodily structures within the elemental order, encouraging discernment and detachment from mere bodily identity.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
It maps bodily functions to the five great elements: taste and the tongue are connected with the water-element, while bodily hardness/compactness—seen in bones, teeth, and nails—belongs to the earth-element. This supports discernment (viveka) and loosens attachment to the body by viewing it as elemental composition.
In Shanti Parva’s instructional discourse, Vyāsa explains a doctrinal classification of sense-organs and bodily constituents according to elemental qualities, guiding the listener toward philosophical understanding of the body’s nature.