Shloka 20
Jvarotpatti — The Origin and Distribution of Jvara
Fever
जल्पनाभ्यवहारार्थ मुखमिन्द्रियमुच्यते । गमनेन्द्रियं तथा पादौ कर्मण: करणे करौ,मुख-इन्द्रियका उपयोग बोलने और भोजन करनेके लिये बताया जाता है। पैर चलनेकी और हाथ काम करनेकी इन्द्रियाँ हैं
jalpanābhyavahārārthaṁ mukham indriyam ucyate | gamanendriyaṁ tathā pādau karmaṇaḥ karaṇe karau ||
Asita said: “The mouth is called a sense-organ because it serves for speech and for taking food. Likewise, the feet are the organ for movement, and the hands are the instruments for performing action.”
असित उवाच
Educational Q&A
It classifies bodily faculties by their functions: the mouth serves speech and nourishment, the feet enable movement, and the hands are the chief instruments for carrying out work—supporting an ethical reflection on how actions arise through specific organs and should be governed by dharma.
In Shanti Parva’s instructional discourse, Asita explains the functional roles of different indriyas (organs/faculties), using simple examples to ground a broader teaching about action, conduct, and disciplined use of the body.