Shloka 49

Adhyaya 45 — Jaimini’s Cosmological Questions and the Opening of Markandeya’s Account of Primary Creation

Sanskrit

बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि पञ्चैव पञ्च कर्मेन्द्रियाणि च ।

तैजसानिन्द्रियाण्याहुर्देवा वैकारिका दश ॥

Transliteration

buddhīndriyāṇi pañcaiva pañca karmendriyāṇi ca / taijasānīndriyāṇyāhurdevā vaikārikā daśa

Translation

There are five organs of knowledge and five organs of action. The organs are said to be taijasa, while the deities (presiding powers) are (born of) the vaikārika (sāttvika) stream—thus ten.

Word by Word

• buddhi-indriyāṇi: cognitive senses (sense-organs of knowledge)
• buddhi-indriyāṇi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (buddheḥ indriyāṇi); Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; subject ‘organs of knowledge’

• pañca: five
• pañca: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (अव्यय/संख्या-शब्द)
• Form: Saṅkhyā (संख्या) indeclinable numeral used adjectivally; qualifies indriyāṇi

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (अवधारण-निपात) particle

• pañca: five
• pañca: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (अव्यय/संख्या-शब्द)
• Form: Saṅkhyā indeclinable numeral used adjectivally; qualifies karmendriyāṇi

• karma-indriyāṇi: organs of action
• karma-indriyāṇi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (karmaṇaḥ indriyāṇi); Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; coordinated subject ‘organs of action’

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

• taijasāni: taijasa (luminous)
• taijasāni: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: taijasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; adjective qualifying indriyāṇi; ‘belonging to tejas/taijasa’

• indriyāṇi: sense-organs
• indriyāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; subject of āhuḥ

• āhuḥ: they call
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्, perfect), Prathama-puruṣa Bahuvacana; parasmaipada; ‘they say/call’

• devāḥ: the sages/learned (lit. gods)
• devāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; subject (speakers)

• vaikārikāḥ: vaikārika
• vaikārikāḥ: Pradhāna-nirdeśa (विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaikārika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; predicate adjective referring to devāḥ (or to the set); ‘vaikārika’

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Saṅkhyā (संख्या/quantifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (अव्यय/संख्या-शब्द)
• Form: Saṅkhyā indeclinable numeral used predicatively; ‘ten’

Speakers

• Not explicitly indicated in the provided excerpt (cosmology narration within the Purāṇic discourse)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Presiding deities of the indriyas (collective reference)

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sāṅkhya
• Indriyas
• Rājasa/taijasa function
• Sarga

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse distinguishes between the functional faculty (indriya) and its presiding intelligence (devatā). Practically, it supports the Purāṇic/Vedic habit of reverencing faculties as sacredly governed, encouraging disciplined use of senses and actions.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sarga: it enumerates the sense-and-action apparatus produced in creation.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Taijasa’ suggests energized operation—faculties are inherently dynamic. The devatā-indriya pairing encodes a two-layer model: gross function and subtle regulator, paralleling body–mind or instrument–indweller symbolism.