Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 83
Sanatkumāra’s Bhāgavata Tantra: Tattvas, Māyā-Bonds, Embodiment, and the Necessity of Dīkṣā
रूपं त्रिषु रसोंऽभः सु मधुरः षड्विधः क्षितौ । गन्धः क्षितावसुरभिः सुरभिश्च प्रकीर्तितः ॥ ८३ ॥
rūpaṃ triṣu rasoṃ'bhaḥ su madhuraḥ ṣaḍvidhaḥ kṣitau | gandhaḥ kṣitāvasurabhiḥ surabhiśca prakīrtitaḥ || 83 ||
La forme (rūpa) est présente dans trois éléments ; la saveur (rasa) appartient à l’eau et est dite douce ; sur la terre, elle est de six sortes. L’odeur (gandha) dans la terre est enseignée comme étant de deux types : fétide et parfumée.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
FAQs
It maps the guṇas (sense-qualities) to the elements, helping the seeker discern the material field (prakṛti) from the witnessing self—an aid to viveka (discrimination) used in mokṣa-oriented teaching.
By classifying sensory qualities like taste and smell as elemental properties, it supports bhakti practice through restraint and purity: offerings, diet, and ritual substances are understood as guṇa-based, encouraging sattvic choices that steady the mind for Vishnu-bhakti.
A technical, śāstra-style taxonomy of sensory qualities (rūpa, rasa, gandha) aligned with the mahābhūtas—useful for ritual purity, selection of offerings (gandha/dravya), and broader Vedic cosmology taught alongside Vedanga-oriented instruction.