Shloka 80
Self-Knowledge and the Allegory of the Five Elements & Senses
Karma, Association, and Rebirth
तत्रास्मिन्पिच्छिले घोरे पतितो हि महाभये । पंचात्मका ऊचुः । तावत्संस्थीयतां राजन्यावद्गर्भः प्रपूरयेत्
tatrāsminpicchile ghore patito hi mahābhaye | paṃcātmakā ūcuḥ | tāvatsaṃsthīyatāṃ rājanyāvadgarbhaḥ prapūrayet
Là, en ce lieu glissant et effroyable, il était tombé dans un grand péril. Les êtres quintuplement constitués dirent : «Ô roi, demeure ici quelque temps, jusqu’à ce que le sein soit pleinement rempli (jusqu’à l’achèvement de la gestation).»
pañcātmakāḥ (the fivefold beings)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्रास्मिन्पिच्छिले = तत्र + अस्मिन् + पिच्छिले; तावत्संस्थीयतां = तावत् + संस्थीयताम्; राजन्यावद्गर्भः = राजन् + यावत् + गर्भः
FAQs
The term literally means “fivefold” or “of five natures.” In Purāṇic usage it can indicate beings or principles associated with a set of five (often the pañca-bhūtas or other fivefold groupings). This verse itself does not specify which fivefold set, only that they speak to the king.
The verse depicts someone falling into a slippery, terrifying place and facing great danger; then a group called the pañcātmakāḥ addresses the king, instructing him to remain for a period until the “garbha” (gestation/womb) is completed.
It suggests endurance and patience in crisis—remaining steady through a perilous interval until a process reaches fruition, rather than acting impulsively while conditions are unstable.