Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 51
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
विधिवद् ब्राह्मणै: सिद्धेर्धर्मज्ैस्तत्त्वदर्शिभि:
vāyudeva uvāca | vidhivad brāhmaṇaiḥ siddhair dharmajñais tattvadarśibhiḥ spṛśo guṇā dvādaśa vidhā vāyoḥ vistaraḥ prakīrtitaḥ—rūkṣaḥ śītaḥ uṣṇaḥ snigdhaḥ viśadaḥ kaṭhinaḥ cikanaḥ ślakṣṇaḥ (laghuḥ) picchilaḥ kaṭhoraḥ komalaś ca |
वायु-देव ने कहा— विधिपूर्वक सिद्ध, धर्मज्ञ और तत्त्वदर्शी ब्राह्मणों ने वायु के स्पर्श-गुणों का पूर्ण विस्तार समझाया है। ये बारह प्रकार के हैं: रूक्ष, शीत, उष्ण, स्निग्ध, विशद, कठिन, चिक्कण, श्लक्ष्ण, पिच्छिल, दारुण, कठोर और कोमल।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a dharma-grounded, authoritative classification of tactile qualities (sparśa-guṇas) attributed to the element/deity Vāyu, emphasizing that reliable knowledge is transmitted “vidhivat” by siddha, dharma-knowing, truth-seeing Brahmins.
Vāyu-deva is speaking in a didactic mode, citing the learned tradition of accomplished Brahmins to enumerate and validate a systematic list of touch-qualities, as part of a broader philosophical explanation within the Ashvamedhika Parva.