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 ||
Rūpa (bentuk) ada pada tiga unsur; rasa berada pada air dan disebut manis, sedangkan pada bumi ia menjadi enam macam. Gandha (bau) pada bumi diajarkan dua jenis: busuk dan harum.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
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.