Shloka 51
Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga
Adhyātma-Upadeśa
विधिवद् ब्राह्मणै: सिद्धेर्धर्मज्ैस्तत्त्वदर्शिभि:,रूखा, ठंडा, गरम, स्निग्ध, विशद, कठिन, चिकना, श्लक्ष्ण (हलका), पिच्छिल, कठोर और कोमल--इन बारह प्रकारोंसे वायुके गुण स्पर्शका विस्तार तत्त्वदर्शी धर्मज्ञ सिद्ध ब्राह्मणोंद्वारा विधिवत् बतलाया गया है
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 |
Vāyu-deva said: “In due and proper manner, accomplished Brahmins—knowers of dharma and seers of truth—have explained the full range of touch-qualities belonging to the Wind. These are twelve in kind: dry, cold, hot, unctuous, clear, hard, smooth, fine (light), slimy, rigid, and soft.”
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.