Shloka 7
धर्मलक्षण-प्रश्नः (Marks and Sources of Dharma) | Chapter 251: Inquiry into the Definition of Dharma
रसन॑ चेन्द्रियं जिह्दा रसश्चापां गुणो मतः । संघात: पार्थिवो धातुरस्थिदन््तनखानि च
rasanaṁ cendriyaṁ jihvā rasaś cāpāṁ guṇo mataḥ | saṅghātaḥ pārthivo dhātur asthi-danta-nakhāni ca ||
ヴィヤーサは言った。味覚の器官は舌であり、「味」そのものは水の性質と見なされる。身体の凝集と堅固さは地の元素の働きである。ゆえに骨、歯、爪は地の分として理解すべきである。この教えは、感官と身体構造を元素の秩序に位置づけ、肉身への同一化から離れるための識別と離欲を促す。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
It maps bodily functions to the five great elements: taste and the tongue are connected with the water-element, while bodily hardness/compactness—seen in bones, teeth, and nails—belongs to the earth-element. This supports discernment (viveka) and loosens attachment to the body by viewing it as elemental composition.
In Shanti Parva’s instructional discourse, Vyāsa explains a doctrinal classification of sense-organs and bodily constituents according to elemental qualities, guiding the listener toward philosophical understanding of the body’s nature.