Shloka 21

Devanagari script

'सूँघनेवाला, खानेवाला, देखनेवाला, स्पर्श करने-वाला, पाँचवाँ श्रवण करनेवाला एवं मनन करनेवाला और समझनेवाला--ये सात श्रेष्ठ ऋत्विज्‌ हैं

Transliteration

ghrāṇakartā bhoktā draṣṭā sparśakartā pañcamaḥ śrotā mananīyaḥ boddhā ca—ete sapta śreṣṭhā ṛtvijaḥ

Translation

വായുദേവൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു— ഗന്ധം ഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവൻ, ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നവൻ, കാണുന്നവൻ, സ്പർശിക്കുന്നവൻ, അഞ്ചാമൻ കേൾക്കുന്നവൻ, പിന്നെ മനനം ചെയ്യുന്നവനും ബോധിക്കുന്നവനും— ഇവർ ഏഴുപേരും ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ഋത്വിജന്മാർ.

Word by Word

सूँघनेवालाthe smeller

खानेवालाthe eater

देखनेवालाthe seer

स्पर्शtouch

करनेवालाthe doer (one who performs)

पञ्चमःthe fifth

श्रवणhearing

करनेवालाthe one who performs

एवindeed/just

मननreflection

करनेवालाthe one who performs

चand

समझनेवालाthe understander

एतेthese

सप्तseven

श्रेष्ठाःexcellent

ऋत्विजःpriests (ṛtvij-s)

सन्तिare

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu-deva

Ṛ

ṛtvij (priests)

seven faculties (smell, taste/eating, sight, touch, hearing, reflection, understanding)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True ritual excellence is internal: the senses and the mind—smelling, tasting/eating, seeing, touching, hearing, reflecting, and understanding—must be disciplined and aligned with discernment. When governed ethically, they function as the ‘best priests’ conducting one’s inner sacrifice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva delivers an instructive statement redefining ‘ṛtvij-s’ (sacrificial priests) as the seven inner faculties. The passage shifts attention from external rites to the moral and contemplative regulation of perception and thought.