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Shloka 34

Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga

Adhyātma-Upadeśa

अहंकारात्‌ तु सम्भूतो महाभूतकृतो गुण: । पृथक्त्वेन हि भूतानां विषया वै गुणा: स्मृता:

ahaṅkārāt tu sambhūto mahābhūtakṛto guṇaḥ | pṛthaktvena hi bhūtānāṃ viṣayā vai guṇāḥ smṛtāḥ ||

അഹങ്കാരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പഞ്ച മഹാഭൂതങ്ങളെ പ്രകടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഗുണതത്ത്വം ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നു. ഭൂതങ്ങളുടെ വിഷയങ്ങൾ—രൂപം, രസം മുതലായവ—തന്നെയാണ് വേർതിരിച്ചുള്ള ‘ഗുണങ്ങൾ’ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നത്।

अहंकारात्from ego (ahaṃkāra)
अहंकारात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootअहंकार
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
सम्भूतःarisen/produced
सम्भूतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसम् + भू
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
महाभूतकृतःmade by the great elements
महाभूतकृतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाभूतकृत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
गुणःquality/attribute
गुणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगुण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पृथक्त्वेनby separateness; separately
पृथक्त्वेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपृथक्त्व
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
हिfor/indeed
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
भूतानाम्of (the) beings/elements
भूतानाम्:
Sambandha
TypeNoun
Rootभूत
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
विषयाःsense-objects
विषयाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविषय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
वैindeed/certainly
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
गुणाःqualities/attributes
गुणाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगुण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
स्मृताःare considered/are remembered (as)
स्मृताः:
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

वायुदेव उवाच

वायुदेव (Vāyudeva)
अहंकार (ahaṅkāra)
महाभूत (mahābhūta)

Educational Q&A

The verse presents a Sāṅkhya-style account: from ahaṅkāra (the ego-principle) arises that which generates the five great elements, and the so-called ‘guṇas’ are understood here as the distinct sense-objects associated with those elements (e.g., form, taste, etc.). This supports ethical detachment by showing that sensory experience is a product of cosmic principles rather than the true Self.

Vāyudeva is instructing the listener in a philosophical explanation of creation and perception, clarifying how egoity leads to the manifestation of the elements and how each element is known through its particular sense-object.