Shloka 23
तमोगुण-निरूपण
Analysis of Tamas and its Marks
स्थावराणि च भूतानि पशवो वाहनानि च । क्रव्यादा दन््दशूकाश्न कृमिकीटविहंगमा:
sthāvarāṇi ca bhūtāni paśavo vāhanāni ca | kravyādā daṃśūka-aśnī kṛmi-kīṭa-vihaṅgamāḥ ||
Vāyu-deva bersabda: “Segala makhluk—yang tidak bergerak (tumbuhan), binatang, bahkan yang dijadikan tunggangan dan kenderaan—serta pemakan daging, ular yang menggigit, dan seluruh jenis cacing, serangga, serta burung: semuanya juga termasuk (dalam lingkup ini).”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse expands the moral and philosophical field to include every category of living being—immobile life, animals, mounts, predators, snakes, worms, insects, and birds—implying that dharma and ethical consideration are not limited to humans or ‘noble’ creatures.
Vāyu-deva is speaking and enumerates classes of beings to clarify that the topic under discussion applies universally across life-forms, including those commonly feared (snakes) or disregarded (worms and insects).