Shloka 37
Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)
तथा खरो मृदू रूक्षो लघुर्गुरुतरोडपि च | एवं द्वादशधा स्पर्शों वायव्यो गुण उच्यते,उष्ण, शीत, सुख, दुःख, स्निग्ध, विशद, खर, मृदु, रूक्ष, हलका, भारी और अधिक भारी--इस प्रकार वायु-सम्बन्धी स्पर्श गुणके बारह भेद कहे जाते हैं
tathā kharo mṛdu rūkṣo laghur gurutaro 'pi ca | evaṃ dvādaśadhā sparśo vāyavyo guṇa ucyate ||
Bharadvāja berkata: “Demikian juga, sentuhan dihuraikan sebagai dua belas lipatan berhubung dengan unsur angin (Vāyu): kasar dan lembut; kering; ringan dan berat (bahkan teramat berat); dan begitu juga panas dan sejuk, nikmat dan sakit, licin berminyak dan jernih. Maka demikianlah dinyatakan dua belas sifat sentuhan yang terkait dengan Vāyu.”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse classifies tactile experience (sparśa) as a set of distinct qualities and states that, in this teaching context, these are specifically attributed to the air principle (vāyavya guṇa). It presents a systematic, analytical way of understanding sensation by enumerating its modes.
In the didactic discourse of Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja is explaining a philosophical taxonomy of qualities. Here he continues an enumeration, stating that touch connected with Vāyu is described as twelvefold, listing representative tactile opposites such as rough/soft, light/heavy, and related experiential pairs.