Shloka 12

जनक–पराशर संवादः — वर्ण-गोत्र-धर्मविचारः

Janaka–Parāśara: Varṇa, Gotra, and Dharma Inquiry

Devanagari script

प्राण: स्पर्शश्व॒ चेष्टा च वायोरेते गुणा: स्मृता: । इति सर्वगुणा राजन्‌ व्याख्याता: पाड्चभौतिका:

Transliteration

prāṇaḥ sparśaś ca ceṣṭā ca vāyor ete guṇāḥ smṛtāḥ | iti sarvaguṇā rājan vyākhyātāḥ pāñcabhautikāḥ ||

Translation

ପ୍ରାଣ, ସ୍ପର୍ଶ ଓ ଚେଷ୍ଟା (ଗତି/ଚଳନ)—ଏହି ତିନି ବାୟୁର ଗୁଣ ଭାବେ ସ୍ମୃତ। ରାଜନ୍! ଏହିପରି ମୁଁ ପାଞ୍ଚଭୌତିକ ସମସ୍ତ ଗୁଣର ବ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟା କରିଦେଲି।

Word by Word

• प्राणः: vital breath
• प्राणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्पर्शः: touch
• स्पर्शः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चेष्टा: activity; motion
• चेष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वायोः: of wind (Vāyu)
• वायोः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गुणाः: qualities
• गुणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्मृताः: are said/remembered (as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: क्त, Passive (past participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• सर्वगुणाः: all qualities
• सर्वगुणाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वगुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• व्याख्याताः: explained
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-ख्या
• Form: क्त, Passive (past participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पाञ्चभौतिकाः: pertaining to the five elements
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाञ्चभौतिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Rājan)
• Vāyu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse identifies the defining qualities of the wind-element—vital breath (prāṇa), touch (sparśa), and motion (ceṣṭā)—and concludes a systematic exposition of the qualities of the five great elements (pañcabhūta).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Bhīṣma instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira in philosophical analysis of nature and the elements; here he specifies Vāyu’s attributes and states that the full elemental account has been completed.