Shloka 55

Self-Knowledge and the Allegory of the Five Elements & Senses

Karma, Association, and Rebirth

Devanagari script

दुर्गंधं तु परित्यज्य काये गंधं प्रदर्शये । बुद्धियुक्ता महाभाग तस्याभावेन भाविता

Transliteration

durgaṃdhaṃ tu parityajya kāye gaṃdhaṃ pradarśaye | buddhiyuktā mahābhāga tasyābhāvena bhāvitā

Translation

بدبو کو ترک کر کے میں بدن میں خوشبو ظاہر کروں گا۔ اے صاحبِ نصیب، صاحبِ فہم، اسی (تعفن) کے نہ ہونے سے وہ بدل گئی۔

Word by Word

• दुर्गन्धम्: bad smell; stench
• दुर्गन्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): having abandoned

• काये: in the body
• काये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• गन्धम्: smell; fragrance
• गन्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रदर्शये: I display; I manifest
• प्रदर्शये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√दृश् (धातु; causative/णिच्: दर्शय)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (दर्शये); णिच्-प्रयोग

• बुद्धि-युक्ता: endowed with intelligence
• बुद्धि-युक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (युज्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; समासः (तत्पुरुष: बुद्ध्या युक्ता)

• महाभाग: O fortunate one; O noble one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: महान् भागः यस्य सः

• तस्य: of that; its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभावेन: by absence; due to lack
• अभावेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन

• भाविता: affected; brought about
• भाविता: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) + णिच् (भावय) + क्त-प्रत्यय (भावित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative passive sense): made to be; affected

Speaker

Unclear from single-verse context (likely within a narrator-to-listener dialogue typical of Bhūmi-khaṇḍa).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: दुर्गंधं = दुर्गन्धम्; परित्यज्य (gerund) = परि + त्यज् + ल्यप्; प्रदर्शये = प्र + दर्शय (णिच्) + लट्; बुद्धियुक्ता = बुद्धि + युक्ता; तस्याभावेन = तस्य + अभावेन

FAQs

What is the core teaching of this verse?

It presents purification as a transformation: by giving up what is impure (foulness), an opposite quality (fragrance/pleasantness) becomes manifest.

Does this verse refer only to physical smell, or also to moral/spiritual purity?

While the literal imagery is bodily odor and fragrance, Purāṇic usage commonly implies ethical-spiritual refinement—removing दोष (defects) so that auspicious qualities naturally arise.

Why is “absence” (abhāva) emphasized here?

The verse highlights that removal itself is causative: when the negative condition is absent, a new, improved state is established—purity is not only added, it is revealed by eliminating impurity.