Shloka 7

धर्मलक्षण-प्रश्नः (Marks and Sources of Dharma) | Chapter 251: Inquiry into the Definition of Dharma

Devanagari script

रसन॑ चेन्द्रियं जिह्दा रसश्चापां गुणो मतः । संघात: पार्थिवो धातुरस्थिदन्‍्तनखानि च

Transliteration

rasanaṁ cendriyaṁ jihvā rasaś cāpāṁ guṇo mataḥ | saṅghātaḥ pārthivo dhātur asthi-danta-nakhāni ca ||

Translation

Vyāsa nói: cơ quan của vị giác là lưỡi, và chính “vị” được xem là phẩm tính của nước. Sự kết khối và rắn chắc của thân thể phát sinh từ địa đại; vì thế xương, răng và móng phải được hiểu là phần thuộc về đất. Lời dạy đặt các giác quan và cấu trúc thân thể vào trật tự của các đại, khuyến khích sự phân biệt và buông xả đối với đồng nhất hóa với thân.

Word by Word

• रसः: taste/flavor
• रसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस् (प्रातिपदिक: रस)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• इन्द्रियम्: sense-organ
• इन्द्रियम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• जिह्वा: tongue
• जिह्वा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• रसः: taste
• रसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस् (प्रातिपदिक: रस)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अपाम्: of waters
• अपाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक: अप्)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• गुणः: quality/attribute
• गुणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मतः: is considered/held (to be)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संघातः: compactness/aggregation (mass)
• संघातः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थिवः: earthy; belonging to earth
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धातुः: element/constituent
• धातुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्थि: bones
• अस्थि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• दन्त: teeth
• दन्त: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नखानि: nails (finger/toe nails)
• नखानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyasa
• tongue
• sense of taste
• water element (ap)
• earth element (prithivi)
• bones
• teeth
• nails

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

It maps bodily functions to the five great elements: taste and the tongue are connected with the water-element, while bodily hardness/compactness—seen in bones, teeth, and nails—belongs to the earth-element. This supports discernment (viveka) and loosens attachment to the body by viewing it as elemental composition.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva’s instructional discourse, Vyāsa explains a doctrinal classification of sense-organs and bodily constituents according to elemental qualities, guiding the listener toward philosophical understanding of the body’s nature.