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Shloka 37

Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga

Adhyātma-Upadeśa

बीजधर्मिण इत्याहु: प्रसव॑ च प्रकुर्वते । विशेषा: पञ्चभूतानां तेषां चित्तं विशेषणम्‌,उन पाँचो भूतोंके विशेष कार्य शब्द आदि विषय हैं। उन विषयोंका प्रवर्तक चित्त है

bījadharmiṇa ity āhuḥ prasavaṃ ca prakurvate | viśeṣāḥ pañcabhūtānāṃ teṣāṃ cittaṃ viśeṣaṇam ||

风神伐由说道:“它们被称为‘持种者’,因为它们能引生繁衍。五大元素各有其特定作用——如声与其他诸感官境界——而正是心识(citta)使这些境界得以发动,并赋予其确定的性质。”

बीजधर्मिणःhaving the nature of seed (seed-bearing)
बीजधर्मिणः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबीजधर्मिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
इतिthus
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
आहुःthey say
आहुः:
TypeVerb
Rootअह्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
प्रसवम्production, generation
प्रसवम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्रसव
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
प्रकुर्वतेthey bring about, they produce
प्रकुर्वते:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + कृ
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Atmanepada
विशेषाःparticular qualities, specific features
विशेषाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविशेष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
पञ्चभूतानाम्of the five elements
पञ्चभूतानाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootपञ्चभूत
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
चित्तम्mind, consciousness
चित्तम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootचित्त
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
विशेषणम्the differentiator; that which specifies
विशेषणम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविशेषण
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular

वायुदेव उवाच

V
Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
P
pañca-bhūta (five great elements)
C
citta (mind)

Educational Q&A

The verse links cosmology and psychology: the five elements have distinct sense-objects (sound, touch, form, taste, smell), but the mind (citta) is presented as the operative principle that activates and differentiates these experiences, making perception and engagement with objects possible.

Vāyudeva is explaining a doctrinal point about creation and experience: beings are termed ‘seed-bearing’ because they generate offspring, and he then shifts to how elemental qualities become meaningful in lived experience through the functioning of citta.