Shloka 29

Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)

Devanagari script

ज्योति: पश्यति चक्षुर्भ्या स्पर्श वेत्ति च वायुना

Transliteration

jyotiḥ paśyati cakṣurbhyāṃ sparśaṃ vetti ca vāyunā | manuṣyo netrābhyāṃ rūpaṃ paśyati tvagindriyeṇa sparśam anubhavati | śabda-sparśa-rūpa-rasa—ete jalasya guṇāḥ manyante | teṣu pradhāno guṇo rasaḥ | tasya vijñānārthaṃ idānīṃ tasya bhedān varṇayiṣyāmi | tvaṃ tan mama mukhāt śṛṇu ||

Translation

婆罗堕阇说道：“光由双眼所取，触由风之作用而知。故人以两目见色，以皮根受触。声、触、色、味，被说为与水大相应之德；其中以味为主。是以为令味义明了，我今当说其种种差别——汝当从我口中谛听。”

Word by Word

• {'jyotiḥ': 'light

• luminosity', 'paśyati': 'sees

• perceives', 'cakṣus / cakṣurbhyām': 'eye / with (both) eyes', 'sparśa': 'touch

• tactile sensation', 'vetti': 'knows

• cognizes', 'vāyunā': 'by/through air (as medium or agency)', 'manuṣyaḥ': 'a human being', 'rūpa': 'form

• visible appearance', 'tvagindriya': 'the skin-sense

• tactile organ', 'śabda': 'sound', 'guṇa': 'quality

• attribute', 'jala': 'water', 'rasa': 'taste

• flavor (also aesthetic ‘rasa’ in other contexts)', 'pradhāna': 'chief

• principal', 'bheda': 'types

• varieties', 'varṇayiṣyāmi': 'I shall describe/explain', 'mukha': 'mouth', 'śṛṇu': 'listen'}

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvaja
• jyotiḥ (light)
• vāyu (air)
• jala (water)
• cakṣus (eyes)
• tvak (skin-sense)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links sense-perception to specific media and elemental qualities: sight apprehends light through the eyes, touch is known through air, and water is discussed in terms of its associated qualities—highlighting taste (rasa) as primary and preparing for a classification of tastes.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva’s instructional discourse, Bharadvaja continues a philosophical explanation of how humans perceive the world and how the elements are characterized by their qualities, transitioning into a detailed teaching on the varieties of taste.