Shloka 4
Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)
चेष्टा वायु: खमाकाशमूष्माग्नि: सलिल द्रव: । पृथिवी चात्र संघात: शरीरं पाज्चभौतिकम्
ceṣṭā vāyuḥ khaṃ ākāśam ūṣmā agniḥ salilaṃ dravaḥ | pṛthivī cātra saṃghātaḥ śarīraṃ pañcabhautikam ||
婆罗堕阇说道：“此身乃五大之聚合。其动与行，是风之分；其中空与内隙，属虚空之分；其热，为火之分；凡流动之液质，如血等，出于水；凡坚实之质，如骨肉等，属地。是故，有情之身当知为五大和合，并非自成独立、恒常不变之我。”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The body is a pañcabhūta-saṃghāta (aggregate of five elements). Its functions and qualities—motion, space, heat, liquidity, and solidity—are traced to air, ether, fire, water, and earth respectively, encouraging discernment between the perishable body and the enduring principle of self.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional dialogue, Bharadvāja explains the elemental constitution of embodied beings, analyzing bodily features as expressions of the five great elements to support a broader teaching on understanding the body’s nature and cultivating detachment and right knowledge.