Shloka
परस्परांशैर्मिलितानि भूत्वा
स्थूलानि च स्थूलशरीरहेतवः ।
मात्रास्तदीया विषया भवन्ति
शब्दादयः पञ्च सुखाय भोक्तुः ॥ ७६ ॥
parasparāṃśairmilitāni bhūtvā
sthūlāni ca sthūlaśarīrahetavaḥ ;
mātrāstadīyā viṣayā bhavanti
śabdādayaḥ pañca sukhāya bhoktuḥ . 76 .
Anvaya
- नभःnabhaḥ
- Space
- नभस्वत्nabhasvat
- air
- दहनdahana
- fire
- अम्बुambu
- water
- भूमयःbhūmayaḥ
- and earth
- सूक्ष्माणि भूतानिsūkṣmāṇi bhūtāni
- are the subtle elements
- भवन्तिbhavanti
- become
- तानिtāni
- they
- परस्पर–अंशैःparaspara–aṃśaiḥ
- by parts of one another
- मिलितानिmilitāni
- having united
- स्थूलानि भूत्वाsthūlāni bhūtvā
- having become gross
- स्थूल–शरीर–हेतवःsthūla–śarīra–hetavaḥ
- are the cause for the gross body
- तदीयाः मात्राःtadīyāḥ mātrāḥ
- their physical manifestations (sound, touch etc.,)
- शब्दादयःśabdādayaḥ
- sound etc
- विषयाः भवन्तिviṣayāḥ bhavanti
- become the sense objects
- पञ्चpañca
- five
- सुखायsukhāya
- for the pleasure
- भोक्तुःbhoktuḥ
- of the experiencer
Translation
The space, the air, the fire, the water and the earth originate as subtle elements (initially). By uniting with parts of one another, they become gross and become the cause for the gross body. The cognitions of these (five gross elements) become the five sense objects such as sound etc., for the enjoyment of the experiencer.
Annotation
The elements (the five elements known as the pañcabhūta–s) are initially called subtle as they are not cognisable by the senses in their primordial stage of manifestation. They unite with parts of one another. This process is called pañcīkaraṇam, quintuplication. This is a postulation in Vedanta which says that each element retains half of its content and the remaining half mixes in four equal parts in the rest of the four elements. They become gross (cognisable to senses). Each gross element consists of parts of other elements. The five sense objects (viṣaya) are sound, touch, form, taste and smell. The word viṣaya etymologically means a thing which binds strongly. The sense objects are called so because they bind a person (Jagadguru).