Verse 1.20

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

आद्याद्यस्य गुणं त्वेषामवाप्नोति परः परः ।
यो यो यावतिथश्चैषां स स तावद् गुणः स्मृतः ॥ २० ॥

ādyādyasya guṇaṃ tveṣāmavāpnoti paraḥ paraḥ |
yo yo yāvatithaścaiṣāṃ sa sa tāvad guṇaḥ smṛtaḥ || 20 ||

Among these (Elementary Substances), each succeeding one acquires the quality of what precedes it; and each elemental substance is endowed with as many qualities as the place it occupies (in the order in which the said substances are set forth).—(20)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

In the preceding verse some people offer a different explanation of the number ‘seven’:—(1) The five organs of sensation, the Eye and the rest, taken together from a single group; they are regarded as ‘one’ on account of their possessing the common character of being the instruments of perception;—(2) similarly the five organs of action; these two, forming two groups, are ‘two principles’;—(3-7) the five elemental substances, being treated individually, by reason of their functions being distinct from one another, are the ‘seven principles’; and the five Rudimentary Substances and the principle of Egoism are the ‘subtile constituents’ that go to make up the ‘bodies’ of the said seven;—i.e., these seven are the products of evolution from the said six.—The rest of the verse is explained in the same manner as set forth above.

Thus, in accordance with this explanation, the Elemental Substances having been spoken of in the preceding verse (19), the pronoun ‘eṣām,’ ‘among these,’ refers to those same substances. Though there are several words intervening (between the mention of Elemental Substances in verse (19) and the pronoun ‘among these’ in the present verse), which are in closer proximity to the pronoun, yet, as a matter of fact, what Is described in the present verse,—the fact of ‘these’ being endowed with a particular number of qualities derived from well-defined sources—is applicable only to the Elementary Substances, and not to other things; even though these latter may form the subject-matter of the context (and may as such, be capable of being referred to by the pronoun in question).

The meaning of the verse thus comes to this:—‘Among these’ Elemental Substances,—which are set out (later on) in a definite order of sequence, one preceding the other—the ‘succeeding one’ acquires the quality of the preceding one, through its connection with it.—The term ‘quality’ here stands for the five, Sound and the rest;—the ‘preceding’ (and ‘succeeding’) is in reference to the order in which the names of the Elemental Substances are set forth in verse 75 below, where it is said that ‘first of all Ākāśa is produced &c., &c.’ The fact of sound &c., being the qualities of these substances will also bo described in that same verse.—Among Ākāśa and the rest, each one occupies a definite place in the order in which they are set forth; the term ‘yāvatithaḥ’ means the number of the place occupied by it; the word being formed by the adding of the affix ‘ithuk,’ by Pāṇini’s Sūtra 5.2.53. The meaning is that each substance becomes endowed with as many qualities as the place, second or third, &c., occupied by it; that is, the substance occupying the second place in the order of sequence has two qualities, that occupying the third place has three, and so on.

The first half of the verse means that among the Elemental Substances, each succeeding one acquires the quality of its predecessor; and each of them is later on (under verses 75 &c.) described has having one quality inherent in itself; for instance, ‘Ākāśa is known as possessing the quality of sound’ (verse 75); ‘Fire is described as possessing the quality of colour’ (verse 77), and so forth; so that acquiring one quality from its predecessor (and having one inherent in itself) each substance would appear to be endowed with only two qualities,—with the sole exception of Ākāśa (which, having no substance ‘preceding’ it, would have the single quality of Sound, which is inherent in itself); hence with a view to preclude such an idea, the author has added the the second half of the verse—Each Elemental Substance being endowed with as many qualities &c. &c.,—which means that Wind has two qualities, Fire has three, Water has four, and Earth has five.

“Why does the Author use the form ‘ādyādyasya’? The correct form should be ‘ādyasyādyasya’, the repetition of the term ‘ādyasya’ being necessitated by Pāṇini’s Sūtra 8.1.4; just as we have in such expressions as ‘paraḥ paraḥ.’”

The form used is due to the exigencies of metre; and exigencies of metre justify the non-observance of rules.—(20)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Nandana places verse 27 before 20. There appears to be no justification for deviating from the order adopted by all other commentators.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārata, 12.232.8.—‘The qualities of the preceding go over to the succeeding and whatever it is and in whatever form and place, so many qualities it is declared to possess.’