Verse 12.120

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

खं संनिवेशयेत् खेषु चेष्टनस्पर्शनेऽनिलम् ।
पक्तिदृष्ट्योः परं तेजः स्नेहेऽपो गां च मूर्तिषु ॥ १२० ॥

khaṃ saṃniveśayet kheṣu ceṣṭanasparśane'nilam |
paktidṛṣṭyoḥ paraṃ tejaḥ snehe'po gāṃ ca mūrtiṣu || 120 ||

One should withdraw the Ākāśa into the ten cavities, the Wind into the organs of touch and movement, the best Light into the organs of digestion and vision, the Water into the fluids, and the Earth into the solid limbs.—(120)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

There are nine cavities in the body;—on these one should ‘withdraw’—draw in —the Ākāśa, as ‘there is no external Ākāśa, nor any external thing whatsoever.’

‘Anila’ is wind;—this also he shall withdraw.

‘Movement’—when, for instance, one moves about, or moves his hand and feet, etc.

‘Touch’—of things external to the body.

Into these one shall withdraw the Wind.

‘Digestion’— brought about by the fire in the stomach,—and ‘vision’;—into this he shall withdraw Light;—‘the best’—that which exists in the form of the Sun and other luminous substances.

‘Fluids’—in die form of fats and marrow;—into these he shall withdraw Water.

Such is the withdrawal of the Great Elemental Substances. Next follows the method of withdrawing the gods.—120