Verse 8.86

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

द्यौर्भूमिरापो हृदयं चन्द्रार्काग्नियमानिलाः ।
रात्रिः सन्ध्ये च धर्मश्च वृत्तज्ञाः सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥ ८६ ॥

dyaurbhūmirāpo hṛdayaṃ candrārkāgniyamānilāḥ |
rātriḥ sandhye ca dharmaśca vṛttajñāḥ sarvadehinām || 86 ||

‘Heaven, earth, water, heart, moon, sun, fire, death-god, wind, night, the two twilights, and morality know the conduct of all corporeal beings.’—(86)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The question ending as to who are the gods that see the sin committed secretly and in private, the text puts forward present verse.

The term ‘heart’ stands for the subtle spirit located in the heart. The Heaven and the rest are spoken of as ‘seers’ figuratively;—though they are insentient, they are represented as sentient. According to other philosophical systems, all the great elemental substances are portions of gods, and as such actually sentient; e.g., it is described that the earth went to Brahmā, in order to seek for help in relieving her of the burden of sinners.

The gods being all-pervading, there is nothing unknown to them; hence they know the conduct and character, as also the good and bad points in the body of the soul.—(86)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Smṛticandrikā (Vyavahāra, p. 200);—in Kṛtyakalpataru (33b),—and in Vīramitrodaya (Vyavahāra, p. 53b).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 8.79-86)

See Comparative notes for Verse 8.79.