These seventeen are said to be the unknown or incomprehensible
qualities. I have described all this to thee, what else dost thou wish
to know?"'"
SECTION CCX
"Markandeya continued, 'O Bharata, the Brahmana, thus interrogated by
the virtuous fowler, resumed again this discourse so pleasing to the
mind. The Brahmana said, "O best of the cherishers of religion, it is
said that there are five great elements; do thou describe to me in full
the properties of any one of the five." The fowler replied, "The earth,
water, fire, air and sky all have properties interlapping each other. I
shall describe them to thee. The earth, O Brahmana, has five qualities,
water four, fire three and the air and sky together three also. Sound,
touch, form, odour and taste--these five qualities belong to earth, and
sound, touch, form and taste, O austere Brahmana, have been described to
thee as the properties of water, and sound, touch and form are the three
properties of fire and air has two properties sound and touch, and sound
is the property of sky. And, O Brahmana, these fifteen properties
inherent in five elements, exist in all substances of which this
universe is composed. And they are not opposed to one another; they
exist, O Brahmana, in proper combination. When this whole universe is
thrown into a state of confusion, then every corporeal being in the
fulness of time, assumes another _corpus_. It arises and perishes in due
order.
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