Text 37]
Fundamental Principles of Material Nature
1103
mṛdutvam —softness;  kathinatvam —hardness;  ca —and;  śaityam —cold;  uṣṇatvam —heat;  eva —also;  ca —and;  etat —this;  sparśasya —of the subtle element touch;  sparśatvam —the distinguishing attributes;  tanmātratvam —the subtle form;  nabhasvataḥ —of air.
TRANSLATION
Softness and hardness and cold and heat are the distinguishing attributes of touch, which is characterized as the subtle form of air.
PURPORT
Tangibility is the proof of form. In actuality, objects are perceived in two different ways. They are either soft or hard, cold or hot, etc. This tangible action of the tactile sense is the result of the evolution of air, which is produced from the sky.
TEXT 37
चालनं व्यूहनं प्राप्तिर्नेतृत्वं द्रव्यशब्दयोः । सर्वेन्द्रियाणामात्मत्वं वायोः कर्माभिलक्षणम् ॥३७॥
cālanam vyūhanam prāptir netṛtvam dravya-śabdayoḥ sarvendriyāṇām ātmatvam vāyoḥ karmābhilakṣaṇam
cālanam —moving;  vyūhanam —mixing;  prāptiḥ —allowing approach;  netṛtvam —carrying;  dravya-śabdayoḥ —particles of substances and sound;  sarva-indriyāṇām —of all the senses;  ātmatvam —providing for the proper functioning;  vāyoḥ —of air;  karma —by actions;  abhilakṣaṇam —the distinct characteristics.
TRANSLATION
The action of the air is exhibited in movements, mixing, allowing approach to the objects of sound and other sense perceptions, and providing for the proper functioning of all other senses.
PURPORT
We can perceive the action of the air when the branches of a tree move or when dry leaves on the ground collect together. Similarly, it is only by