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Tattva 23 — Grasping (Pāṇi)

The power to grasp: the subtle faculty of handling and manipulation.

Pāṇi is the capacity for grasping — the subtle power of handling, holding, and manipulating, associated with the hands. The second of the five action-faculties, it is one of the basic ways the embodied self does things in the world. As a tattva it is the grasping-power itself, working through the organ of the hand.

Key passages(3)

Paramārthasāra · Abhinavagupta

High

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad · Vedic Revelation (śruti)

High

Then Garatkarava Artabhaga asked. 'Yagnavalkya,' he said, 'how many Grahas are there, and how many Atigrahas ?' 'Eight Grahas,' he replied,' and eight Atigrahas.' 'And what are these eight Grahas and

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Tantrasāra · Abhinavagupta

Moderate