Chapter 15 · Verse 9

The Yoga of the Supreme Divine Personality

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च।अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते

śhrotraṁ chakṣhuḥ sparśhanaṁ cha rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva cha adhiṣhṭhāya manaśh chāyaṁ viṣhayān upasevate

Word Meanings

śhrotram — ears; chakṣhuḥ — eyes; sparśhanam — the sense of touch; cha — and; rasanam — tongue; ghrāṇam — nose; eva — also; cha — and; adhiṣhṭhāya — grouped around; manaḥ — mind; cha — also; ayam — they; viṣhayān — sense objects; upasevate — savors

Language:

Translation

Presiding over the ears, eyes, touch, taste, and smell, along with the mind, the embodied soul savors the sense objects.

Commentary

श्रोत्रम् the ear? चक्षुः the eye? स्पर्शनम् the (organ of) touch? च and? रसनम् the (organ of) taste? घ्राणम् the (organ of) smell? एव even? च and? अधिष्ठाय presiding over? मनः the mind? च and? अयम् this (soul)? विषयान् objects of the senses? उपसेवते enjoys.Commentary Here is a description of how the subtle body remaining in the gross body enjoys the objects of the senses.The individual soul uses the mind along with each sense separately and enjoys or experiences the objects of the senses such as sound? touch? colour (form)? taste and smell.It sits on the marvellous car of its mind? passes through the gateway of the ear in the twinkling of an eye and enjoys the various kinds of music of this world. It holds the reins of the nerves of sensation? enters the domain of touch through the portal of the skin and enjoys the diverse kinds of soft objects. It roams about in the hills of beautiful forms and enjoys them through the windows of his eyes. It enters the cave of taste by the avenue of the tongue and enjoyes dainties? palatable dishes and refreshing beverages. It enters the forest of scents through the door of the nose and enjoys them to its hearts content.It makes its abode in the ears? the eyes? the skin? the tongue and the nose? as also in the mind and enjoys the objects of the senses. It gains experiences of the outer world through the mind?,intellect? subconscious mind? egoism? the ten senses and the five vital airs.Ghranameva cha The word cha (and) indicates that we shall have to include the five organs of action? and also the fourfold inner instrument (mind? intellect? subconscious mind and egoism). In the Katha Upanishad it is said आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः।।The Self? the senses and the mind united? the wise call the enjoyer.