śrotraḿ cakṣuḥ sparśanaḿ ca
rasanaḿ ghrāṇam eva ca
adhiṣṭhāya manaś cāyaḿ
viṣayān upasevate
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 15.9
The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
In other words, if the living entity adulterates his consciousness with the qualities of cats and dogs, in his next life he gets a cat or dog body and enjoys. Consciousness is originally pure, like water. But if we mix water with a certain color, it changes. Similarly, consciousness is pure, for the spirit soul is pure. But consciousness is changed according to the association of the material qualities. Real consciousness is Krishna consciousness. When, therefore, one is situated in Krishna consciousness, he is in his pure life. But if his consciousness is adulterated by some type of material mentality, in the next life he gets a corresponding body. He does not necessarily get a human body again; he can get the body of a cat, dog, hog, demigod or one of many other forms, for there are 8,400,000 species.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Having gone into a body, what does he do? Taking shelter (adhisthaya) of the senses such as the ear and also the mind, he enjoys the objects of the senses (visayan), such as sound.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
15.9 Presiding over these sense-organs, of which the mind is the sixth, the lord of the body drives the organs towards their corresponding objects like sound and the rest and enjoys them.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna enumerates the senses and the purpose they accompany the jiva or embodied being. Presiding over the external sense organs the jiva utilises the eyes, the nose, the ears, etc. as well as the internal organ which is the mind to experience and enjoy sense objects such as sound, taste and touch.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Through the medium of prakriti, the spiritual substratum pervading physical existence, by the gunas or three modes of material nature, the jiva or embodied being experiences the instruments of the senses in pursuance of enjoyment. Like when one plays upon the stringed vina it is played factually for the Supreme Lords pleasure alone. But the Supreme Lord enjoys only those attributes and qualities which are auspicious and righteous. What is inauspicious and unrighteous is only enjoyable by the demons and those who are evil. Such inauspiciousness and unrighteousness is never pleasing to Lord Krishna. This can be understood by the following analogy. Darkness is existing but the moment the sun appears darkness disappears so the sun has no opportunity to experience darkness. In the same way the Supreme Lord never has an occasion to experience what is not auspicious and righteous.
Now begins the summation.
The Supreme Lord Krishna enjoys through the senses the auspicious, propitious activities ordained in Vedic scriptures. Although the resplendent Supreme Lord is completely blissful and satified in every way He experinces these things like participating in a sporting manner.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Through the medium of prakriti, the spiritual substratum pervading physical existence, by the gunas or three modes of material nature, the jiva or embodied being experiences the instruments of the senses in pursuance of enjoyment. Like when one plays upon the stringed vina it is played factually for the Supreme Lords pleasure alone. But the Supreme Lord enjoys only those attributes and qualities which are auspicious and righteous. What is inauspicious and unrighteous is only enjoyable by the demons and those who are evil. Such inauspiciousness and unrighteousness is never pleasing to Lord Krishna. This can be understood by the following analogy. Darkness is existing but the moment the sun appears darkness disappears so the sun has no opportunity to experience darkness. In the same way the Supreme Lord never has an occasion to experience what is not auspicious and righteous.
Now begins the summation.
The Supreme Lord Krishna enjoys through the senses the auspicious, propitious activities ordained in Vedic scriptures. Although the resplendent Supreme Lord is completely blissful and satified in every way He experinces these things like participating in a sporting manner.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
15.9 Seated in the body, it upasevate, enjoys; visayan, the objects-sound etc.; adhisthaya, by presiding over; srotram, the ear; caksuh, eyes; sparsanam, skin, the organ of touch; rasanam, tongue; eva ca, as also; the ghranam, nose; and manah, the mind, the sixth-(presiding over) each one of them along with its (corresponding) organ.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
15.9-11 Srotram etc. upto asetasah. Mind : the internal organ is hereby implied. Hence, due to His association of the bodily existence, when He remains [in the body], or rises up to seize another body, or enjoys the sense objects – at that time the deluded persons do not perceive Him, because they are not well enlightened. But, considering everything as manifestation of the [Self] awareness, the highly enlightened men recognize Him. Thus they are men of unbroken contemplation. Because they are engrossed in their exertion. But in the case of those who have not mastered their self (mind), even their effort does not yield any fruit, because their passion has not yet been fully decayed. Indeed the seeds of corn, sown during the autumnal season are not capable of yielding a rich harvest, even though the means like water etc., get collected together. Therefore, it (the water etc.) does not constitute a collection of means. Indeed totally different is the water sent forth by the mass of clouds that had been filled up in the month of Madhu. Altogether different is the earth that had been under the grip of the Cold-season (Sisira) and has (now) brilliance by the simple touch of the sun-rays. In the same way, the effort of the men of uncontrolled self, never gets to the stage of fulfilment of all requisities . That is why those who, even after receiving the means like the inititation etc. necessary for the realisation of the Supreme Lord, continue to have their inner vision filled with the collection of the knots (granthi) of anger, bewilderment etc., in the manner as before-in their case, even the means does never bear any fruit. This must be borne in mind. For, it is has been said : ‘When anger etc., are seen, then even the initiated one never gets emancipation’.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
srotram caksuh sparsanam ca
rasanam ghranam eva ca
adhisthaya manas cayam
visayan upasevate
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
śrotram — ears; cakṣuḥ — eyes; sparśanam — touch; ca — also; rasanam — tongue; ghrāṇam — smelling power; eva — also; ca — and; adhiṣṭhāya — being situated in; manaḥ — mind; ca — also; ayam — he; viṣayān — sense objects; upasevate — enjoys.
