58. The Senses Are Eleven

Adhyaya 3 Pada 4 AdhikaraNa 2

The Senses Are Eleven


Introduction by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


After refuting this false idea about the senses, an idea
that contradicts the descriptions in shruti-shAstra, the author of
the sUtras refutes a false idea about how many senses there are.
In the MuNDaka UpaniShad (2.1.8) it is said:


sapta prANAH prabhavanti tasmAt
saptArciShaH samadhiH sapta-homAH
sapteme lokA yeShu sa~ncaranti
prANA guhAshayA nihitA sapta sapta


"From Him come the seven prANas, the seven arcis,
the seven homas, and the seven lokas. These seven are placed in
every heart."

However, in the BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad (3.9.4) it is said:


dasheme puruShe prANA Atmaikadasha


"In the living entity there are ten prANas. The soul
is the eleventh."

SaMshaya (doubt): Are the prANas seven or eleven?

PUrvapakSha (the opponent speaks): The pUrvapakSha speaks the
following sUtra.


SUtra 5


sapta-gater visheShitvAc ca

sapta - of seven; gateH - because of going;
visheShitvAt - because of the specific description; ca - also.


Because of the departure of seven and also because of a
specific description.

Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


The prANas are seven. Why is that? Because that is the
opinion of scripture. In the shruti-shAstra it is said:


saptAnAm eva jIvena saha sa~ncAra-rupAyA gateH


"Accompanied by the seven prANas, the soul leaves
the body."
In the KaTha UpaniShad (6.10) it is said:


yadA pa~ncAvatiShThante
j~nAnAni manasA saha
buddhish ca na viceShTeta
tAm AhuH paramAM gatim


"The sages say that the supreme goal is attained
when the five knowers are at peace and the mind and intelligence
are no longer active."

This passage describes the condition of the senses in the
state of yogic trance. This passage describes five senses, which
begin with the ears. To them are added the mind and intelligence.
In this way the living entity has seven senses. The shruti-shAstra
also describes five working instruments, beginning with the voice
and hands, but these cannot be called senses in the primary
meaning of the word because these instruments do not accompany
the soul when he leaves the material body and also because these
instruments are less useful to the soul than the seven primary
senses.

SiddhAnta (conclusion): If this is said, the author of the
sUtras replies with the following conclusion.

SUtra 6


hastAdayas tu sthite .ato naivam

hasta - the hands; AdayaH - beginning with; tu - but;
sthite - situated; ataH - therefore; na - not; evam - like that.


But when he is situated in that way, the hands and other
instruments are also present. Therefore it is not like that.

Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


The word "tu" (but) is used here to begin the
refutation of the PUrvapakSha.as objection. Although they are not
included among the seven, the instruments beginning with the
hands are to be considered among the prANas. Why is that? Because
as long as the soul is situated in the material body these
instruments help in experiencing various things and in performing
various tasks. In the BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad it is said:


hastau vai grahaH sarva-karmaNAbhigraheNa gR^ihItAH
hastAbhyAM karma karoti.


"The hands are a sense, for with the hands one
grasps things and performs actions."

In this way there are more than seven senses. There are five
knowledge-acquiring senses, five working senses, and the mind. In
this way there are eleven senses. In the BR^ihad-AraNyaka
UpaniShad (3.9.4) it is said:

AtmaikAdasha


"The AtmA is the eleventh sense."

The word "AtmA" here means "the mind". In
this way it should be understood.
There are five objects of perception: sound, touch, form,
taste, and smell. To perceive these objects there are five
knowledge-acquiring senses: ears, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose.
There are five kinds of action: speech, grasping, moving,
excretion, and reproduction. To perform these actions there are
five working senses: voice, hands, feet, anus, and genital.
To co-ordinate the actions of all these and to take
consideration of the three phases of time (past, present, and
future), there is the mind. Sometimes the mind is considered to
have four aspects. In this way the actions of the mind are:
desiring, coming to conclusions, understanding one.as identity,
and thinking. To perform these actions the mind is divided into
the heart (manaH), intelligence (buddhi), false-ego (aha~NkAra),
and thinking (citta). In this way there are eleven senses.