अनुगीता पर्व — सात ऋत्विज

The Brahmana said Regarding it is cited the ancient story, O blessed one, of what the institution is of the seven sacrificing priests.

The nose, the eye, the tongue, the skin, and the ear numbering the fifth, the mind, and the understanding, these are the seven sacrificing priests standing distinctly from one another.

Living in subtle space, they do not perceive one another. Do you, O beautiful one, know these sacrificing priests that are scven by their nature.

The Brahmana's wife said How is it that living in subtle space, these do not perceive one another? What are their (respective) natures, O holy one? Do you tell me this,Olord.

Not knowing the qualities is ignorance; while knowledge of the qualities is knowledge. These seven never succeed in apprehending or knowing the qualitics of one another.

The tongue, the eye, the ear too, the skin, the mind, and the understanding, do not succeed in apprehending smells. It is the nose alone which apprehends them.

The nose, the eye, the ear too, the skin, the mind, and the understanding, never succeed in apprehending tastes. The tonguc alone apprehends them. never

The nose, the tongue. the ear also, the skin, the mind and the understanding, never succeed in apprehending colours. It is the eye alone which apprchends them.

The nose, the tongue, the eye too, the ear, the understanding, and the mind, succeed in apprehending sensations of touch. It is the skin alone that apprehends them.

The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the mind, and the understanding, never succeed in apprehending sounds. It is the ear alone which apprehends them.

The nose, the tongue, the cye, the skin, the car, and the understanding, never succeed in apprchending doubt. It is the mind which apprehends it.

The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear, and the mind, succeed in apprehending determination. It is the understanding alone which apprehends it.

Regarding it is cited, O beautiful lady, this ancient discourse between the senses and the mind. never

The Mind said The nose does not smell without me. (Without me) the tongue does not apprchend taste. the eye does not perceive colour, the skin does not feel touchi, the car does not apprehend sound, when deprived of me. I am the eternal and foremost one among all the elements.

It always occurs that without inyself, the senses never shine, like habitations cmpty of inmates or fires whose flames have been quenched.

Without me, all creatures cannot apprehend qualities and objects, with even the senses exerting themselves, as fuel that is wet and dry cannot catch fire.

Hearing these words, the Senses said, This what you think would be true, if, you could enjoy pleasures without either ourselves or our objccts.

If, when we are no more, there be gratification and support of life, and a continuation of your enjoyments, then what you think would be true; or, if, when we are absorbed and objects are existing, you can't have your enjoyments by your desire alone, as truly as you have them with our help.

If, again, you consider your power over our objects to be always complete, do you then seize colour by the nose, and taste by the eye.

Do you also take smells by the car, and sensations of touch by the tongue. Do you also take sounds by the skin, and like wise touch by the understanding.

The powerful do not acknowledge the control of any rules. Rulcs cxist only for the weak. Do you seize enjoyments unenjoyed before; you should not enjoy what has been tasted before (by others).

As a disciple goes to a preceptor for the sake of the Shrutis, and then, having acquired the Shrutis, lives on their meaning, so do you regard as yours those objects which are shown by us, past or future, in sleep or in wakefulness.

Of creatures, again, who have lillle intelligence, when their mind becomes distracted and checrless, life is seen to be upheld upon our objects discharging their functions.

It is seen also that a creature, after having made many purposes and indulged in dreams, when afflicted by the desire to enjoy, runs to objects of sense alone.

One entering upon enjoyments depending on purposes alone and unconnected with actual objects of sense, always meets with death upon the exhaustion of the vital airs, like an enkindled fore upon the exhaustion of fuel.

True it is that we have connections with our respectivc attributes; true it is, we have no knowledge of one anther's attributes. But without us you can have no perception. Without us no happiness can come to you. objects of sense, always meets with death upon the exhaustion of the vital airs, like an enkindled fore upon the exhaustion of fuel.