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Bhagavad-gītā 15.9

श्रोत्रं चक्षु: स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च । अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥ ९ ॥
śrotraṁ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṁ ca
[shrotram chakshuh sparshanam cha]
rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva ca
[rasanam ghraanam eva cha]
adhiṣṭhāya manaś cāyaṁ
[adhishthaaya manash chaayam]
viṣayān upasevate
[vishayaan upasevate]
Word-for-word
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 .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrotraṁ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṁ ca
śrotram
ears
cakṣuḥ
eyes
sparśanam
touch
ca
also
rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva ca
rasanam
tongue
ghrāṇam
smelling power
eva
also
ca
and
adhiṣṭhāya manaś cāyaṁ
adhiṣṭhāya
being situated in
manaḥ
mind
ca
also
ayam
he
viṣayān upasevate
viṣayān
sense objects
upasevate
enjoys .
Important Words
  • śrotram — ears
    Named first — the sense most central to spiritual life. Whatever ear is given in the next body will determine what one can hear of śabda-brahma. The soul's progress is built almost entirely on the quality of the śrotra it inherits.
  • manaḥ — mind
    Sixth, again. The mind is the chairman of the sensory committee — the verse places it at the seat of the table, around which the other five sit. Whatever sense-objects are enjoyed are enjoyed only after manaḥ approves the agenda.
  • adhiṣṭhāya — being situated in
    Adhi + sthā — to stand over, to preside. The soul *presides over* the senses; it does not merely use them. The grammar quietly insists on the jīva's lordship even within its enjoyment — and therefore its responsibility for what is enjoyed.
  • viṣayān — sense objects
    The same twigs of 15.2 reappear here as the contents of enjoyment. Each new body comes pre-fitted to a particular menu of viṣayas — a fly's eye sees one set, a human's eye sees another, a deva's a third. The buffet changes; the diner is the same.
  • upasevate — enjoys
    Upa + sev — 'to serve oneself with, attend upon.' The same root that names devotional service (sevā) is here turned outward to the senses. One serves something at every moment; the question is what.
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.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Continuing 15.8: once the jīva enters a new body, it 'mounts' the five jñānendriyas plus mind and uses them to engage their proper objects — sound, form, touch, taste, smell, and thoughts. The body is a vehicle; the senses are its instruments of contact with the world.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Adhiṣṭhāya is technical: in Sāṅkhya the puruṣa 'presides over' prakṛti without acting. Upasevate has a faintly censorious tone — 'resorts to,' as of a habitual indulgence. The order śrotraṁ first (hearing before sight) matches the standard Vedic enumeration which privileges śabda as the subtlest tanmātra and the medium of revealed knowledge.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
अयं (जीवः) श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणम् एव च मनः च अधिष्ठाय विषयान् उपसेवते ।
ayaṃ (jīvaḥ) śrotraṃ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṃ ca rasanaṃ ghrāṇam eva ca manaḥ ca adhiṣṭhāya viṣayān upasevate |
This (jīva), having taken his stand upon ear, eye, organ of touch, tongue, nose, and mind, enjoys the sense-objects.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणम् एव च । अधिष्ठाय मनः च अयं विषयान् उपसेवते ॥
śrotraṃ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṃ ca rasanaṃ ghrāṇam eva ca | adhiṣṭhāya manaḥ ca ayaṃ viṣayān upasevate ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
श्रोत्रम् śrotram श्रोत्र (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) ear (organ of hearing)
चक्षुः cakṣuḥ चक्षुस् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) eye
स्पर्शनम् sparśanam स्पर्शन (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) organ of touch (skin)
रसनम् rasanam रसन (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) tongue (organ of taste)
घ्राणम् ghrāṇam घ्राण (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) nose (organ of smell)
मनः manaḥ मनस् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) mind
अधिष्ठाय adhiṣṭhāya अधि + √स्था abs. (absolutive) having taken stand upon, presiding over
अयम् ayam इदम् dem. (demonstrative)pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. this (jīva)
विषयान् viṣayān विषय (m.) acc.pl. (accusative plural) sense-objects
उपसेवते upasevate उप + √सेव् pres. (present) 3sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice) resorts to, enjoys
Purport

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 Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When, therefore, one is situated in Kṛṣṇa 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.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
9. Taking shelter of the ear, eye, touch, tongue and nose, the jīva enjoys the objects of the senses.
Commentary

Having gone into a body, what does he do? Taking shelter (adhiṣṭhāya) of the senses such as the ear and also the mind, he enjoys the objects of the senses (viṣayān), such as sound.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
9. Taking shelter of the ear, eye, skin, tongue, nose and mind, the jīva enjoys the objects of the senses.
Commentary

For what purpose does he take the senses and go to the next body? This jīva taking shelter of, or depending on the senses such as the ear, along with the mind, enjoys the sense objects such as sound. He takes the senses in order to receive the sense objects. The word ca indicates also (besides the knowledge senses mentioned in the verse), the action senses (hands, feet, voice, genital, anus), and the five life airs (prāṇa, apāna, udāna, vyāna, samana). The jīva takes shelter of all of these.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

It's all grouped around the mind, that's why the mind is so important to be controlled. The particular set of senses we get all has to do with the mind's desires. It is the essential issue in any practice of yoga, to control the mind. Let's back track a little bit: The living entity is on the tree of the material world, he is in this temporary situation, going from higher to lower, having good bodies and bad bodies on and on. Actually all are bad, inauspicious. The soul is eternal though, and he belongs to the spiritual world but he is transmigrating in this situation, based on his mind's desires. Then, based on his mind's desires, he gets a gross body and based on his gross body, 'visayan upasevate', he enjoyes a particular set of sense objects. One may have the desire to eat stool but he cannot do it in his present body, but due to his mind's 'glorious' desire, he will get a pig's body. Due to his mind's desire the living entity gets a gross body with a particular set of senses and sense objects.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Process of transmigration – Thus carried by the mind he enters various bodies to obtain different

senses for the goal of sense enjoyment

Focus of Learning

(a) Analogy: Original consciousness is pure like water

Spirit soul is originally pure
Consciousness is changed according to association of material qualities
Analogy: Water mixed with different colours

(b) Real consciousness is Krishna consciousness

If adulterated with qualities of cat or dog etc. – One can get any of 8.4 million species

(a) Importance of ‘Isvara’ – Refers to living entity as the controller of the body

Can decide his body – higher grade or lower grade
Indicates the minute independence
Change depends on his consciousness at the time of death
Godly qualities – transfer to demigods
Consciousness like cat and dog – similar bodies
Krishna consciousness – Go to Krsna-loka

(b) Refutes the false claim that after annihilation of body everything is finished

Present body and present activities are background of the next body
On the basis of ‘Karma’
‘Subtle body’ carries the conceptions

(c) Meaning of ‘Karsati’ – This process of transmigration from one body to another and struggling for

existence while in the body

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
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.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
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.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
15.9 See Comment under 15.11
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
15.9 Presiding over the ear, the eye, touch, taste and smell, as well as the mind, it enjoys the objects of the senses.
Commentary

15.9 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.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
15.9 This one enjoys the objects by presiding over the ear, eyes, skin and tongue as also the nose and the mind.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
15.9 He is the perception of the ear, the eye, the touch, the taste and the smell, yea and of the mind also; and the enjoyment the things which they perceive is also His.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 13.21 BG 3.42 BG 15.7 SB 3.26.13 SB 11.22.22 SB 7.9.39 CC Madhya 19.145 CC Madhya 22.24 CC Antya 3.178 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.4Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Engaging the ear, eye, tongue, nose, and the sense of touch — and the mind — the soul enjoys sense objects.
Practical Applications
  • Notice the soul's engagement of the six senses.
  • Don't blame the senses; the soul engages them.
  • Take responsibility for engagement direction.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I blaming senses for what the soul is choosing?
  • What does responsibility shift?
Analogy

A king on tour requisitions whatever palace happens to be nearby — different climate, different cuisine, different musicians at the gate — and uses each one's resources fully while he stays. The soul does the same with each new body: a particular ear is supplied, a particular tongue, a particular nose, and the king of that body takes up residence and enjoys what is on offer there, until the next palace is assigned.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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