SECTION XXII
"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection 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. Dwelling in subtle space, they do
not perceive one another. Do thou, O beautiful one, know these
sacrificing priests that are seven by their nature.'"
"The Brahmana's wife said, 'How is it that dwelling in subtle space,
these do not perceive one another? What are their (respective) natures, O
holy one? Do thou tell me this, O lord.'"
"The Brahmana said, 'Not knowing the qualities (of any object) is
ignorance (of that object); while knowledge of the qualities is (called)
knowledge (of the object which possesses those qualities). These seven
never succeed in apprehending or knowing the qualities 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 that apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the ear also, the skin,
the mind, and the understanding, never succeed in apprehending colours.
It is the eye alone that apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye
too, the ear, the understanding, and the mind, never 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
that apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear,
and the understanding never succeed in apprehending doubt. It is the mind
that apprehends it. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear, and
the mind, never succeed in apprehending determination (certainty in
respect of knowledge). It is the understanding alone that apprehends it.
In this connection, is cited, O beautiful lady, this ancient narrative of
a discourse between the senses and the mind.'
"The mind said, 'The nose does not smell without me. (Without me) the
tongue does not apprehend taste. The eye does not seize colour, the skin
does not feel touch, the ear does not apprehend sound, when deprived of
me. I am the eternal and foremost one among all the elements. It always
happens that destitute of myself, the senses never shine, like
habitations empty of inmates or fires whose flames have been quenched.
Without me, all creatures fail to apprehend qualities and objects, with
even the senses exerting themselves, even as fuel that is wet and dry
(failing to ignite a fire).'
"Hearing these words, the Senses said, 'Even this would be true as thou
thinkest in this matter, if, indeed, thou couldst enjoy pleasures without
either ourselves or our objects.[63] What thou thinkest, would be true,
if, when we are extinct, there be gratification and support of life, and
a continuation of thy enjoyments, or, if, when we are absorbed and
objects are existing, thou canst have thy enjoyments by thy desire alone,
as truly as thou hast them with our aid. If, again, thou deemest thy
power over our objects to be always complete, do thou then seize colour
by the nose, and taste by the eye. Do thou also take smell by the ear,
and sensations of touch by the tongue. Do thou also take sounds by the
skin, and likewise touch by the understanding. They that are powerful do
not own the dominion of any rules. Rules exist for those only that are
weak. Do thou seize enjoyments unenjoyed before; it behoves thee not to
enjoy what has been tasted before (by others). As a disciple repairs to a
preceptor for the sake of (acquiring) the Srutis, and then, having
acquired the Srutis, dwells on their import (by obeying their
injunctions), even so dost thou regard as thine those objects which are
shown by us, past or future, in sleep or in wakefulness. Of creatures,
again, that are of little intelligence, when their mind becomes
distracted and cheerless, life is seen to be upheld upon our objects
discharging their functions.[64] It is seen also that a creature, after
having formed even innumerable purposes and indulged in dreams, when
afflicted by the desire to enjoy, runs to objects of sense at once.[65]
One entering upon enjoyments depending on mental purposes alone and
unconnected with actual objects of sense, always meets with death upon
the exhaustion of the life-breaths, like an enkindled fire upon the
exhaustion of fuel. True it is that we have connections with our
respective attributes; true it is, we have no knowledge of one another's
attributes. But without us thou canst have no perception. Without us no
happiness can come to thee.'"
