प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन्।।5.9।।
5.8-5.9 Remaining absorbed in the Self, the knower of Reality should think, I certainly do not do anything, even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, breathing, speaking, releasing, holding, opening and closing the eyes-remembering that the organs function in relation to the objects of the organs.
5.9 Speaking, letting go, seizing, opening and closing the eyes convinced that the senses move among the sense-objects.
5.9. Taking, rejecting, receiving, opening and closing the eyes, bears in mind that the sense-organs are on their respective objects; and
5.9 प्रलपन् speaking? विसृजन् letting go? गृह्णन् seizing? उन्मिषन् opening (the eyes)? निमिषन् closing (the eyes)? अपि also? इन्द्रियाणि the senses? इन्द्रियार्थेषु amongst the senseobjects? वर्तन्ते move? इति thus? धारयन् being convinced.Commentary The liberated sage or a Jnani always remains as a witness of the activities of the senses as he identifies himself with the Self or Brahman. He thinks and says? I do not see the eyes perceive. I do not hear the ears hear. I do not smell? the nose smells? etc. He beholds,inaction in action as he has burnt his actions in the fire of wisdom. (Cf.XIV.1923)
5.9 Yuktah, remaining absorbed in the Self; tattva-vit, the knower of Reality-knower of the real nature of Truth, of the Self, i.e., the seer of the supreme Reality; manyeta, should think; na karomi eva, I certainly do not do; kincit, anything. Having realized the Truth, when or how should he think? This is being answered; Api, even; pasyan, while seeing; srnvan, hearing; sprsan, touching; jighran, smelling; asnan, eating; gacchan, moving; svapan, sleeping; svasan, breathing; pralapan, speaking; visrjan, releasing; grhnan, holding; unmisan, opening; nimisan, closing the eyes. All these are to be connected with the above manyeta (should think). For the man who has known the Truth thus, who finds nothing but inaction in action-in all the movements of the body and organs-, and who has full realization, there is competence only for giving up all actions because of his realization of the nonexistence of actions. Indeed, one who proceeds to drink water in a mirage thinking that water is there, surely does not go there itself for drinking water even after knowing that no water exists there!
5.9 See Comment under 5.11
5.8 - 5.9 Thus he who knows the truth concerning the self should reflect in mind that the ear and the other organs of sensation (Jnanendriyas) as also organs of action (Karmendriyas) and the vital currents (the Pranas) are occupied with their own respective objects. Thus he should know, I do not do anything at all. He should reflect, My intrinsic nature is one of knowledge. The sense of agency comes because of the association of the self with the senses and the Pranas which are rooted in Karma. It does not spring from my essential nature.
That there is no contradiction in the statement that the follower of karma yoga or prescribed Vedic activities without desire even though performing various activities is not affected or influenced is being clarified by Lord Krishna in these two verses. One engaged is this process of yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness perceives themselves as separate from the activities of the body and that the senses reside in the very sense objects desired. Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting are the functions of the organs of knowledge the eyes, ears, hands, nose and tongue. Moving is the function of legs, speaking the function of the mouth, sleeping the function of the mind, breathing the function of the vital force. So these are the distinctions which separate the body from the individual consciousness and thus it is not contradictory that one understands that one is not the doer of any action. The knowers of the Brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all existence being free from all conceptions of doership are not subject to reactions from their actions although performing so many activities. The Vedanta Sutra VI.I.XVI states that when knowledge of the Brahman is realised the result is the permanent eradication of all previous reactions and the inability to receive reactions for any subsequent actions. This is known because it is so declared many places in the Vedic scriptures one being the Mundaka Upanisad II.VIII.
Lord Krishna further clarifies renunciation in these two verses. Now begins the summation. How renunciation can become the form of equanimity is explained in these two verses. Energised solely by the all encompassing and pervading energy of the Supreme Lord a beings mind and body become active. The knowledge that no being is ever independent of the Supreme Lord is verily an essential and eternal truth.
One who has realised the nature of the atma or soul knows the true nature of reality. Such a person reflects that through the senses of perception such as eyes and ears, the senses of action such as the voice, the pranas or life breaths, the physical body functions with all its corresponding objects; but factually I am separate as an individual consciousness from all these activities and virtually do not do any of these actions. The conception of doership is derived from contact with the senses which a living entity is coerced to accept from time immemorial due to past actions in past lives. But this doership is not an essential attribute of the atma and thus it is not necessary to accept. So I shall not accept it as being my essential nature. Thus does one situated in atma tattva or soul realisation reflect.
One who has realised the nature of the atma or soul knows the true nature of reality. Such a person reflects that through the senses of perception such as eyes and ears, the senses of action such as the voice, the pranas or life breaths, the physical body functions with all its corresponding objects; but factually I am separate as an individual consciousness from all these activities and virtually do not do any of these actions. The conception of doership is derived from contact with the senses which a living entity is coerced to accept from time immemorial due to past actions in past lives. But this doership is not an essential attribute of the atma and thus it is not necessary to accept. So I shall not accept it as being my essential nature. Thus does one situated in atma tattva or soul realisation reflect.
Pralapan visrijan grihnan nunmishan nimishannapi; Indriyaaneendriyaartheshu vartanta iti dhaarayan.
na—not; eva—certainly; kiñchit—anything; karomi—I do; iti—thus; yuktaḥ—steadfast in karm yog; manyeta—thinks; tattva-vit—one who knows the truth; paśhyan—seeing; śhṛiṇvan—hearing; spṛiśhan—touching; jighran—smelling; aśhnan—eating; gachchhan—moving; svapan—sleeping; śhvasan—breathing; pralapan—talking; visṛijan—giving up; gṛihṇan—accepting; unmiṣhan—opening (the eyes); nimiṣhan—closing (the eyes); api—although; indriyāṇi—the senses; indriya-artheṣhu—in sense-objects; vartante—moving; iti—thus; dhārayan—convinced
