अकर्णजिह्वानासात्वङ्नेत्रः सर्वत्र सर्वदा । शृणोत्यास्वादयति यो जिघ्रेत्स्पृशति पश्यति ॥ ५२ ॥
akarṇajihvānāsātvaṅnētraḥ sarvatra sarvadā | śṛṇōtyāsvādayati yō jighrētspṛśati paśyati || 52 ||
Translation
Who, without ear, tongue, nose, skin or eye, everywhere and always hears, tastes, smells, touches and sees.
Word by word
- akarṇa
- without ear
- jihvā
- tongue
- nāsā
- nose
- tvaṅ
- (tvak) skin
- nētraḥ
- or eye
- sarvatra
- everywhere
- sarvadā
- always
- śṛṇōti
- hears
- āsvādayati
- tastes
- yō
- who
- jighrēt
- smells
- spṛśati
- touches
- paśyati
- sees
Meaning
An echo of the Upaniṣads: he sees without eyes, hears without ears (Śvetāśvatara 3.19). The senses are only the doors through which awareness seems to go out; awareness itself needs none of them, and in every seeing and hearing anywhere, it is the one who sees and hears.