Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.29.6
Ūti· What drives us to actSenses and Life Air Explained
“The five working senses and the five senses that acquire knowledge are all male friends of Purañjanī. The living entity is assisted by these senses in acquiring knowledge and engaging in activity. The engagements of the senses are known as girlfriends, and the serpent, which was described as having five heads, is the life air acting within the five circulatory processes.”
What the purport teaches
- The five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses are represented as Purañjanī’s male friends. Their engagements are represented as girlfriends.
- Because the living entity desires material enjoyment, he receives gross and subtle bodies. The senses are called friends because they serve as instruments for enjoying the material world.
- The five-headed serpent represents the life air functioning as prāṇa, apāna, udāna, vyāna and samāna. The five sense objects are form, taste, sound, smell and touch.
Try this today
During one ordinary activity today, identify which of the five sense objects is attracting your attention.
Ask yourself
How do my senses assist my desire to enjoy material objects?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.