Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.29.72
Ūti· What drives us to actCovered Senses Are Still Present
“When one is a youth, all the ten senses and the mind are completely visible. However, in the mother’s womb or in the boyhood state, the sense organs and the mind remain covered, just as the full moon is covered by the darkness of the dark-moon night.”
What the purport teaches
- In the womb and early childhood, the body, sense organs and mind are not fully developed. Their activities depend on how developed these conditions are.
- The senses are present even when they are not active, just as the moon remains present when it is not visible on a dark-moon night.
- When the gross and subtle bodies develop, the senses become active, even in dreams. The purport explains that bodily development and subtle desires are connected.
Try this today
Recall the moon example today and write one sentence explaining the difference between being covered and being absent.
Ask yourself
Do I mistake the absence of visible activity for the absence of the senses or mind?
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.