Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.11.10
Ūti· What drives us to actThe Senses Gather; False Ego Claims
“Sound, touch, form, taste and smell are the objects of the five knowledge-acquiring senses. Speech, touch, movement, evacuation and sexual intercourse are the objects of the working senses. Besides this, there is another conception by which one thinks, “This is my body, this is my society, this is my family, this is my nation,” and so forth. This eleventh function of the mind is called the false ego. According to some philosophers, this is the twelfth function, and its field of activity is the body.”
What the purport teaches
- The knowledge-acquiring senses have different objects. Through the nose we smell, through the eyes we see, and through the ears we hear.
- The working senses, called karmendriyas, include the hands, legs, genitals, rectum and mouth. They carry out different activities.
- When false ego expands, one thinks, “This is my body, family, society, country.” This sense of ownership is another function of the mind.
Try this today
During one ordinary activity, identify a sense gathering knowledge and a working sense carrying out an action.
Ask yourself
Can I notice the difference between sensing something and claiming it as mine?
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.