Working senses

Expressions researched:
"active senses" |"senses of action" |"working senses"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 3.6, Translation:

One who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.

BG 3.7, Translation:

On the other hand, if a sincere person tries to control the active senses by the mind and begins karma-yoga (in Kṛṣṇa consciousness) without attachment, he is by far superior.

BG 3.42, Translation:

The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he (the soul) is even higher than the intelligence.

BG Chapters 13 - 18

BG 13.6-7, Purport:

Then there are five senses for acquiring knowledge: the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Then five working senses: voice, legs, hands, anus and genitals.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.2.35, Purport:

Our senses of perception and of action, that is to say, our five perceptive senses of (1) hearing, (2) touch, (3) sight, (4) taste and (5) smell, as well as our five senses of action, namely (1) hands, (2) legs, (3) speech, (4) evacuation organs and (5) reproductive organs, and also our three subtle senses, namely (1) mind, (2) intelligence and (3) ego (thirteen senses in all), are supplied to us by various arrangements of gross or subtle forms of natural energy.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.20.13, Purport:

The fourth group is the five working senses: speech, hands, feet, anus and genitals.

SB 3.26.31, Translation:

Egoism in the mode of passion produces two kinds of senses—the senses for acquiring knowledge and the senses of action. The senses of action depend on the vital energy, and the senses for acquiring knowledge depend on intelligence.

SB 3.27.14, Purport:

His gross body is made up of five elements, his subtle body is made of mind, intelligence, false ego and contaminated consciousness, and he has five active senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.20.11, Translation:

Anyone who knows that this material body, made of the five gross elements, the sense organs, the working senses and the mind, is simply supervised by the fixed soul is eligible to be liberated from material bondage.

SB 4.25.27, Purport:

The ten strong servants of the mind are the five working senses and the five knowledge-gathering senses. All these ten senses work under the aegis of the mind.

SB 4.25.35, Purport:

The vital force always exists with the soul, and when the soul is awakened from so-called sleep, he can see his eleven friends, or the active senses and the mind with their various desires (wives).

SB 4.26.1-3, Purport:

The word pañca means "five," and this indicates the objects of the five senses. The body has five working senses, namely the hands, the legs, the tongue, the rectum and the genitals. By taking full advantage of these working senses, the body enjoys material life.

SB 4.26.1-3, Purport:

The living entity carries out various desires through five different processes, which indicate the working of the five working senses.

SB 4.29.6, Translation:

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 girl friends, and the serpent, which was described as having five heads, is the life air acting within the five circulatory processes.

SB 4.29.18-20, Translation:

The seven elements are the coverings of the chariot, and the working senses are the five external processes.

SB 4.29.61, Purport:

When the mind, intelligence and ego are purified, all the active senses of the living entity become spiritual. Thus the living entity attains his sac-cid-ānanda form.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.5.27, Translation:

The true activity of the sense organs—mind, sight, words and all the knowledge-gathering and working senses—is to engage fully in My service. Unless his senses are thus engaged, a living entity cannot think of getting out of the great entanglement of material existence, which is exactly like Yamarāja's stringent rope.

SB 5.11.9, Translation:

There are five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses. There is also the false ego.

SB 5.11.9, Purport:

The mind is the controller of the five knowledge-acquiring senses and the five working senses. Each sense has its particular field of activity.

SB 5.11.10, Purport:

There are different objects for the eleven items. Through the nose we can smell, by the eyes we can see, by the ears we can hear, and in this way we gather knowledge. Similarly, there are the karmendriyas, the working senses—the hands, legs, genitals, rectum, mouth and so forth.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.1.50, Translation:

Above the five senses of perception, the five working senses and the five objects of the senses is the mind, which is the sixteenth element.

SB 6.1.51, Translation:

The subtle body is endowed with sixteen parts—the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five objects of sense gratification, and the mind.

SB 6.15.25, Translation:

The living entity in the bodily conception of life is absorbed in the body, which is a combination of the physical elements, the five senses for gathering knowledge, and the five senses of action, along with the mind.

SB 6.15.25, Purport:

Working with the five material elements (pañca-bhūtas), as well as with our five knowledge-gathering senses like the eyes, ears and tongue and our five active senses like the hands and legs, we become involved in the material condition. Thus we are subjected to the tribulations known as adhyātmika, adhidaivika and adhibhautika. The mind is the center because the mind creates all these things. As soon as the material object is struck, however, the mind is affected, and we suffer. For example, with the material elements, the working senses and the knowledge-gathering senses we create a very nice car, and when the car is accidentally smashed in a collision, the mind suffers, and through the mind the living entity suffers.

SB 6.16.24, Purport:

The body includes five knowledge-acquiring senses, five active senses and the mind, but actually these are merely lumps of matter.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.7.22, Purport:

These qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa—belong not to the soul but to the material energy. It is because of the interaction of these three material modes of nature that the five knowledge-gathering senses, the five working senses and their controller, the mind, are manifested.

SB 7.9.21, Purport:

These facilities offered by the Lord to the living entity constitute the sixteen kinds of perverted support in terms of the knowledge-gathering senses, the working senses, the mind and the five material elements.

SB 7.9.40, Translation:

The sense of smell is attracted to yet another side, the restless eyes are attracted to scenes of sense gratification, and the active senses are attracted elsewhere. In this way I am certainly embarrassed.

SB 7.15.52, Translation:

Thus in due course a qualified brāhmaṇa becomes uninterested in materialistic activities and sacrifices, but he offers the sensual sacrifices, in full knowledge, into the working senses, which are illuminated by the fire of knowledge.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.13.52, Purport:

The twenty-four elements mentioned are the five working senses (pañca-karmendriya), the five senses for obtaining knowledge (pañca-jñānendriya), the five gross material elements (pañca-mahābhūta), the five sense objects (pañca-tanmātra), the mind (manas), the false ego (ahaṅkāra), the mahat-tattva, and material nature (prakṛti).

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 5.14, Purport:

According to Sāṅkhya philosophy, the material cosmos is composed of twenty-four elements: the five gross material elements, the three subtle material elements, the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five active senses, the five objects of sense pleasure, and the mahat-tattva (the total material energy).

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 2.72, Purport:

When one cannot speak, naturally one's active senses are arrested, and the knowledge-acquiring senses are rendered inoperative.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 88:

The three qualities are again subdivided into sixteen, namely the ten senses (five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses), the mind, and the five elements (earth, water, air, fire and sky).

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 3.2:

There are five knowledge-gathering senses and five working senses. The mind is the internal sense, the sixth knowledge-gathering sense. Form, taste, smell, touch, and sound are the five sense objects.

Narada-bhakti-sutra (sutras 1 to 8 only)

Narada Bhakti Sutra 8, Purport:

There are ten senses—five active senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses. The active senses are the power of talking, the hands, the legs, the evacuating outlet, and the generating organ.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

Simply understanding that this material world is working in twenty-four elements. The eleven senses, ten senses, five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses, and the mind.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

So similarly, our eyes are imperfect, our all senses are imperfect. We gather knowledge by the sense, five knowledge-gathering senses and five working senses and mind.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

Now, we have got ten different kinds of senses: five senses, working senses, and five senses acquiring knowledge.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

Five elements means the sky, air, then fire, water, and earth. And five senses acquiring knowledge, just like eyes, ear, tongue, smelling. We are acquiring knowledge by these... And working five senses, hands, legs, the genital, and in this way there are five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses, and mind is the center. Therefore eleven. Eleven plus five elements equal to sixteen.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

This seat does not belong to me, but I am sitting very comfortably because they have given to me.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

So five knowledge-acquiring senses, five working senses, and five sense objects, and I am there. This is called sixteen elements.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- New York, March 5, 1975:

This is God's creation. Not that the mouth is only eating. No. There are other senses, active senses, hands and legs, tongue. These are active senses. Genital, rectum, these are active senses.

Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

We have got these senses: hands, legs, eyes, ears, and five working senses, and knowledge-gathering senses. They are all constitute the whole body.

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

So twenty-four elements we have discussed yesterday: the five gross elements, and the five sense objects, and five knowledge gathering senses, and five working senses—twenty—and four internal senses—twenty-four—and then again, all under the control of time, the fifth, or twenty-fifth.

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

The mind is the chief of the senses, and immediately under the mind, ten senses are working, ten: five knowledge-gathering senses, jñānendriya, and five working senses, karmendriya.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1975:

We have got two senses: one, by the knowledge-acquiring senses, and practical working senses. So dṛṣṭa means our eyes are working, and we see that a criminal is arrested and he is punished. And śruta means knowledge-gathering. Just like you gather knowledge from book. So we have got two senses—not two senses, but ten senses: five senses, knowledge gathering, and five senses, directing, knowledge, working senses. So dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyām means by two senses, two kinds of senses: knowledge-gathering senses and working senses. We have experience by two kinds of senses.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975:

So we are fallen into great ocean of nescience, covered. First of all the five senses, knowledge-acquiring senses, jñānendriya and karmendriya, working senses, ten, and sense object.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:

This is the analytical study of our material position. Very clear analysis. We, pañcabhiḥ, with five working senses, voice, vāk, pāṇi, pāyu, udāra, upastha... Voice, arms, legs, anus, and genital. There are twenty-four, the total material constituent parts are twenty-five, sometimes twenty-six they say.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:

The knowledge gathering senses, the working senses, the sense objects... Everything is explained here.

pañcabhiḥ kurute svārthān

pañca vedātha pañcabhiḥ

ekas tu ṣoḍaśena trīn

svayaṁ saptadaśo 'śnute

This is practice. This is called bhakti-yoga, practice. Engage your senses, all senses, working senses and perceiving senses, everything in Kṛṣṇa, and that will make you perfect.

Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

The analysis is that the living entity is enwrapped first all with sixteen wrappers, ṣoḍaśa-kalam. What are those? Now, ten senses: five working senses and five knowledge-gathering senses.

Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

So these are our knowledge-gathering senses, and there are working senses, just like hand, leg, the stomach, the rectum, the genital. These are working senses. In this way, ten senses and five sense objects.

Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:

The Sankhya philosophy here, the description is Sankhya philosophy. Twenty-four elements, twenty-four elements. Eight gross and subtle elements, and then their production, the ten indriya, senses, working senses, and knowledge acquiring senses. Eight, ten, eighteen. Then the sense objects, five. Eighteen plus five, twenty-three. And then the ātmā, the soul. Twenty-four elements, the Sankhya philosophy, they are analyzed. The Sankhya philosophy.

Lecture on SB 7.9.40 -- Mayapur, March 18, 1976:

So the senses are... I am the body—taking for the time being—and my senses, hands, legs, eyes, ears, tongue, genital, so many, ten senses, they are working senses and knowledge-gathering senses.

Lecture on SB 7.9.46 -- Vrndavana, April 1, 1976:

Sometimes you go to them and ask some question, they'll write in pencil on the paper, "We will not talk." And what is the meaning of his silence? If I put some questions and you write in paper, what is the difference between talking and writing? I am using the senses. For talking I am using the senses, tongue. Instead of using the sense, tongue, active senses, I am using my hand. So this is also sense gratification.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

Now, the first thing is that what we see, the five material elements, the earth, water, fire, air, ether. These are material elements. These are studied. Then finer than the ether is the mind, then finer than the mind is the intelligence, and finer than the intelligence... Mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra means ego, ego, false conception, that "I am this matter." These are eight elements. Then your senses, five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses... Just like our eyes, ears, tongue, hand—all these five senses, they are acquiring knowledge. And five senses just like hands, legs, and evacuating hole, genital—these are five senses by which we are enjoying or suffering. And the five objects of senses.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Conversation -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1975:

Prabhupāda: It is like that. Twenty-four elements. Five material elements, three subtle elements, then five working senses and five all knowledge gathering senses—how many?

Jayatīrtha: Eighteen.

Prabhupāda: Eighteen? No.

Jayatīrtha: So far.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-three, I think. Five gross elements, five senses..., five knowledge gathering senses, and five working senses, fifteen,...

General Lectures

Lecture Excerpt on Twenty-four Elements -- Los Angeles, November 14, 1968:

Ten knowledge-acquiring, five, and working senses, five. Ten. So eight, ten-eighteen. Then sense objects. Just like I have got eye, but I have to see something, dṛśya. So there are five sense objects. Eighteen and five-twenty-three.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

Yoga system means to control the senses. This is the primary factor of practicing yoga. Now the senses, we have got five senses acquiring knowledge and five working senses. So of all the senses, the tongue is considered to be the most powerful sense.