Tactile

Expressions researched:
"tactile"

SB Canto 3

SB 3.6.16, Translation:

When there was a manifestation of skin separated from the gigantic form, Anila, the deity directing the wind, entered with partial touch, and thus the living entities can realize tactile knowledge.

SB 3.26.13, Translation:

The senses for acquiring knowledge and the organs for action number ten, namely the auditory sense, the sense of taste, the tactile sense, the sense of sight, the sense of smell, the active organ for speaking, the active organs for working, and those for traveling, generating and evacuating.

SB 3.26.35, Purport:

In the course of time, when the subtle forms are transformed into gross forms, they become the objects of touch. The objects of touch and the tactile sense also develop after this evolution in time. Sound is the first sense object to exhibit material existence, and from the perception of sound, touch perception evolves and from touch perception the perception of sight. That is the way of the gradual evolution of our perceptive objects.

SB 3.26.36, Purport:

Tangibility is the proof of form. In actuality, objects are perceived in two different ways. They are either soft or hard, cold or hot, etc. This tangible action of the tactile sense is the result of the evolution of air, which is produced from the sky.

SB 3.26.47, Translation:

The sense whose object of perception is sound is called the auditory sense, and that whose object of perception is touch is called the tactile sense.

SB 3.26.56, Translation:

The skin is the site of the touch sensation. The demigods who control the production of herbs and medicinal drugs are the deities presiding over the tactile sense.

SB 3.26.56, Translation:

The skin is the site of the touch sensation. The demigods who control the production of herbs and medicinal drugs are the deities presiding over the tactile sense.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

Nitāi: (leads chanting, etc.)

mahā-bhūtāni pañcaiva

bhūr āpo 'gnir marun nabhaḥ

tan-mātrāṇi ca tāvanti

gandhādīni matāni me

(SB 3.26.12)

Prabhupāda: Next also. Read. Indriyāṇi daśa śrotram.

Nitāi: (leads chanting, etc.)

indriyāṇi daśa śrotraṁ

tvag dṛg rasana-nāsikāḥ

vāk karau caraṇau meḍhraṁ

pāyur daśama ucyate

(SB 3.26.13)

Prabhupāda: Next, mano buddhiḥ.

Nitāi: (leads chanting, etc.)

mano buddhir ahaṅkāraś

cittam ity antar-ātmakam

caturdhā lakṣyate bhedo

vṛttyā lakṣaṇa-rūpayā

(SB 3.26.14)

Prabhupāda: That's all. Catur-viṁśati tattva is finished.

Nitāi: (reading) "There are five gross elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also five subtle elements: smell, taste, color, touch and sound. The senses for acquiring knowledge and the organs for action number ten, namely the auditory sense, the sense of taste, the tactile sense, the sense of sight, the sense of smell, the active organ for speaking, the active organs for working, those for traveling, generating and evacuating. The internal, subtle senses are experienced as having four aspects, in the shape of the mind, intelligence, ego and contaminated consciousness. Distinctions between them can be made only by different functions, since they represent different characteristics."

Prabhupāda: So this is the analysis of the whole bodily construction. And beyond this bodily construction there is the soul. And when you study the characteristic of the soul, that is called spiritual knowledge. So long you are engaged with the characteristics of the bodily different elements, that is material study. So generally, people they are interested the medical science. Medical science is also interested with this body. The physical science... The physical science interest will be bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ, mahā-bhūtāni. And psychology, they are interested with the internal senses, mind: thinking, feeling, and willing.

Lecture on SB 3.26.35-36 -- Bombay, January 12, 1975:

Nitāi: "From ethereal existence, which evolves from sound, the next transformation takes place under the impulse of time, and thus the subtle element touch and thence air and sense of touch become prominent."

Prabhupāda:

nabhasaḥ śabda-tanmātrāt

kāla-gatyā vikurvataḥ

sparśo 'bhavat tato vāyus

tvak sparśasya ca saṅgrahaḥ

(SB 3.26.35)

So everything is explained there one after another, subtle things, how changing from ether, this sound, sense perception. There is ether. In the space also, there is ether, and we can understand the presence of ether by sound. The sound is being produced on account of ether. And when it is further developed, it creates the sense perception of touch. Śabda, sparśa, then rūpa, rūpa, then gandha. In this way the material existence becoming tangible or visible... Rūpa is the last stage. Gandha, not rūpa, gandha. Rūpa, rasa, rasa. Then, when after sparśa there will be manifestation of rūpa, form, and after form there is taste, and after taste there is gandha. This will be explained one after another. You can read the purport also.

Nitāi: "In the course of time, when the subtle forms are transformed into gross forms, they become the objects of touch. The objects of touch and the tactile sense also develop after this evolution in time. Sound is the first sense object to exhibit material existence, and from the perception of sound, touch perception evolves, and from touch perception the perception of sight. That is the way of the gradual evolution of our perceptive objects."

Prabhupāda: You can read the next purport. Mṛdutvaṁ kaṭhinatvaṁ ca.

Nitāi: (leads chanting, etc. of verse 36) Translation: "Softness and hardness and cold and heat are the distinguishing attributes of touch, which is characterized as the subtle form of air."

Prabhupāda:

mṛdutvaṁ kaṭhinatvaṁ ca

śaityam uṣṇatvam eva ca

etat sparśasya sparśatvaṁ

tan-mātratvaṁ nabhasvataḥ

(SB 3.26.36)

These are all different transformation of the ethereal existence. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). So our, these material pains and pleasure, are felt on account of this sparśa and arrangement of the ether and transformation of ethereal activities. Actually, it has nothing to do with the spirit soul. Spirit soul is untouched by all these thing. It requires simply realization. Great devotees like Bharata Mahārāja or Prahlāda Mahārāja, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, because they were very, very much advanced in spiritual consciousness, these ethereal activities on the external body did not touch them. Even in our Western world, Lord Jesus Christ, he was also crucified, but it did not touch him.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

Nitāi: "The sense whose object of perception is sound is called the auditory sense, and that whose object of perception is touch is called the tactile sense."

Prabhupāda:

nabho-guṇa-viśeṣo 'rtho

yasya tac chrotram ucyate

vāyor guṇa-viśeṣo 'rtho

yasya tat sparśanaṁ viduḥ

(SB 3.26.47)

So ether, the sky, we cannot see, we cannot touch, we cannot smell. But we can hear the sound. As soon as there is sound, that, we know that there is ether or sky. The sound vibration... As we have got experience of this material sound and therefore the material sky, similarly, there is spiritual sound and there is spiritual sky. Without sky, there is no sound. So there is spiritual sky. We get information from śāstra: paravyoma. Vyoma is called sky, and there is another sky. This is material sky, what we have experience. There is spiritual sky. And about that spiritual realization, as this creation begins from the sky-ether, then air, then fire, and then water, then land, kṣitir āp tejo marud vyoma—similarly, the spiritual world also begins from the spiritual sky. After this sky ends, then the spiritual sky begins.