The Main Constitutional Principles of Material Nature

posted in: English 0

 

 

Question

Dear Guru Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to You and Srila Prabhupada.

What are the 11 sense organs?

In addition to that question, what is the significance of the 16 creative principles and elements?

Thank you

Your servant,

 Bhakta Richard

 

 

Answer

Dear Bhakta Richard,

Please receive my blessings. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

The Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.26) gives us a clear (although not easy to understand for most people) description of material nature, which is what the material world is made of.

 

The transcendental living entity accepts the influence of material energy and falls down from the spiritual plane.

 

The name of the material energy before manifesting itself is Pradhana. When it is in the manifested stage of existence, it is called prakrti.

 

This material energy is formed by 24 elements which are:

  1. The five gross elements.
  2. The five subtle elements.
  3. The four internal senses.
  4. The five senses for gathering knowledge, and
  5. The five outward organs of action.

 

The five gross elements are earth, water, fire, air, and ether.

 

The five subtle elements are smell, taste, color, touch, and sound.

 

The four internal subtle senses are the mind, the intelligence, the ego, and the contaminated consciousness.

 

The senses for acquiring knowledge are the auditory sense, the sense of taste, the tactile sense, the sense of sight, and the sense of smell.

 

The five outward organs of action are the active organs for speaking, working, traveling, generating, and evacuating.

 

The last two categories, plus the mind, are the eleven sense organs you are asking about.

 

When Prakriti becomes fit for creating the specific world, it is called Mahat-tattva and other elements like jiva, Kala (time, also called the mixing element), Paramatma, karma, and others are added. Only at this point it is possible for Brahma to build the universe.

 

I understand that some of this is not easy to understand or to put it into perspective. If you want to clarify any point, you just have to ask and I’ll try to make it easier to comprehend.

 

 

A second scheme:

earth

water

fire

air

ether

 

smell

taste

color

touch

sound

 

the mind

the intelligence

the ego and

the contaminated consciousness

 

the auditory sense

the sense of taste

the tactile sense

the sense of sight

the sense of smell

 

The active organs for:

speaking

working

traveling

generating and

evacuating

time (or Jiva)

the Supreme Personality of Godhead

 

 

Specification:

This material energy is formed by 24 elements, which are:

the five gross elements

the five subtle elements

the four internal senses

the five senses for gathering knowledge and

the five outward organs of action

 

The five gross elements are: earth water, fire, air, and ether. 

 

The five subtle elements are: smell, taste, color, touch, and sound.

 

The four internal subtle senses are: the mind, the intelligence, the ego, and the contaminated consciousness.

 

The senses for acquiring knowledge are: the auditory sense, the sense of taste, the tactile sense, the sense of sight, and the sense of smell.

 

The five outward organs of action are: the active organs for speaking, working, traveling, generating, and evacuating.

(Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.18)

 

 

Your well-wisher

Manonatha Dasa (ACBSP)

 

This is a section of the book “A Sidelong Glance”.

To buy the complete book, click above

 

Post view 324 times

Share/Cuota/Condividi:
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Adds or Replies
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments