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ANUGITA
CHAPTER VII
Page1
The Brahmana said :
On this, too, O beautiful one! they relate this ancient story, (which shows) of what description is the institution of the seven sacrificial priests 1. The nose, and the eye, and the tongue, and the skin, and the ear as the fifth, mind and understanding, these are the seven sacrificial priests separately stationed. Dwelling in a minute space, they do not perceive each other. Do you, verily, O beautiful one! learn about these sacrificial priests, (which are) seven according to (their several) natures.
The Brahmana's wife said :
How (is it) these do not perceive each other, dwelling (as they do) in a minute space? What are their natures, O venerable sir? Tell me this, O lord!
The Brahmana said :
Not knowing the qualities (of anything) is ignorance (of it). Knowledge of the qualities is knowledge. And these never know the qualities of each other. The tongue, the eye, the ear likewise, the skin, the mind, and the understanding also, do not apprehend smells, the nose apprehends them. The nose, the eye, the ear likewise, the skin, the mind, and the understanding also, do not apprehend tastes, the tongue apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the ear likewise,, the skin, the mind, and the understanding also, do not apprehend colours, the eye apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, and next the eye, the ear, the understanding, the mind likewise, do not apprehend (objects of) touch, the skin apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, and the eye, the skin, the mind, and the understanding also, do not apprehend sounds, the ear apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, and the eye, the skin, the ear, and the understanding also, do not apprehend doubt, the mind apprehends it. The nose, the tongue, and the eye, the skin, the ear, and the mind
also, do not apprehend final determination, the understanding apprehends it. On this, too, they relate this ancient story,--a dialogue, O beautiful one! between the senses and the mind.
Footnotes :
1. Arguna Misra, says, the last chapter explained Pranayama, and this explains Pratyahara. Pranayama is the restraint of the life-winds, Pratyahara that of the senses, according to the Yoga philosophy (see the quotation in the commentary at Yoga-sutra III, 1). Cf. also Gita. The Saptahotri-vidhana as taught in the Taittiriya-brahmana and Aranyaka is to be found a few pages after the pages referred to for the Dasahotri-vidhana at supra. And the other Vidhanas also are to be found in the same parts of those books.
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