Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 10
Vasudeva and Devakī Glorify Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; The Recovery of Devakī’s Six Sons from Sutala
इन्द्रियं त्विन्द्रियाणां त्वं देवाश्च तदनुग्रह: । अवबोधो भवान् बुद्धेर्जीवस्यानुस्मृति: सती ॥ १० ॥
indriyaṁ tv indriyāṇāṁ tvaṁ devāś ca tad-anugrahaḥ avabodho bhavān buddher jīvasyānusmṛtiḥ satī
You are the power of the senses to reveal their objects, the senses’ presiding demigods, and the sanction these demigods give for sensory activity. You are the capacity of the intelligence for decision-making, and the living being’s ability to remember things accurately.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that whenever one of the material senses is involved with its object, the presiding demigod of that particular sense organ must give his sanction. Ācārya Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains the word anusmṛti in this verse in its higher sense, as one’s recognition of himself as an eternal spirit soul.
FAQs
This verse states that Kṛṣṇa is the indwelling principle behind all sense faculties—He empowers perception and action, making Him the true controller of the senses.
She emphasizes that even the devas function by His sanction; their powers are expressions of Kṛṣṇa’s anugraha (favor), not independent authority.
Treat awareness, intelligence, and memory as gifts to be aligned with devotion—use the senses consciously in service, and cultivate remembrance of God to steady the mind.