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Shloka 64

Sāṅkhya: Categories of the Absolute Truth and the Unfolding of Creation

Tattva-vicāra

अक्षिणी चक्षुषादित्यो नोदतिष्ठत्तदा विराट् । श्रोत्रेण कर्णौ च दिशो नोदतिष्ठत्तदा विराट् ॥ ६४ ॥

akṣiṇī cakṣuṣādityo nodatiṣṭhat tadā virāṭ śrotreṇa karṇau ca diśo nodatiṣṭhat tadā virāṭ

The sun-god entered His eyes along with the power of sight, yet the Virāṭ-Puruṣa did not rise. Likewise, the presiding deities of the directions entered His ears along with the power of hearing, yet still He did not get up.

akṣiṇīthe two eyes
akṣiṇī:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootakṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन)
cakṣuṣāby sight/vision
cakṣuṣā:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootcakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
ādityaḥthe Sun (deity)
ādityaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootāditya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-निपात)
udatiṣṭhatarose/stood up
udatiṣṭhat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootud-sthā (धातु)
FormLuṅ (लुङ्, Aorist), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
tadāthen
tadā:
Kālādhi karaṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
FormAdverb of time (कालवाचक-अव्यय)
virāṭthe Virāṭ
virāṭ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvirāj (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
śrotreṇaby hearing
śrotreṇa:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootśrotra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
karṇauthe two ears
karṇau:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
diśaḥthe directions (deities)
diśaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdiś (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-निपात)
udatiṣṭhatarose/stood up
udatiṣṭhat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootud-sthā (धातु)
FormLuṅ (लुङ्, Aorist), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
tadāthen
tadā:
Kālādhi karaṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
FormAdverb of time (कालवाचक-अव्यय)
virāṭthe Virāṭ
virāṭ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvirāj (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
V
Virāṭ
Ā
Āditya (Sun-god)
D
Diśaḥ (presiding deities of the directions)

FAQs

This verse explains that the senses become functional when their presiding deities empower them—sight through Āditya (the sun) entering the eyes, and hearing through the deities of the directions entering the ears.

Lord Kapila speaks this Sāṅkhya teaching to His mother, Devahūti, describing how the universal form becomes active as divine powers enter the bodily organs.

It encourages reverence and discipline of the senses—using sight and hearing as sacred gateways by engaging them in darśana, śāstra-śravaṇa (hearing scripture), and mindful perception rather than distraction.