Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 19
Daśa-lakṣaṇam: The Ten Topics, Virāṭ-Puruṣa Sense-Manifestation, and the Supreme Shelter (Āśraya)
विवक्षोर्मुखतो भूम्नो वह्निर्वाग् व्याहृतं तयो: । जले चैतस्य सुचिरं निरोध: समजायत ॥ १९ ॥
vivakṣor mukhato bhūmno vahnir vāg vyāhṛtaṁ tayoḥ jale caitasya suciraṁ nirodhaḥ samajāyata
विवक्षोः भूम्नो मुखतो वाक् व्याहृता, तयोः वह्निर्नियन्ता देवः अजायत; किन्तु जले शयाने तस्य एताः क्रियाः सुचिरं निरुद्धाः आसन्।
The peculiarity of the gradual development of the different senses is simultaneously supported by their controlling deities. It is to be understood, therefore, that the activities of the sense organs are controlled by the will of the Supreme. The senses are, so to speak, offering a license for the conditioned souls, who are to use them properly under the control of the controlling deity deputed by the Supreme Lord. One who violates such controlling regulations has to be punished by degradation to a lower status of life. Consider, for example, the tongue and its controlling deity, Varuṇa. The tongue is meant for eating, and men, animals and birds each have their different tastes because of different licenses. The taste of human beings and that of the swine are not on the same level. The controlling deity, however, awards or certifies a particular type of body when the particular living entity develops a taste in terms of different modes of nature. If the human being develops taste without discrimination, as does the swine, then the controlling deity is certainly certified for the next term to award him the body of a swine. The swine accepts any kind of foodstuff, including stools, and a human being who has developed such indiscriminate taste must be prepared for a degraded life in the next life. Such a life is also God’s grace because the conditioned soul desired a body like that for perfectly tasting a particular type of foodstuff. If a man gets the body of a swine it must be considered the grace of the Lord because the Lord awards the facility. After death the next body is offered by superior control, not blindly. A human being, therefore, must be on his guard as to what sort of body he is going to have in the next life. An irresponsible life of indiscrimination is risky, and that is the declaration of all scriptures.
FAQs
This verse states that when the Supreme desired to speak, both fire and speech manifested from His mouth—indicating their divine origin and interconnected function in creation.
Here “nirodha” indicates a prolonged restraint or suspension of the manifested energies within the waters—an aspect of cosmic withdrawal/resting phase connected with the Bhāgavatam’s description of creation and dissolution.
It encourages reverence and discipline in speech: words carry transformative power (vāk linked with agni), so one should speak truthfully, thoughtfully, and in a way that purifies rather than burns others.