Shloka 23
Abhaya-Itihāsa: Karma, Indriyas, and the Non-sensory Brahman
Brāhmaṇī–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda
घ्राता भक्षयिता द्रष्टा स्प्रष्टा श्रोता च पठडचम: । मन्ता बोद्धा च सप्तैते भवन्ति परमर्त्विज:
ghrātā bhakṣayitā draṣṭā spraṣṭā śrotā ca paṭhaṅgamaḥ | mantā boddhā ca saptaite bhavanti paramar̥tvijaḥ || havīṁṣy agniṣu hotāraḥ saptathā sapta saptasu | samyak prakṣipya vidvāṁso janayanti svayoniṣu ||
Wika ni Vāyu: “Ang umaamoy, ang kumakain, ang nakakakita, ang humahaplos, ang nakaririnig, ang nagtutungo sa bagay na pinagtutuunan, ang nag-iisip, at ang nakaaalam—ang pitong ito ang kumikilos bilang kataas-taasang mga saserdote (ṛtvij). Bilang pitong uri ng handog, inihahandog sila ng pitong saserdote sa pitong apoy. Kapag inihulog ng marurunong nang wasto—na ang kahulugan ay pag-urong ng pagkapit sa mga bagay ng pandama—saka nila nililikha, sa loob ng sarili nilang pinagmumulan, ang maseselang bagay gaya ng tunog at iba pa.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reframes sacrifice as an inner discipline: the sense-faculties and inner instruments act like priests and offerings. When a wise person ‘offers’ them correctly—i.e., withdraws attachment and regulates their outward flow—one gains mastery over the arising of sense-objects and experiences, rather than being driven by them.
Vāyu is instructing by using a yajña metaphor. He identifies seven functional powers (senses and inner faculties) as priests and describes their sevenfold offerings into seven fires, explaining that proper ‘offering’ means turning away from craving for objects and thereby governing the production/manifestation of sensory objects (sound and the rest) within their subtle sources.