“Presiding over hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell, and the mind, He enjoys the objects of the senses.”
Key Teaching: The soul, presiding over senses and mind, enjoys senseobjects.
Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga.
Description:
Krishna explains that the soul, presiding over the senses (hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell) and mind, enjoys senseobjects. This verse, continuing 15.8, addresses Arjuna’s quest (2.9, 13.1). The themes of guidance, as Krishna describes the soul’s role, Jnana Yoga, as he emphasizes wisdom, and Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, as he points to liberation, are central.
In the Mahabharata, Arjuna’s sensory engagement (1.28–46) reflects this, contrasting Duryodhana’s delusion (1.3–11). The teaching aligns with Jnana Yoga (2.20), explaining the soul’s interaction, and builds on transmigration (15.8). Krishna clarifies the soul’s sensory role.
Philosophically, the verse highlights the soul’s engagement with senses, a theme Krishna refines with teachings on the self (2.20). Arjuna’s path is clarified by understanding sensory interaction. The theme of Moksha Sannyasa Yoga underscores the Gita’s focus on liberation through wisdom.
Sanjaya’s narration ensures objective clarity. This verse serves as a metaphor for life’s experiences, where the soul engages senses. Krishna’s teaching prepares readers to transcend sensory attachment, aligning with liberation.
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