Drig Drishya Viveka

objectified and they too undergo a change whereas the mind in relation to the indriyas is relatively stable. This has been explained in the following shloka. The indriyas and all other sense organs are surely the primary Drishta to perceive the various forms of objects and the body in this world. Therefore it is very important to value and take good care of all the sense organs. But here the Acharya re- veals a very important point re- garding the sense organs that t here are different levels and changes at the level of the sense organs. At the first level the sense organs are either very ‘Patu’ that is healthy and sharp and at some point in time as age progresses the sense organs become ‘manda’. Manda is weakness of sense organs as the body degenerates. The third level is when the sense organs are not able to see at all. Now here the mind is the drishta of these various changes of being sharp, weak or total handicap at the level of the eyes.

Here, although the Acharya takes up the example of the ‘Eyes’ but all the sense organs like the ears, nose etc are also implied in the shloka. So the good health, weakness and incapacitation of all the indriyas should be understood over here.

As we are seeing that there is a variety at the level of drishya whereas the drishta is always one. Looking at the variety and changes at the level of the indriyas here all indriyas come into the realm of drishya and the mind who is seer of these changes is thus the Drishta. All the sense organs the eyes, the nose, the ears, etc. are perceivers with reference to the various objects in the outside world yet they themselves are perceived by the Mind. Therefor the Mind is the Drishta (the perceiver) and all the sense organs are the drishya (the objects of perception).

In this manner the Revered Acharya guides us in the next step of discrimination between the Drishta and drishya.