Bhagavad Gita BG 5.9
Chapter 5, Verse 9 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन् उन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् ॥
pralapan visrjan grihnan unmishan nimisann api indriyani indriyartheshu vartanta iti dhArayan
Meaning
...speaking, releasing, grasping, opening and closing the eyes — holding firm that the senses are moving in their objects, not I.
Understanding
Continuing the list from verse 8: pralapan (speaking), visrjan (releasing, evacuating), grihnan (grasping). The key word: dhArayan — 'holding firm to' the understanding that indriyani indriyartheshu vartante — the senses (indriyani) are moving (vartante) in their sense-objects (indriyartheshu). Not 'I' — the senses do what senses do by their nature, not by the autonomous Self.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| प्रलपन् | pralapan | while speaking, talking |
| विसृजन् | visrjan | while releasing, evacuating |
| गृह्णन् | grihnan | while grasping, taking |
| उन्मिषन् | unmishan | while opening the eyes |
| धारयन् | dhArayan | holding firm to, maintaining understanding |
| निमिषन् | nimiṣan | blinking / closing the eyes |
| अपि | api | even / also |
| इन्द्रियाणि | indriyāṇi | the senses |
| इन्द्रियार्थेषु | indriyārtheṣu | in the objects of the senses |
| वर्तन्त | vartanta | are engaged / are working / move about |
| इति | iti | thus (knowing: "the senses move among their objects") |