Once upon a time the senses quarreled among themselves as to who was superior, each saying: “I am superior, I am superior.”
They went to Prajapati, their father, and said: “Sir, who is the best of us?”
He replied: “He by whose departure the body looks the worst – he is the best of you.”
Speech then departed and, having stayed away for a year, returned and said: “How have you been able to live without me?”
They replied: “Like the dumb -not speaking, but breathing with the breath, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, and thinking with the mind. Thus we lived.” Then speech entered in.
The eye then departed and having stayed away for a year, returned and said: “How have you been able to live without me?”
They replied: “Like the blind – not seeing, but breathing with the breath, speaking with the tongue, hearing with the ear and thinking with the mind. Thus we lived.” Then the eye entered in.
The ear then departed, and having stayed away for a year, returned and said: “How have you been able to live without me?”
They replied: “Like the deaf – not hearing, but breathing with the breath, speaking with the tongue, seeing with the eye and thinking with the mind. Thus we lived.” Then the ear entered in.
The mind then departed and having stayed away for a year, returned and said: “How have you been able to live without me?”
They replied: “Like children – not thinking, but breathing with the breath, speaking with the tongue, seeing with the eye and hearing with the ear. Thus we lived.” Then the mind entered in.
Now, when the breath was about to depart, tearing up the other senses, as a strong horse about to depart might tear up the pegs to which he is tethered, they gathered round him and said: “Sir, remain. You are the best of us, do not depart.”
Then speech said to him: “If I am the most prosperous, so are you the most prosperous.” The eye said to him: “If I am the firm basis, so are you the firm basis.” The ear said to him: “If I am success, so are you the success.” The mind said to him; “If I am the abode, so are you the abode.”
Hence these are not termed organs of speech or eyes or ears or minds. They are termed signs of life. For life itself becomes all these.
From the Chhandogya Upanishad XIII. v. 1
Translated by Professor D.S.Sarma
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