The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)
The translator’s English as printed (K. T. Telang). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
The Brâhmaṇa’s wife said:
How (is it) these do not perceive each other, dwelling (as they do) in a minute space? What are their natures, O venerable sir? Tell me this, O lord!,
The Brâhmaṇa said:
Not knowing the qualities (of anything) is ignorance (of it). Knowledge of the qualities is knowledge. And these never know the qualities of each other. The tongue, the eye, the ear likewise, the skin, the mind, and the understanding also, do not apprehend smells, the nose apprehends them. The nose, the eye, the ear likewise, the skin, the mind, and the understanding also, do not apprehend tastes, the tongue apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the ear likewise, the skin, the mind, and the understanding also, do not apprehend colours, the eye apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, and next the eye, the ear, the understanding, the mind likewise, do not apprehend (objects of) touch, the skin apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, and the eye, the skin, the mind, and the understanding also, do not apprehend sounds, the ear apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, and the eye, the skin, the ear, and the understanding also, do not apprehend doubt, the mind apprehends it. The nose, the tongue, and the eye, the skin, the ear, and the mind also, do not apprehend final determination, the understanding apprehends it. On this, too, they relate this ancient story,— a dialogue, O beautiful one! between the senses and the mind.
The Brâhmaṇa’s wife said:
How is it that they do not perceive each other, dwelling as they do in so minute a space? What are their natures, O venerable sir? Tell me this, O lord!
The Brâhmaṇa said:
Not knowing the qualities of something is ignorance of it; knowing its qualities is knowledge of it. And none of these faculties can know the qualities belonging to another. The tongue, the eye, the ear, the skin, the mind, and the understanding cannot apprehend smells — the nose apprehends them. The nose, the eye, the ear, the skin, the mind, and the understanding cannot apprehend tastes — the tongue apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the ear, the skin, the mind, and the understanding cannot apprehend colours — the eye apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the ear, the understanding, and the mind cannot apprehend objects of touch — the skin apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the mind, and the understanding cannot apprehend sounds — the ear apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear, and the understanding cannot apprehend doubt — the mind apprehends it. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear, and the mind cannot apprehend final determination — the understanding apprehends it. On this point, too, they tell an ancient story: a dialogue, O beautiful one, between the senses and the mind.