SB 2.10.22

TEXT 22

TEXT

बोध्यमानस्य ऋषिभिर् आत्मनस्तज्जिघृक्षतः ।
कर्णौ च निरभिद्येतां दिशः श्रोत्रं गुणग्रहः ॥ २२ ॥

bodhyamanasya rsibhir

atmanas taj jighrksatah

karnau ca nirabhidyetam

disah srotram guna-grahah

bodhyamanasya-desiring to understand; rsibhih-by the authorities; atmanah-of the Supreme Being; tat-that; jighrksatah-when he desired to take up; karnau-the ears; ca-also; nirabhidyetam-became manifested; disah-the direction or the god of air; srotram-the power of hearing; guna-grahah-and the objects of hearing.

TRANSLATION

By development of the desire of the great sages to know, the ears, the power of hearing, the controlling deity of hearing, and the objects of hearing became manifested. The great sages desired to hear about the Self.

PURPORT

As is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, one should try to know by advancement of knowledge about the Supreme Lord, the summum bonum of everything. Knowledge does not mean to know the laws of nature or of physical knowledge that are working by the direction of the Lord. The scientists are eager to hear about the physical laws that are working in the material nature. They are eager to hear through the medium of radio and television about the things which are taking place far away from them in other planets, but they should know that the power of hearing and the instruments for hearing were given to them by the Lord for hearing about the Self, or about the Lord. Unfortunately the power of hearing is misused in hearing the vibrations of mundane affairs. The great sages were interested to hear about the Lord through Vedic knowledge and nothing more. And that is the beginning of aural reception of knowledge.

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