Vedaanta paribhaashaa.Ch.7-These
subtle elements have arisen from prakr.ti,
which is made up of the three guNas, namely,
sattva, rajas and tamas, (which can be described as serenity, activity
and inertia respectively). These elements are also
therefore constituted of the same three guNas.
From the sattva part of space, air, fire, water and earth are produced,
respectively, the indriyas, known as ear, sense of touch, eye, taste and
smell. It must be noted that these
are not the organs, such as eye, etc,
in the physical body. These
latter are called golaka. The indriyas are the subtle counterparts of the
external organs and form part of the subtle body, which will be described
later.
The presiding
deities of these five indriyas are, respectively,
the devataas of the Quarters, Air, the sun,
VaruNa (the god of the waters) and the two As'vini devas.
(See also Panchadas'i.1.19). It may be noted
that each sense-organ is produced
from the particular subtle element whose distinctive
quality it has the power to reveal.
For example, the organ of hearing reveals
sound, which is the particular quality of aakaas'a, from the sattva part
of which it is produced. The organ of smell is produced
from the sattva part of pr.thivii, whose distinctive
quality, smell, it reveals. S'rii
S'ankara says in his commentary on Br.up.2.4.11-The
s'ruti considers the organs
to be of the same category as the objects,
not of a different category. The organs
are but modes of the objects they perceive.