Devanagari
सा वाग् यया तस्य गुणान् गृणीते
करौ च तत्कर्मकरौ मनश्च ।
स्मरेद् वसन्तं स्थिरजङ्गमेषु
शृणोति तत्पुण्यकथा: स कर्ण: ॥ ३ ॥
Verse text
sā vāg yayā tasya guṇān gṛṇīte
karau ca tat-karma-karau manaś ca
smared vasantaṁ sthira-jaṅgameṣu
śṛṇoti tat-puṇya-kathāḥ sa karṇaḥ
Synonyms
sā
—
that (is)
;
vāk
—
power of speech
;
yayā
—
by which
;
tasya
—
His
;
guṇān
—
qualities
;
gṛṇīte
—
one describes
;
karau
—
pair of hands
;
ca
—
and
;
tat
—
His
;
karma
—
work
;
karau
—
doing
;
manaḥ
—
mind
;
ca
—
and
;
smaret
—
remembers
;
vasantam
—
dwelling
;
sthira
—
within the unmoving
;
jaṅgameṣu
—
and moving
;
śṛṇoti
—
hears
;
tat
—
His
;
puṇya
—
sanctifying
;
kathāḥ
—
topics
;
saḥ
—
that (is)
;
karṇaḥ
—
an ear .
Translation
Actual speech is that which describes the qualities of the Lord, real hands are those that work for Him, a true mind is that which always remembers Him dwelling within everything moving and nonmoving, and actual ears are those that listen to sanctifying topics about Him.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Actual speech is that which describes the qualities of the Lord, real hands are those that work for Him, a true mind is that which always remembers Him dwelling within everything moving and nonmoving, and actual ears are those that listen to sanctifying topics about Him.
KB 10.80.3
King Parīkṣit continued: “The ability to talk can be perfected only by describing the transcendental qualities of the Lord. The ability to work with one’s hands can be successful only when one engages himself in the service of the Lord with those hands. Similarly, one’s mind can be peaceful only when one simply thinks of Kṛṣṇa in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This does not mean that one has to have very great thinking power: one has to understand simply that Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, is all-pervasive by His localized aspect of Paramātmā. If one can simply think that Kṛṣṇa, as Paramātmā, is everywhere, even within the atom, then one can perfect the thinking, feeling and willing functions of his mind. The perfect devotee does not see the material world as it appears to material eyes, for he sees everywhere the presence of his worshipable Lord in His Paramātmā feature.”
Mahārāja Parīkṣit continued by saying that the function of the ear can be perfected simply by engagement in hearing the transcendental activities of the Lord, …
Purport
While continuing from the previous verse to glorify the sense of hearing dedicated to the Lord, King Parīkṣit mentions the other senses also, so that we gain a complete picture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Here he declares that without any connection to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, all the organs of the body become useless. A similar statement is made by Śaunaka Ṛṣi in the Second Canto, Third Chapter, verses 20 to 24.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī mentions that the senses should work together in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In other words, whatever the eyes or the ears experience, the mind should simply remember Kṛṣṇa, who is within all things.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Not only the ear, but all organs of the body become useless without relationship with Krsna. As the words of Saunaka indicate "jivha’sti dardurika iva" their tongues are those of frogs Engaging the organs otherwise is criticized. The hands by engagement in serving the Lord become fortunate. That mind which engages in remembering he who dwells in all moving and non moving entities, no matter what object the eyes sees, is fortunate.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The ears are useless without hearing those topics. In order to show this Parīkṣit gives examples of other senses. When one develops bhakti for the Lord one seeks out many qualities of the Lord (guṇān). By speech one glorifies the qualities of the Lord. Dissatisfied with one example he says that all senses should be engaged. By the hands one should engage in work such as deity worship and services. By the mind one should remember the Lord who is situated everywhere at all times. The ear should listen to the Lord’s topics which purify or are attractive (puṇya). Since the ear is a knowledge gathering sense, and one can gain knowledge using one ear (unlike the hand), karṇaḥ is in the singular. The eye also is singular for this reason (next verse).
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
That is speech by which a person describes the qualities of the Lord like mercy, beauty and sweetness. Otherwise speech is unaccomplished, like the croaking of a frog or it is criticized. The same goes for action of the hands, mind or ears.
Words attain their function by chanting the Lord’s names with great care. Generally words are of great variety and cause disturbance to all the senses, and thus one must with great care to engage them in chanting the Lord’s names. This extinguishes agitation of all the senses and gives bliss, and thus it is the best means of attaining the highest goal. It aids other engagements in their perfection.
Many qualities (guṇān) are chanted, as this is the nature of the Lord’s qualities or many qualities drives out material topics. The words are for one’s own benefit as well as benefiting the listeners. One engages the hands in actions such as serving the deity (karma). One engages the mind in the Lord living in all moving and nonmoving beings. Thus one can think of the Lord all the time and everywhere. Moving beings are mentioned later since they are more plentiful. Or one should remember the Lord residing intimately in the nonmoving kadamba trees and moving beings like cows.
The sense of the ear, or the two ears (karṇaḥ) listens to the Lord’s topics which are purifying or are the very form of purity or most attractive (puṇya-kathāḥ). One ear can also indicate both ears. The same should be understood in relation to the eyes. The word puṇya indicates the very form of the topics, purity being their nature or indicateing the descriptions of the sweet pastimes.