Indriya (इन्द्रिय)

Central Theme: Indriya are instruments through which the soul obtains knowledge of external objects. Indriya themselves are not the knower; Atma (आत्मा) is the knower.

Panch Indriya

• There are five indriya and each indriya has its corresponding vishaya (विषय) or object:

  • Sparshan indriya (स्पर्शन इन्द्रिय) - touch - Sparsh (स्पर्श)
  • Rasana indriya (रसना इन्द्रिय) - taste - Ras (रस)
  • Ghrana indriya (घ्राण इन्द्रिय) - smell - Gandh (गंध)
  • Chakshu indriya (चक्षु इन्द्रिय) - sight - Roop or Varn (रूप / वर्ण)
  • Shrotra indriya (श्रोत्र इन्द्रिय) - hearing - Shabd (शब्द)

• Important distinction:

  • Indriya is the instrument or medium.
  • Atma is the gyata (ज्ञाता).
  • Therefore, the eye does not independently "know" the object; it is a necessary instrument for the soul's sensory knowledge.

Prapyakari Indriya (प्राप्यकारी इन्द्रिय)

• Prapyakari means an indriya whose vishaya must reach or come into contact with the indriya for cognition to occur.

• Four indriya are prapyakari:

  • Sparshan (स्पर्शन)
  • Rasana (रसना)
  • Ghrana (घ्राण)
  • Shrotra (श्रोत्र)

• Cause -> Effect:

  • Vishaya reaches the indriya
  • -> contact or appropriate interaction occurs
  • -> sensory cognition becomes possible.

• Sparshan:
  - The object must come into contact with the body or tactile sense.

  • -> Sparsh can be known.

• Rasana:

  • The substance must reach and interact with the tongue.
  • -> Ras can be known.

• Ghrana:

  • Gandh-related pudgala reaches the olfactory sense.

  • -> Gandh can be known.

• Shrotra:

  • The sound-producing object itself does not need to reach the ear.
  • However, the vishaya of Shrotra is Shabd (शब्द).
  • Shabd reaches the auditory sense.
  • -> Therefore Shrotra is classified as prapyakari.

• Important distinction:

  • A distant bell may be the cause of sound.
  • But the actual vishaya of Shrotra is Shabd, not the bell itself.
  • Therefore, distance of the sound-producing object does not make Shrotra aprapyakari.

Aprapyakari Indriya (अप्राप्यकारी इन्द्रिय)

• Aprapyakari means an indriya whose vishaya does not need to reach the indriya in the same manner for cognition.

• Only one indriya is aprapyakari:

  • Chakshu (चक्षु)

• Cause -> Effect:

  • Roop or Varn of an object is present before the eye

  • -> the object can be seen without the visual object itself reaching or touching the eye

  • -> visual cognition occurs.

• Example:

  • A tree can be seen from a distance.

  • The tree or its Roop does not physically reach the eye.

  • -> Chakshu is aprapyakari.

Why this distinction matters

• This distinction becomes important in understanding the process of Mati Gyan (मति ज्ञान).

• Especially while studying:

  • Avagraha (अवग्रह)

  • Vyanjan Avagraha (व्यंजन अवग्रह)

  • Arth Avagraha (अर्थ अवग्रह)

  • Iha (ईहा)

  • Avaya (अवाय)

  • Dharana (धारणा)

• The key principle is:

  • Classification is based on the relationship between the indriya and its vishaya.

  • It is not based merely on whether the physical source producing that sensory object is near or far.

• This helps explain why:

  • Chakshu is treated differently from the other four indriya.

  • Shrotra, despite hearing sounds originating from a distance, is still classified as prapyakari.

• Deeper study:

  • Study this together with Vyanjan Avagraha and Arth Avagraha, especially the question of why Vyanjan Avagraha is associated with the four prapyakari indriya while Chakshu is excluded.

  • The next concept to examine is the exact difference between vishaya reaching the indriya and the artha becoming known by the soul.