नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् |
पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् || 8||

प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्ण्न्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि |
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् || 9||

Those 13 kriyas are:

पश्यन् / Pashyan: Refers to the action of seeing. Have you ever thought how surprising it is that we can effortlessly perceive a wide array of colors, shapes, and even emotions through our vision? It’s a gift that allows us to experience the richness of the world around us purely through sight.

Like Netra and Chakshu – Have you ever wonderered that despite the Eye size remaining the same, Ocean fits in such a small eye.

शृण्वन् / Shrinvan: Refers to the act of hearing. Have you ever paused to consider how remarkable it is that we can effortlessly recognize and differentiate various sounds? Whether it’s human voices, bird songs, or animal calls, our ability to perceive and interpret these auditory signals happens seamlessly and without conscious effort.

स्पृशन् / Sprushan: Refers to the act of touching or feeling. Have you ever thought who enables us to distinguish between sensations like hot and cold? How is it that we instinctively react, such as crying when hurt, without consciously deciding to do so?

जिघ्रन् / Jighran: Refers to the act of smelling. Have you ever considered the significance of our sense of smell? How is it that we can easily distinguish between different scents, such as the fragrance of a rose versus that of jasmine? It’s a remarkable ability that enriches our sensory experience.

अश्नन् / Ashnan: Refers to the act of eating. Have you ever considered how incredible it is that whatever we eat transforms into our blood? Across different cultures and continents—Asians, Americans, Africans—this process remains the same. It’s truly worth pondering how our bodies seamlessly convert food into the essential elements that sustain our life.

And have you ever wondered about the different tastes—sweet, sour, spicy, bland, salty—and how easily we can tell them apart? Our senses let us enjoy all these flavors without us even trying.

गच्छन् / Gachhan: Refers to Moving. It’s so fascinating that how our bodies effortlessly maintain balance without conscious effort once we learn it as infants. We don’t have to consciously remind ourselves to do it every time we stand up? It becomes automatic and effortless.

स्वपन् / (Swapan) : Refers to Sleeping and how we rest. Sleep is something that comes naturally to us without requiring effort. We often don’t even realize the exact moment we fall asleep. Imagine if we couldn’t sleep — it’s been shown that just one day without sleep can lead to increased irritability, anxiety, and difficulties with clear thinking. Sleep is a designed by God to allow us to relax and rejuvenate our minds and bodies
Sleep is the Anubhav of Brahma – We forget ourselves for that duration of time.

श्वसन् / Shvasan: Refers to breathing, something all living beings depend on. Have you ever noticed how you don’t need to think about breathing—it happens naturally, without any effort? It’s essential for our life, yet it’s something we do automatically, without having to remind ourselves every day.

प्रलपन् / Pralapan: Refers to speaking or talking. Have you ever noticed that once you’ve learned how to speak and pronounce words like ‘A’ or ‘B’, it becomes automatic? You don’t have to constantly remind yourself how to make these sounds—it comes naturally once you’ve learned it.

विसृजन्/ Visrujan refers to giving up or excreting
Have you ever considered how our digestive system works? It’s fascinating how our body breaks down food into nutrients and separates liquids and solids, which eventually become urine and feces. This process is so well-designed by God. Interestingly, we have no control over when this digestion happens—it all occurs automatically in our bodies.

गृह्णन् / gruhnan means holding.
Have you ever considered that we don’t need to teach babies how to hold things? It happens automatically. Similarly, as adults, we don’t need constant reminders on how to hold objects like bags—it comes naturally and effortlessly to us.

उन्मिषन् / Unmishan refers to opening the eyes and
निमिषन् / nimishan refers to closing the eyes
Have you ever thought about the act of blinking? It’s one of the smallest actions we do, yet it’s crucial for our eye health. On average, people blink about 15-20 times per minute. Blinking helps keep our eyes moist, clean, and nourished. If we didn’t blink, our corneas could swell, and our eyes might suffer from infections, dryness, and blurry vision.Interestingly, blinking is completely automatic and effortless for us. We don’t consciously control when we blink—it happens naturally to protect and maintain the health of our eyes.

To summarize, with these 13 activities that our body performs daily to sustain our life, it’s evident we have no control over them. We see, hear, touch, smell, eat, move, sleep, breathe, speak, release, hold, open, and close our eyes—all of these happen automatically without our conscious effort. This realization leads to the understanding that in reality, we have infact no control over these fundamental bodily functions. It highlights the idea that God or the divine force is the ultimate doer, orchestrating these activities within us. This understanding can lead to a deeper spiritual insight and a sense of surrender to the divine will.

We constantly have to show to our buddhi/ intellect that even in performing these basic actions / kriyas, we have no control. Then in reality what control does a human have ? the answer is NOTHING! When we realize this, we will understand ourselves naturally.

Just look at an orange, has anyone till date been able to discover what material is used in there? How are those small pieces of an orange all clung on to each other and then the peel holds it firmly inside. This is because of ‘SANATAN TATTVA’ or even see a lemon, made with such small fibers and each of them is filled with juice and all of them perfectly round, EVERYTIME! This is because of ‘SANATAN TATTVA’ !
Take a rose in your hand & see, how are those petals so beautifully placed onto each other and absolutely in sync! The colours given to it, the smell given to it! Who does it? and how? and when?? All because of ‘SANATAN TATTVA’

While looking at these things we must remember that he has made all these things to beautify his World and not because he wants to differentiate! He is the same everywhere, just like there is the same electric current flowing within different things, differently, i.e., it cools through the fridge or heats through the heater, this is all because of one ‘SANATAN TATTVA’.

Look at the birds, how do they teach their off-springs to fly? Have u ever seen any bird falling off the branch because of disbalance? How are they taken care of? It’s because of ‘SANATAN TATTVA’! Look at small babies, nobody can even stick one single strand of hair on their head, not even a single hair! How does he shape the babies by placing so many bones, so many nerves, lenses and all of it in such a small body. Do we ever think of anything? This is all happening because of that ‘SANATAN TATTVA’.

That one energy or ‘shakti’ is working at all times through everything and everyone of us, we are just not paying attention to it.

And for this, we should try and calmly pay attention to things around and within us and we will see that, it is trying to reveal itself through each and everything!
And it’s for us to understand that who is at play behind the curtains! To know this, is our ‘DHARMA’ and for that we should do our duties, selflessly. By doing which,
our ‘ मन ‘ (mind) & ‘ बुद्धी ‘ (intellect) becomes pure and we are then able to see that tattva in everything!

Remember, unless we don’t silent the noise outside, we will not be able to listen to the voice within!

This information that I have got from my Gurus and by reading Srimad Bhagwat Geeta, has helped me get a better perspective at life and thus thought would help others as well, so sharing this without any selfish motive and for the betterment of everyone, because even if one person changes their perspective, we will slowly but gradually definitely move towards peace!

Just a thought as we celebrate Sri Krishna Janmashtami tomorrow (Also, our topic for the upcoming blog!) that is why Sri Krishna adorns ‘Morpis’ (मोरपीस – Peacock feather), giving us a message, that aim for ‘More Peace’ & not ‘More Pieces’, by understanding that we all are one!

मत्त: परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय |
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव || 7.7 Srimad Bhagwat Gita
– “There is nothing beyond me and that everything rests on me as beads strung on a single thread.”

Hari Om Tat Sat

Shlok 1 –
Sri Suta says that Kailas shikhre, the top of an ice-clad mountain symbolising that one can only understand Sri Guru tattva in a peaceful environment (both internally & externally), an environment which awakens or enhances the devotion within (Bhaktisandhan) the presence of the ‘Nayak’, i.e., the leader of such place, with complete faith and devotion, which is a sign of total and unconditional surrender towards Sri Guru while seeking knowledge.

Sri Devi Uvach :
Shlok – 2&3:-
We should note here the addresses made to address Sri Guru, i.e. ‘Devdevesh, Paratpar Jagadguru, Sadashiv, Mahadev’
The disciple understands that this indeed is my ‘Paratpar Guru’, my parmeshwar who has incarnated in the form of Sri Guru, alone can uplift me and guide me through self-knowledge!
This shows the immense faith and devotion towards one’s Guru while seeking dnyaan, i.e. Gurudiksha.
Sri Devi here, surrendering in Sri Gurucharan is seeking dnyaan about how an embodied soul (Dehi) can become ‘Bhramamay’.
Here we can also refer to Shlok 4.34 from Srimad Bhagwad Gita which shows the importance of how the knowledge should be sought by the disciples, by surrendering completely in Sri Gurucharn, without holding back and asking the right kind of questions.

Ishwar Uvach:
Shlok 4 –
The very first words that we see here can be looked upon as the primary reason for the blessings and grace of Sri Guru on his disciples, i.e. ‘Mamrupasi, Tvatprityartham’, Sri Guru feels this immense love towards the disciple reciprocating the faith and devotion of the disciple.
And also because this question is ‘Lokopkarak’ i.e. for the benefit of everyone which was never asked before and not just a question for some worldly deeds for selfish wants. This symbolizes that Sri Shiva is not just the one who is found in the temples or one particular place, but everywhere there is a disciple like Parvati (who wants to go ‘Paar’ of this world), Sri Shiva appears there assuming the form of the Guru. But prayatna is what is important. Because bhakti does not only mean doing bhajan, it is something that requires dedication and commitment and hence anyone can achieve this with prayatna and understand the importance of time.

Shlok 5–
‘Durlabham trishu lokeshu’ & ‘Gurum vina bhrama nanyat’
Sri Guru explains that how this dnyaan is durlabh in all the 3 worlds as we could rarely find a Guru who would give guidance on the true knowledge on the path of self-realization and that what lies at the very core or base of it is that, there is absolutely nothing without Sri Guru tattva, which is all pervading (Srisadguruvachun vegle ase dusre bhram naahi)
And this is indeed a fact! ‘Satyam, satyam.’
(Refer to all shlokas with words ‘Satya Satyam’ as these are important shlokas)

Shlok 6,7,8–
People who read various vedas, scriptures, mantras, recitations,doing pilgrimage without knowing Sri Guru tattva will be getting pushed into adnyaan again & again.
For eg. before becoming a CA if one keeps on roaming here n there instead of preparing, one won’t be able to achieve his goals. But once he understands, gets degree , den he can, as now he is fulfilled with required knowledge.
Refer to shlok 2.41 from Srimad Bhagwad Gita, ‘Vyavasayatmika Buddhi Ekeha Kurunandan’
Similarly, if we keep bouncing back again & again into unimportant things instead of focusing on the things being guided by Sri Guru, it will not help us or will take us anywhere.
Hence it is important to first surrender fully with complete faith that this ‘only’ is my Guru who will be able to give me knowledge about my own self, i.e. understanding ur ownself very naturally!