pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann unmiṣan nimiṣann api indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan
"...speaking, releasing, grasping, opening and closing the eyes—always holds that the senses move among sense objects."
What This Means:
Continuing the list: speaking, letting go, grasping, opening and closing eyes—through all of this, the wise person maintains the understanding that 'it's just the senses interacting with their objects.' The Self isn't doing any of this.
Going Deeper:
'Indriyani indriyartheshu vartante' (senses move among sense objects)—this is the key insight. What we call 'my actions' are really just nature interacting with nature. The senses (part of nature) engage with objects (also nature). The Self is the witnessing consciousness, not the actor. 'Dharayan' (holds, maintains) shows this requires sustained remembrance, not just intellectual understanding.
How To Apply This:
When you speak, recognize: the mouth speaks, the vocal cords vibrate, air moves—all natural processes. When you grasp, it's muscles contracting. Even blinking is automatic. Keep returning to the witness position: 'The senses are doing their thing; I am the awareness watching.'
Key Sanskrit Terms: