Devanagari
नासिके निरभिद्येतां दोधूयति नभस्वति ।
तत्र वायुर्गन्धवहो घ्राणो नसि जिघृक्षत: ॥ २० ॥
Verse text
nāsike nirabhidyetāṁ
dodhūyati nabhasvati
tatra vāyur gandha-vaho
ghrāṇo nasi jighṛkṣataḥ
Synonyms
nāsike
—
in the nostrils
;
nirabhidyetām
—
being developed
;
dodhūyati
—
rapidly blowing
;
nabhasvati
—
air respiration
;
tatra
—
thereupon
;
vāyuḥ
—
air
;
gandha
—
vahaḥ — smelling odor
;
ghrāṇaḥ
—
sense of smell
;
nasi
—
in the nose
;
jighṛkṣataḥ
—
desiring to smell odors .
Translation
Thereafter, when the supreme puruṣa desired to smell odors, the nostrils and respiration were generated, the nasal instrument and odors came into existence, and the controlling deity of air, carrying smell, also became manifested.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
When the universal form desired to speak, from his mouth, the devatā of fire, the voice sense organ and speech, which is dependent on the devatā and the sense organ, appeared. When the form resided in the water for a long time, obstruction appeared for the universal form. When the life air became active, the two nostrils became differentiated. When the universal form desired to smell, Vāyu, who carries fragrance, fragrance, and the nose appeared.
Purport
The nasal instrument, odor, and the controlling deity of air, smelling, etc., all became manifested simultaneously when the Lord desired to smell. The Vedic
mantras
confirm this statement in the
Upaniṣads’
statement that everything is first desired by the Supreme before the subordinate living entity can act upon it. The living entity can see only when the Lord sees, the living entity can smell when the Lord smells, and so on. The idea is that the living entity cannot do anything independently. He can simply think of doing something independently, but he cannot act independently. This independence in thinking is there by the grace of the Lord, but the thinking can be given shape by the grace of the Lord, and therefore the common saying is that man proposes and God disposes. The whole explanation is on the subject of the absolute dependence of the living entities and absolute independence of the Supreme Lord. Less intelligent persons claiming to be on an equal level with God must first prove themselves to be absolute and independent, and then they must substantiate their claim to being one with God.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In the location of the mouth (mukhataḥ) of the universal form appeared the devatā fire, the subtle sense organ voice and the sense object speech (vyāhrtam), which is dependent on the devatā and the sense (tayoḥ).
When obstruction took place in the water for the universal form, without breathing he could not continue existence. The nostrils are the location, the gross form, by which breathing can take place. When the life air (nabhasvati) became very active (dodhūyati), the two nostrils (gross organ) became differentiated. Air or Vāyu, who carries the fragrance, is the devatā, and fragrance is the sense object. The nose is the subtle sense object. Jighṛkṣataḥ means “of he who desired to receive smells.”