Verse 3.7

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

अन्नं प्राणमितीत्यादि वरुणो भृगवेऽवदत् ।
देहकारणमन्नं स्यात्प्राणः प्राणादिकारणम् ।
चक्षुः श्रोत्रं मनो वाक्च करणान्युपलब्धये ॥ ७ ॥

annaṃ prāṇamitītyādi varuṇo bhṛgave'vadat |
dehakāraṇamannaṃ syātprāṇaḥ prāṇādikāraṇam |
cakṣuḥ śrotraṃ mano vākca karaṇānyupalabdhaye || 7 ||

English translation of verse 3.7:

Varuṇa spoke of “food, vital force,” etc., to Bhṛgu. Food is the cause of body. Vital force is the cause of prāṇa, etc. Eye, ear, mind, and speech are the instruments of knowledge.

Notes:

This verse explains the meaning of the śruti texts tasmā etat-provāca, annam-prāṇam, etc.

Varuṇa begins his instruction by first speaking of food, vital force eye, ear, mind, and speech. Food (annam) is the cause of body. Vital force (mukhyaprāṇaḥ) is the cause of prāṇa, apāna, samāna, vyāna, and udāna in the sense that it functions differentiating itself as prāṇa, apāna, etc. Eye, ear, mind, speech, etc., are organs of knowledge. Only some of the organs of knowledge are mentioned here. All these—food, vital force, eye, etc.,—which have been referred to by Varuṇa can be characterized as doors (dvārāṇi) to the realization of Brahman.