Indriya (sense and motor organs)

The term Indriya is probably derived from the name Indra, the etymology of which is much disputed. Indriya as a word is at least of Vedic origin. Sometimes it denotes that which belongs to, or agreeable to Indra both sense organs and motor organs are called Indriyas in the sense that they are the characteristic of Indra,^[1] the spirit.

The Sāṃkhyakārikā says that the Indriyas are ten in number. Five organs of sense and five organs of action.

The organs of sense are—

1. eye,
2. ear,
3. nose,
4. tongue and
5. skin.

Of these Buddhīndriyas the organ through which colour is perceived is known as the eye, that which perceives sound is the ear, that which perceives the smell is the nose, that which perceives taste is the tongue and that which perceives touch is the skin.

The organs which perform action are known as karmendriya. They are five in number.

1. Vāk or the organ of the speech,
2. Pāṇi or the hands,
3. Pāda or the feet,
4. Pāyu or the organ of excretion and
5. Upastha or the organ of pleasure and generation.

The functions of karmendriyas are Vacana, Ādāna, Viharaṇa, Utsarga and Ānanda respectively. These organs come from the Sāttvika ahaṃkāra. The five senses or jñānendriyas procure and produce knowledge of touch, smell and colour, sound and taste. All these are born because of the Puruṣa and are the result of the ego or Ahaṃkāra. The jñānendriyas concerned with specific objects are saviśeṣa viṣayas. They do not refer to the external organs of ears, skin etc.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

T.K, P-100.