Beware of the senses!

Adi Shankara points out the danger that lurks in the five senses, which threatens all human beings. By identifying totally with the body and indulging in experiences through all the five sensory pathways, a human is in a worse condition than other species in the animal kingdom, that are enslaved predominantly by only one sense organ.

This is illustrated in a verse in Viveka Choodaamani. Shankara enquires: “what is the condition of a human being attached to all the five senses, when the deer, elephant, moth, fish and honeybee meet their destruction while enslaved by one of the senses?”

शब्दादिभिः पंचभिरेव पंचपंचत्वमापुः स्वगुणेन बद्धाः ।

कुरंग मातंग पतंग मीन भृंगा नरः पंचभिरंचितः किम् ॥

shabdAdibhiH panchabhireva pancha panchatvam-ApuH svaguNena baddhAH /

kuranga-mAtanga-patanga-mIna-bRungA naraH panchabhir-anchitaH kiM //

• The deer is charmed by sweet sounds made by a hunter, and is killed when it proceeds toward the sound.
• The elephant becomes attached to the sense of touch, and while mating, falls into a trap, oblivious of the danger.
• The moth is attracted by the sight of fire, and unwittingly gets burned while rushing into it.
• The fish, hungry for the bait, eagerly jumps up to bite into it, and gets caught.
• The honeybee, intoxicated by the fragrance of the flowers, gathers honey and stores it in its hive; it is subsequently destroyed when humans set fire to the hive to obtain the honey.

Through this verse, Shankara dissuades human beings from forming a strong attachment to the body, which leads to relentless sensory pursuits.