देहेन्द्रियप्राणमनोधियोऽमी यदंशविद्धा: प्रचरन्ति कर्मसु । नैवान्यदा लौहमिवाप्रतप्तं स्थानेषु तद् द्रष्ट्रपदेशमेति ॥ २४ ॥
dehendriya-prana-mano-dhiyo ’mi yad-amsa-viddhah pracaranti karmasu naivanyada lauham ivaprataptam sthanesu tad drastrapadesam eti
- deha
- the body
- indriya
- senses
- prana
- life airs
- manah
- mind
- dhiyah
- and intelligence
- ami
- all those
- yat-amsa-viddhah
- being influenced by rays of Brahman, or the Supreme Lord
- pracaranti
- they move
- karmasu
- in various activities
- na
- not
- eva
- indeed
- anyada
- at other times
- lauham
- iron
- iva
- like
- aprataptam
- not heated (by fire)
- sthanesu
- in those circumstances
- tat
- that
- drastr-apadesam
- the name of a subject matter
- eti
- achieves
As iron has the power to burn when made red-hot in the association of fire, so the body, senses, living force, mind and intelligence, although merely lumps of matter, can function in their activities when infused with a particle of consciousness by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As iron cannot burn unless heated by fire, the bodily senses cannot act unless favored by the Supreme Brahman.