प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि | इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् || ९ ||
pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann unmiṣan nimiṣann api indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan
pralapan—talking; visṛjan—giving up; gṛhṇan—accepting; unmiṣan—opening; nimiṣan—closing; api—also; indriyāṇi—the senses; indriya-artheṣu—in sense gratification; vartante—are engaged; iti—thus; dhārayan—knowing.
“Talking, letting go, grasping, opening and closing the eyes — the knower of truth knows: 'The senses are moving among sense objects; I am not the doer.'”
Verses 5.8 and 5.9 together describe the same liberating understanding from two angles. In 5.8 Krishna lists major life functions; in 5.9 He lists subtler ones like speaking and blinking. Together they cover the entire field of activity. The sage's inner knowledge — 'I am the witness, not the agent' — remains unbroken through all of it. This is not suppression of activity; it is freedom within activity.
Throughout your day, experiment with this mantra: 'The body is speaking; the eyes are seeing; the hands are working. I am the silent awareness behind all of it.' Even five minutes of this practice can shift your relationship to stress and busyness.