मुखतस्तालु निर्भिन्नं जिह्वा तत्रोपजायते ततो नानारसो जज्ञे जिह्वया यो ऽधिगम्यते
mukhatas tālu nirbhinnaṁ jihvā tatropajāyate tato nānā-raso jajñe jihvayā yo 'dhigamyate
Synonyms
mukhataḥ—from the mouth; tālu—the palate; nirbhinnam—being generated; jihvā—the tongue; tatra—thereupon; upajāyate—becomes manifested; tataḥ—thereupon; nānā-rasaḥ—various tastes; jajñe—became manifested; jihvayā—by the tongue; yaḥ—which; adhigamyate—become relished..
Translation
From the mouth the palate became manifested, and thereupon the tongue was also generated. After this all the different tastes came into existence so that the tongue can relish them.
Purport
This gradual process of evolution suggests the explanation of the controlling deities (adhidaiva) because Varuṇa is the controlling deity for all relishable juices. Therefore the mouth becomes the resting place for the tongue, which tastes all the different juices of which the controlling deity is the Varuṇa. It suggests, therefore, that Varuṇa was also generated along with the development of the tongue. The tongue and the palate, being instrumental, are adhibhūtam, or the forms of matter, but the functioning deity who is a living entity is adhidaiva, whereas the person undergoing the function is adhyātmic, and thus the three categories are also explained as to their birth after the opening of the mouth of the virāṭa puruṣa. The four principles mentioned here in this verse serve to explain the three main principles, namely the adhyātma, adhidaiva and adhibhūtam, as explained before.