मुखतस्तालु निर्भिन्नंजिह्वा तत्रोपजायते ।
ततो नानारसो जज्ञे जिह्वया योऽधिगम्यते ॥१८॥

mukhatas tÄlu nirbhinnaá¹
jihvÄ tatropajÄyate
tato nÄnÄ-raso jajñe
jihvayÄ yo 'dhigamyate

 mukhataḥ - from the mouth; tÄlu - the palate; nirbhinnam - being generated; jihvÄ - the tongue; tatra - thereupon; upajÄyate - becomes manifested; tataḥ - thereupon; nÄnÄ-rasaḥ - various tastes; jajñe - became manifested; jihvayÄ - by the tongue; yaḥ - which; adhigamyate - become relished.


Text

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 Varuṇa. This suggests, therefore, that Varuṇa was also generated along with the development of the tongue. The tongue and the palate, being instrumental, are adhibhÅ«tam, or forms of matter, but the functioning deity, who is a living entity, is adhidaiva, whereas the person undergoing the function is adhyÄtma. Thus the three categories are also explained as to their birth after the opening of the mouth of the virÄá¹­-puruá¹£a. The four principles mentioned in this verse serve to explain the three main principles, namely the adhyÄtma, adhidaiva and adhibhutam, as explained before.