DHARAM SHIKSHA - 25 BOL (BOL 4)
Updated: Aug 12
Jai Jinendra kids!
We hope you've revised all the Paths that we learned in the previous classes and also understood nicely the 3 bols we have done till now.
Oh, and don't forget to recall the names of our 24 Tirthankar Bhagwans too!
Now we shall move on to the next Bol.
Bol 4 - Indriyan 5
The word Indriya basically refers to our sense organs.
We use our senses every single day to understand the world around us. We see beautiful things, hear music, taste food, smell flowers and feel things with our skin.
But Jain Dharam looks at the senses in a very interesting way.
It asks: “How many senses does a Jeev have?”
And the answer is: Jeev can have one, two, three, four or five senses.
So, Indriya 5 means there are five types of senses.
Let's understand them one by one!
👋 1. Sparsh Indriya — Sense of Touch
The first sense is Touch.
We experience touch through our skin that covers our body.
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine someone gently tapping your hand.
How did you know that someone touched you?
👉 Through your sense of touch!
We can feel:
Hot
Cold
Soft
Hard
Rough
Smooth
Heavy
Light
Imagine you pick up a fluffy cotton ball. You'll think:
“Wow! It's so soft!”
Then you touch a rough stone.
“This feels hard and rough!”
Your Sparsh Indriya helps you experience these sensations.
According to Jain Aagams, all one-sensed Jeevs have the sense of touch.
This includes the first five Kayas we learned about earlier:
🌍 Prithvi Kaya💧 Ap Kaya🔥 Tejas Kaya🌬️ Vayu Kaya🌱 Vanaspati Kaya
These are called Ekendriya Jeevs — beings with one sense.
👅 2. Rasana Indriya — Sense of Taste
Now imagine your favourite food sitting in front of you.
Maybe it's pizza.
Maybe it's dosa.
Maybe it's mango!
How do you know whether something tastes:
🍋 Sour🍯 Sweet🧂 Salty🌶️ Spicy😖 Bitter
You use your Rasana Indriya — the sense of taste.
This is why if you take a bite of a lemon, you'll go:
“Yuck! It's so sour!”
Your sense of taste tells you that.
👃 3. Ghraan Indriya — Sense of Smell
Now close your eyes and imagine that someone is baking your favourite cake.
You haven't seen the cake.
You haven't tasted it.
But suddenly you say: “Something smells delicious!”
How did you know?
👉 Through your sense of smell.
This is called Ghraan Indriya.
It helps us recognize different smells.
👀 4. Chakshu Indriya — Sense of Sight
Now open your eyes.
What can you see around you?
You might see:
🌳 A tree📚 A book👩 Your teacher🎨 Colours🐕 An animal
This is possible because of our Chakshu Indriya — the sense of sight.
Sight allows us to see:
Colours
Shapes
Sizes
Distance
Movement
👂 5. Shrotra Indriya — Sense of Hearing
And finally, we have the fifth sense — Hearing.
Let's try something.
Close your eyes.
Can you hear:
👂 Someone talking?🐦 Birds chirping?🚗 A vehicle?🎵 Music?🔔 A bell?
Even though your eyes are closed, you can still experience these sounds.
That's because of your Shrotra Indriya — the sense of hearing.
Let's Put Them All Together!
Here's a simple way for you all to remember the 5 Indriyas:
Number | Indriya | Sense | What does it help us do? |
1 | Sparsh | 👋 Touch | Feel |
2 | Rasana | 👅 Taste | Taste |
3 | Ghraan | 👃 Smell | Smell |
4 | Chakshu | 👀 Sight | See |
5 | Shrotra | 👂 Hearing | Hear |
🌱 But Why Does Our Dharam Teach Us About Senses?
Remember the previous Bol we learned - Bol 3 (Kaya 6)?
In that, we learned that there are different kinds of Jeevs according to their Kayas.
Now Bol 4 tells us Jeevs also differ according to the number of senses they possess.
Which Sense Is The Most Difficult to Get?
Shrotra Indriya. Only 5-sensed beings have Shrotra Indriya.
Can a 2-Indriya Jeev have ANY two senses?
No. Jeevs get sense in a pre-defined sequence.
One-sensed Jeev Only Has:
👋 Touch
Two-sensed Jeev Has:
👋 Touch + 👅 Taste
Three-sensed Jeev Has:
👋 Touch + 👅 Taste + 👃 Smell
Four-sensed Jeev Has:
👋 Touch + 👅 Taste + 👃 Smell + 👀 Sight
Five-sensed Jeev Has:
👋 Touch + 👅 Taste + 👃 Smell + 👀 Sight + 👂 Hearing
Does More Senses Mean a Jeev Is More Important?
Absolutely not!
This is a very important point to note.
A five-sensed Jeev is not somehow a "better" Jeev than a one-sensed Jeev.
Why?
Because every Jeev has a soul.
So we shouldn't think: “A human is important, but a plant isn't.”
Instead, our Dharam teaches us to develop Ahimsa towards all Jeevs.
Then Why Should We Care About the Number of Senses?
When we understand that living beings have different sensory capacities, we become more aware of the different levels of sensitivity they experience.
This encourages us to be careful about our actions.
STORY TIME - The King Who Couldn’t Control His Senses
Once upon a time, there lived a powerful king who was loved by the people of his kingdom. But one year, the king fell seriously ill.
The royal physicians tried everything they could think of.
They gave him medicines, prepared special diets and tried different treatments—but nothing seemed to work.
The king grew weaker with each passing day.
One day, a Vaidya from a distant village heard about the king's illness. He travelled all the way to the palace and carefully examined him.
After examining the king, the Vaidya said, “Maharaj, I believe I can cure you. But there is one condition you must follow.”
The king eagerly asked, “What is the condition? I will do whatever it takes to get better.”
The Vaidya looked at him seriously. “From today onwards, you must never eat mangoes again.”
The king was shocked.
“Never eat mangoes?”
Mangoes were the king's favourite fruit! During mango season, he could happily eat several of them every day.
But he wanted to live.
So, after a moment's hesitation, he promised: “I vow that I will never eat a mango again.”
The Vaidya began his treatment, and slowly, the king recovered.
Within a few weeks, he was completely healthy again.
🌳 The Journey Through the Forest
Some time later, the king had to travel to a nearby village.
He set off with his soldiers and his Mantri, who was known throughout the kingdom for his wisdom.
As they travelled, they entered a thick forest.
Suddenly, the Mantri stopped.
He looked around and said, “Maharaj, we should stop here.”
The king was puzzled. “Why? We still have a long way to go.”
The Mantri took a deep breath. “I can smell mangoes.”
The king smiled. “So what? I have promised never to eat them. Keep going.”
But the Mantri remained worried. “Maharaj, perhaps we should take another route.”
The king laughed. “Do you think I cannot control myself? I have already made a promise. Move ahead!”
The group continued.
A little farther ahead, they discovered a beautiful mango orchard filled with trees carrying ripe, juicy mangoes. 🥭
The sweet fragrance filled the air.
The king looked at the trees.
His mouth watered.
But he quickly reminded himself: “I promised the Vaidya. I will not eat mangoes.”
But he still told his team - “This is a beautiful place. Let us rest here for a while.”
The Mantri immediately objected. “Maharaj, I don't think that is a good idea.”
The king smiled confidently. “Why are you worried? I can control my Rasana Indriya. I won't eat the mangoes.”
The Mantri had nothing more to say.
The king and his men settled down under the shade of the mango trees.
Soon, everyone fell asleep.
🥭 When the Rasana Indriya Took Control
The king tried to sleep too.
But the smell of the ripe mangoes was everywhere.
He opened his eyes.
He looked up.
There they were.
Big, golden mangoes hanging from the branches.
His mouth began to water.
Finally, his Rasana overpowered his self-control.
He quietly got up.
He looked around.
Everyone was still asleep.
The king picked a mango.
One bite.
His eyes lit up. “Mmm… it's delicious!”
Then he ate another.
And another.
And another.
Soon, he had completely forgotten about his promise.
He kept eating mango after mango until he had eaten far too many.
The king became terribly ill and eventually died!
🌸 What Can We Learn From This Story?
The king's problem wasn't that he liked mangoes.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying something.
The real problem was that he could not control his desire.
Our five Indriyas help us experience the world:
👋 Sparsh — Touch👅 Rasana — Taste👃 Ghraan — Smell👀 Chakshu — Sight👂 Shrotra — Hearing
They are wonderful gifts. They allow us to enjoy beautiful sights, delicious food, pleasant fragrances, music and the world around us.
But if we allow our senses to control us, they can lead us towards unhealthy choices, greed, attachment and even harm.
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