karmendriya

Karmendriya is a Sanskrit term from Hindu philosophy, particularly prominent in Samkhya and Vedanta schools, referring to the organs of action or the faculties of work. These are understood as the external organs through which an individual acts upon the world. There are typically five karmendriyas.

The five karmendriyas are: vak (speech), pani (hands), pada (feet), payu (anus), and upastha (genitals). Each of these organs is associated with a specific function. Vak is responsible for speaking, pani for grasping or manipulating objects, pada for locomotion or movement, payu for excretion, and upastha for procreation or sensual pleasure.

In the Samkhya system, the karmendriyas are considered to be evolutes of the ego (ahamkara), which in turn arises from the primordial matter (prakriti). They are distinct from the jnanendriyas, which are the sense organs of perception. While the jnanendriyas perceive the external world, the karmendriyas allow the individual to interact with it.

The functioning of the karmendriyas is often linked to the mind (manas) and the intellect (buddhi). The mind is seen as the coordinating faculty that receives sensory input and directs the karmendriyas to act. The intellect, with its capacity for discrimination and decision-making, guides the overall direction of these actions. Together, the jnanendriyas, karmendriyas, mind, intellect, and ego are sometimes referred to as the seventeen constituents of the subtle body. Understanding the karmendriyas is important in many Indian philosophical discussions on consciousness, action, and liberation.