Bhashya
पाङ्क्तस्य कर्मणः फलभूतानि यानि त्रीण्यन्नान्युपक्षिप्तानि तानि कार्यत्वात् विस्तीर्णविषयत्वाच्च पूर्वेभ्योऽन्नेभ्यः पृथगुत्कृष्टानि ; तेषां व्याख्यानार्थ उत्तरो ग्रन्थ आ ब्राह्मणपरिसमाप्तेः ।त्रीण्यात्मनेऽकुरुतेति कोऽस्यार्थ इत्युच्यते— मनः वाक् प्राणः, एतानि त्रीण्यन्नानि ; तानि मनः वाचं प्राणं च आत्मने आत्मार्थम् अकुरुत कृतवान् सृष्ट्वा आदौ पिता ।तेषां मनसोऽस्तित्वं स्वरूपं च प्रति संशय इत्यत आह— अस्ति तावन्मनः श्रोत्रादिबाह्यकरणव्यतिरिक्तम् ; यत एवं प्रसिद्धम्— बाह्यकरणविषयात्मसंबन्धे सत्यपि अभिमुखीभूतं विषयं न गृह्णाति, किं दृष्टवानसीदं रूपमि-त्युक्तो वदति—अन्यत्र मे गतं मन आसीत् सोऽहमन्यत्रमना आसं नादर्शम् , तथेदंै श्रुतवानसि मदीयं वच इत्युक्तः अन्य-त्रमना अभूवम् नाश्रौषं न श्रुतवानस्मीति ।तस्मात् यस्यासं-निधौ रूपादिग्रहणसमर्थस्यापि सतः चक्षुरादेः स्वस्वविषय-संबन्धे रूपशब्दादिज्ञानं न भवति, यस्य च भावे भवति, तत् अन्यत् अस्ति मनो नामान्तःकरणं सर्वकरणविषययो-
In plain words
The three foods that are the fruit of fivefold action have been introduced. Being effects and having a vast domain, they are distinct from and superior to previous foods. To explain them, the following text runs to the end of the Brāhmaṇa. 'He created three for himself'—what does this mean? It is said: mind, speech, and breath. These three foods the primordial father created first for himself. Regarding the existence and nature of the mind, a doubt arises. Therefore it is said: the mind certainly exists, distinct from outer senses like the ear. For it is a matter of common experience that even when an outer sense is in contact with its object, if the mind is turned elsewhere, it does not perceive it. When someone is asked, 'Did you see this form?' they reply, 'My mind was elsewhere; I was distracted and did not see.' Likewise when told, 'You heard my words,' they reply, 'I was distracted; I did not hear.' Therefore, when the eye and other senses are fully capable of grasping forms, yet in the absence of the mind no perception of form or sound occurs, and in its presence perception does take place—that separate entity called the mind truly exists as the inner instrument for all senses.
Close to the Sanskrit
The three foods which are the results of fivefold action having been introduced, because they are effects and because of their vast scope, they are distinct and superior to previous foods; for the purpose of explaining them, the following text extends up to the completion of the Brāhmaṇa. 'He made three for the self'—what is the meaning of this? It is said: mind, speech, and breath; those three foods he—the father, having created them first at the beginning—made for the self, for his own purpose. Concerning the existence and intrinsic nature of the mind, doubt arises; therefore it is said: the mind exists, distinct from external instruments like the ear, because it is well known that even when there is contact between the external sense and its object, if the mind is turned elsewhere, it does not grasp it. When asked 'Did you see this form?' one replies, 'My mind was elsewhere, I was elsewhere-minded, I did not see.' Likewise when told, 'You heard this word of mine,' when asked, 'I was elsewhere-minded, I did not hear, I did not hear it.' Therefore, that by whose absence, even though the eye and other senses are capable of grasping forms and the like, knowledge of form, sound, and objects does not occur, and by whose presence it does occur—that different thing named the mind exists as the inner instrument for all sense objects.