Bhashya
अन्नस्य भुक्तस्य यो अणिष्ठो धातुः, स मनसि शक्तिम- धात् ।सा अन्नोपचिता मनसः शक्तिः षोडशधा प्रविभज्य पुरुषस्य कलात्वेन निर्दिदिक्षिता ।तया मनम्यन्नोपचितया शक्त्या षोडशधा प्रविभक्तया संयुक्तः तद्वान्कार्यकारणसंघातलक्षणो जीवविशिष्टः पुरुषः षोडशकल उच्यते ; यस्यां सत्यां द्रष्टा श्रोता मन्ता बोद्धा कर्ता विज्ञाता सर्वक्रिया- समर्थः पुरुषो भवति ; हीयमानायां च यस्यां सामर्थ्य- हानिः ।वक्ष्यति च 'अथान्नस्यायी द्रष्टा' इत्यादि ।सर्वस्य कार्यकारणस्य सामर्थ्य मनःकृतमेव ।मानसेन हि बलेन संपन्ना बलिनो दृश्यन्ते लोके प्राणाहाराश्च केचित्, अन्नस्य सर्वात्मकत्वात् ।अतः अन्नकृतं मानसं वीर्यम् ।षोडश कलाः यस्य पुरुषस्य सोऽयं षोडशकलः पुरुषः ।एतच्चेत्प्रत्यक्षीकर्तु- मिच्छसि, पञ्चदशसंख्याकान्यहानि माशीः अशनं मा- कार्षीः, कामम् इच्छातः अपः पिब, यस्मात् नपिबतः अपःते प्राणो विच्छेत्स्यते विच्छेदमापत्स्यते, यस्मादापोमयःअब्विकारः प्राण इत्यवोचाम ।न हि कार्यं स्वकारणोपष्टम्भ-मन्तरेण अविभ्रंशमानं स्थातुमुत्सहते ॥
In plain words
The subtlest part of ingested food nourishes the mind. That mental energy, augmented by food and divided into sixteen parts, constitutes the sixteen digits of the human person. When these parts are intact, the individual functions fully as a seer, hearer, thinker, and doer; when they wane, capability diminishes. All functional capacity in the mind-body system stems from food. To verify this directly for yourself, abstain from solid food for fifteen days while drinking water as you please; for without water-support, your vital breath will fail, since an effect cannot endure without the sustenance of its causal root.
Close to the Sanskrit
Of food eaten, which is the subtlest constituent, that placed power in the mind. That food-nourished power of the mind, divided sixteenfold, was desired to be pointed out as the phase-nature of the person. By that sixteenfold divided food-nourished power united, possessing that, the embodied person consisting of the cause-effect aggregate, distinguished by the jiva, is called sixteen-parted; when which [parts] exist, the seer, hearer, thinker, understander, doer, knower, person capable of all action becomes; and when [they are] diminishing, there is loss of capacity. And [scripture] will speak: 'Then the food-eater, the seer,' and so on. All capacity of cause and effect is mind-made alone. For by mental strength endowed strong ones are seen in the world, and some are food-takers, because of the all-pervading nature of food. Therefore food-made is mental vigor. Sixteen parts of which person—he is this sixteen-parted person. If you wish to make this evident, do not eat for fifteen days; drink water at desire, since of one not drinking water your breath will be cut off, will undergo severance, since we stated breath is water-formed, a modification of water. For an effect is not able to stand without falling apart, without the support of its own cause.