अकरणत्वाच्च न दोषः, तथाहि दर्शयति ॥ ११ ॥
akaraṇatvācca na doṣaḥ, tathāhi darśayati || 11 ||
akaraṇatvāt—On account of (its) not being an instrument; ca—and; na—not; doṣaḥ—objection; tathā hi—because thus; darśayati—(Sruti) teaches.
11. And on account of (its) not being an instrument (there is) no objection, because thus (the scripture) teaches.
If the vital force, like the organs is also subordinate to the soul, then it must stand in the relation of an instrument to the soul like the organs. But as there are only eleven functions and as many organs already, there is no room for a twelfth organ in the absence of a twelfth sense-object. This Sutra refutes the above objection and says that the vital force is not an instrument or organ like the eyes etc., for the acceptance of which a twelfth sense-object would be necessary; yet it has a function in the body which no sense-organ is capable of, and that is the upkeep of the body. In the text, “Preserves the unclean nest (of a body) with the help of the vital force” (Brih. 4. 3. 12), the vital force is said to guard the body. Again, “From whatever limb the Prana goes, right there it withers” (Brih, 1. 8. 19); “Whatever food one eats through the Prana satisfies these (the organs)” (Brih, 1. 8. 18). All these texts show that the function of the vital force (Prana) is the upkeep of the body, unlike those of the organs.
Nor is this the only function of the vital force. There are others, too, as the next Sutra declares.