Jihva

Tongue, speech, the organ of taste. From an ancient root connected with licking and tasting. One of the five jñānendriyas (organs of knowledge) in Sāṃkhya philosophy.

The Bhagavad-gītā uses jihvā metaphorically to describe the senses as forces that must be governed rather than indulged. The tongue’s dual function — taste and speech — makes it a potent symbol of both physical craving and verbal expression.

In haṭha yoga, jihvā refers to the practice of khecarī mudrā — drawing the tongue back and touching its tip to the soft palate on the roof of the mouth. This seals the circuit of energy and is said to produce amṛta, the nectar of immortality.