Pleasures

[c.smith]

Hari Om!

Why are pleasures of the tongue and skin the most potent?

Om

[smaranam]

Namaste

Regarding pleasures of the tongue:

1. Living beings have to eat, but then it is not only about hunger anymore due to the conditioning of eating, tasting and expecting tasty food. In a society where Food has become a socialization medium rather than just nutrition to satisfy hunger and maintain energy.

2. The ego is the most poisonous KAliyA, that wants to speak speak and speak. Assert itself.

When conflict arises, it wants to assert, explain, and you know the fire that speech -- vAk can ignite. Words, right words, soft words, sweet words, but of truth as KRshNa says - does not always remain that way.

Tongue can speak that should not be spoken, secret, confidential, causing treason or deceit, break of trust etc.

One may say that the mind and the 3 guNa - sattva raja tama drive the vAk (speech). Yet, the reptilian brain is impulsive enough to just blurt things. Therefore tongue is a strong indrIya (sense organ).

** Tongue is explained very well in the Goswamis' Upadesh AmRta (Nectar of Instruction).

om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ~

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
　

Hari Om!

Why are pleasures of the tongue and skin the most potent?

Om

I think it may be said a bit differently... it may be said, up to this point in life why are pleasures of the tongue and skin the most potent ?
Within the human construct these experiences may be potent within the framework of experience so far.
The taittirīya upaniṣad calls out the happiness of knowing brahman as 100 fold.

iti śivaṁ

[brahman]

Every sense organ, after all, is a variation of a single skin; and its potency may vary from person to person.

Although, it does not answer your questions directly, here is a link on, why every sense organ is an alternation of the same skin.