Shloka 17
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
काष्ठानीवार्द्रशुष्काणि यतमानैरपीन्द्रियै: । गुणार्थान् नाधिगच्छन्ति मामृते सर्वजन्तव:
kāṣṭhānīva ārdraśuṣkāṇi yatamānair api indriyaiḥ | guṇārthān nādhigacchanti mām ṛte sarvajantavaḥ ||
মন বলল— যেমন ভেজা বা শুকনো কাঠ নিজে কিছুই ‘অনুভব’ করতে পারে না, তেমনি সকল জীব, ইন্দ্রিয়ের যত চেষ্টা থাকুক না কেন, আমার ছাড়া বিষয় ও তার গুণের যথার্থ উপলব্ধি করতে পারে না।
मन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sense-organs alone do not produce experience; the mind is the indispensable mediator that apprehends sense-objects and their qualities. Without the mind’s participation, sensory effort is as inert as wet or dry wood.
The speaker ‘Mind’ is explaining its role within embodied life: even if the senses are active and striving, perception and enjoyment/knowledge of objects cannot occur without the mind, emphasizing inner causality over mere external faculties.