Shloka 16
अगाराणीव शून्यानि शान्तार्चिष इवाग्नय: । इन्द्रियाणि न भासन्ते मया हीनानि नित्यश:,“मेरे बिना समस्त इन्द्रियाँ बुझी लपटोंवाली आग और सूने घरकी भाँति सदा श्रीहीन जान पड़ती हैं
agārāṇīva śūnyāni śāntārcīṣa ivāgnayaḥ | indriyāṇi na bhāsante mayā hīnāni nityaśaḥ ||
Der Geist sprach: „Ohne mich leuchten die Sinne niemals wahrhaft. Meiner Gegenwart beraubt, erscheinen sie stets ohne Glanz—wie verlassene Häuser oder wie Feuer, deren Flammen erloschen sind.“
मन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the primacy of the mind in ethical and spiritual life: the senses gain clarity, purpose, and ‘radiance’ only when guided by mind. Without mental governance, sensory powers become ineffective and spiritually ‘impoverished,’ implying that self-mastery begins with disciplining the mind rather than merely suppressing the senses.
In a didactic passage, the speaker ‘Mind’ addresses the role of the senses, using vivid similes—empty houses and extinguished fires—to argue that the senses are dependent on the mind for meaningful function and direction.