Shloka 3

सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः

The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind

Devanagari script

सूक्ष्मेअवकाशे तिष्ठन्तो न पश्यन्तीतरेतरम्‌ । एतान्‌ वै सप्तहोतृस्त्वं स्वभावाद्‌ विद्धि शोभने

Transliteration

sūkṣme’vakāśe tiṣṭhanto na paśyantītaretaram | etān vai sapta hotṝs tvaṃ svabhāvād viddhi śobhane ||

Translation

Obwohl sie gemeinsam in einem feinen inneren Raum verweilen, nehmen sie einander nicht wahr. O Schöne, wisse: Dies sind ihrer Natur nach die sieben hotṛs — jeder wirkt für sich, obgleich sie im selben feinstofflichen Leib wohnen.

Word by Word

• {'sūkṣma': 'subtle, fine, imperceptible', 'avakāśa': 'space, inner locus, room (here: subtle inner sphere)', 'tiṣṭhantaḥ': 'standing/dwelling, abiding', 'na': 'not', 'paśyanti': 'they see, perceive', 'itaretaram': 'one another, mutually', 'etān': 'these', 'vai': 'indeed, surely', 'sapta': 'seven', 'hotṝn (hotṛ)': 'Hotṛ-priests

• here metaphorically the functional ‘officiants’ (sense-faculties etc.)', 'tvaṃ': 'you', 'svabhāvāt': 'from (their) own nature, inherently', 'viddhi': 'know, understand, recognize', 'śobhane': 'O beautiful one (vocative address)'}

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (speaker)
• शोभने (addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the inner faculties—likened to seven ritual priests—coexist in the subtle body yet operate independently and do not ‘see’ one another. Ethical self-mastery begins with recognizing these distinct functions and not confusing sensory activity with true understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin instructs an addressed listener (‘O fair one’) in an inward, philosophical register, explaining how multiple internal ‘officiants’ dwell in the same subtle space but remain mutually non-perceptive—setting up a reflection on the constitution of the person and the need for discernment.