Shloka 15
Vāc–Manas Saṃvāda: Prāṇa-Apāna and the Primacy Debate (वाक्–मनस् संवादः)
मन इत्येव भगवांस्तदा प्राह सरस्वती । अहं वै कामधुक् तुभ्यमिति तं प्राह वागथ,तब भगवान् आत्मदेवने कहा--“मन ही श्रेष्ठ है।। यह सुनकर सरस्वती बोलीं--*मैं ही तुम्हारे लिये कामधेनु बनकर सब कुछ देती हूँ।” इस प्रकार वाणीने स्वयं ही अपनी श्रेष्ठता बतायी
mana ity eva bhagavāṁs tadā prāha sarasvatī | ahaṁ vai kāmadhuk tubhyam iti taṁ prāha vāg atha ||
Then the Blessed One said to Sarasvatī, “Mind alone is supreme.” Hearing this, Sarasvatī—embodying Speech—replied, “I am indeed your wish-fulfilling cow; I provide everything for you.” Thus Speech asserted her own excellence.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological contrast: mind (intention, resolve) is proclaimed supreme, yet speech claims practical supremacy by enabling communication and the granting/obtaining of aims. Ethically, it points to the need for harmony—right intention guided by dharma, and truthful, beneficial speech that expresses that intention without harm.
A didactic exchange is presented: the Blessed One declares the superiority of mind; Sarasvatī, as Speech, responds that she is like a wish-fulfilling cow who provides everything, thereby asserting her own excellence. The passage functions as a reflective teaching on the relative powers of inner thought and outward expression.