Shloka 7
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
घ्राणं चक्षुस्तथा श्रोत्रं वाड्मनो बुद्धिरेव च । न रसानधिगच्छन्ति जिह्नला तानधिगच्छति,नासिका, कान, नेत्र, त्वचा, मन और बुद्धि--ये रसोंका आस्वादन नहीं कर सकते। केवल जिह्नला उसका स्वाद ले सकती है
ghrāṇaṃ cakṣus tathā śrotraṃ vāṅ-mano buddhir eva ca | na rasān adhigacchanti jihvā tān adhigacchati ||
The brāhmaṇa said: “The nose, the eyes, the ears, speech, the mind, and even the intellect do not themselves apprehend tastes. Taste is grasped only by the tongue.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Each faculty has its proper object and limit: taste belongs to the tongue alone. Ethically, this supports self-discipline and clear discernment—do not let mind, speech, or intellect falsely claim mastery over what they do not directly know, and do not confuse sensory craving with true understanding.
A brāhmaṇa speaker is explaining how perception works by distinguishing the roles of the senses and inner faculties. The line functions as an illustrative example within a broader instruction, using the specific case of taste to clarify the boundaries of cognition.