Shloka 20
Śuka’s Manifestation from the Araṇi (Āraṇeya-janma) — शुकजन्म (आरणेय-सम्भव)
न चेन्द्रियव्युपरमे मनस्युपरमो भवेत् | एवं मन:प्रधानानि इन्द्रियाणि प्रभावयेत्
na cendriyavyuparame manasy uparamo bhavet | evaṁ manaḥ-pradhānāni indriyāṇi prabhāvayet |
Dijo Yājñavalkya: «Aunque los sentidos cesen en su actividad, la mente no necesariamente se aquieta. Por ello debe entenderse que, entre todas las facultades, la mente es la primera: ella gobierna e impulsa a los sentidos. Así, la contención ética no se logra sólo apagando la actividad sensorial, sino dominando la mente que está detrás de ella».
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Mere withdrawal of the senses does not guarantee inner peace; the mind remains active unless it is disciplined. Since the senses are mind-led, true restraint and ethical steadiness come from mastering the mind rather than only suppressing external sense-activity.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, the sage Yājñavalkya explains principles of inner discipline to his listener(s), emphasizing psychological causality: the mind is primary and directs the senses, so spiritual practice must address the mind’s movements.