Shloka 28
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
अगारमद्वारमिव प्रविश्य संकल्पभोगान् विषये निबद्धान् | प्राणक्षये शान्तिमुपैति नित्यं दारुक्षयेडग्निज्वलितो यथैव
agāram advāram iva praviśya saṅkalpabhogān viṣaye nibaddhān | prāṇakṣaye śāntim upaiti nityaṃ dārukṣaye 'gnijvalito yathaiva ||
L’Esprit dit : « Étant entré dans le monde des sens comme un homme qui se glisse dans une maison sans porte, on ne cesse de consumer des jouissances nées des constructions mentales et liées à leurs objets. Mais lorsque la force vitale s’épuise, on parvient inévitablement au calme, de même qu’un feu ardent s’éteint de lui-même quand ses bûchettes sont consumées. »
मन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sense-enjoyments driven by saṅkalpa (mental projections) keep one bound to objects, but such enjoyment is self-exhausting; when the life-force and craving-energy run out, the mind naturally becomes quiet—like fire that goes out when fuel is finished. The ethical thrust is toward recognizing the futility of compulsive indulgence and cultivating detachment before exhaustion forces it.
In a didactic passage, the speaker ‘Mind’ explains its own movement into the realm of sense-objects and uses two images—entering a doorless house and a fire consuming fuel—to describe how beings get caught in constructed enjoyments and how peace can arise when the sustaining fuel (vitality and desire) is depleted.