Shloka 14
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
मन उवाच नाप्राति मामृते प्राणं रसं जिदह्दा न वेत्ति च । रूप॑ चक्षुर्न गृह्नाति त्वक् स्पर्श नावबुध्यते,एक बार मनने इन्द्रियोंसे कहा--मेरी सहायताके बिना नासिका सूँघ नहीं सकती, जीभ रसका स्वाद नहीं ले सकती, आँख रूप नहीं देख सकती, त्वचा स्पर्शका अनुभव नहीं कर सकती और कानोंको शब्द नहीं सुनायी दे सकता। इसलिये मैं सब भूतोंमें श्रेष्ठ और सनातन हूँ
mana uvāca nāprāpti mām ṛte prāṇaṃ rasaṃ jihvā na vetti ca | rūpaṃ cakṣur na gṛhṇāti tvak sparśaṃ nāvabudhyate ||
Mind said: “Without me, the vital breath does not attain its proper function; the tongue cannot know taste; the eye does not apprehend form; and the skin does not perceive touch.” By asserting that the senses depend upon inner coordination, the passage frames the mind as the governing principle that integrates perception and action, implying an ethical lesson: mastery of the mind is the basis for disciplined conduct and right understanding.
मन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The senses do not function meaningfully on their own; the mind integrates and directs them. Therefore, ethical discipline begins with governing the mind, since uncontrolled mind leads to scattered perception and action.
In a didactic exchange, the Mind addresses the faculties (and their functions), declaring that without its coordinating power the organs cannot apprehend their respective objects—taste, form, and touch—thereby establishing its superiority as the internal ruler of sensory experience.