Shloka 18
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
इच्धियाण्यूचु: एवमेतद् भवेत् सत्यं यथैतन्मन्यते भवान् | ऋते<5स्मानस्मदर्थास्त्वं भोगान् भुड्क्ते भवान् यदि,यह सुनकर इन्द्रियोंने कहा--महोदय! यदि आप भी हमारी सहायता लिये बिना ही विषयोंका अनुभव कर सकते तो हम आपकी इस बातको सच मान लेतीं
indriyāṇy ūcuḥ—evam etad bhavet satyaṃ yathaitad manyate bhavān | ṛte ’smān asmad-arthās tvaṃ bhogān bhuṅkte bhavān yadi ||
The senses said: “Yes—this would indeed be true, just as you think, sir, if you could enjoy objects of experience without us, who exist for that very purpose. But without our participation, how could you possibly partake of pleasures?”
मन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the interdependence of mind and senses in worldly experience: claims of independent enjoyment are challenged, implying that ethical self-mastery requires understanding how cognition (mind) and perception/action (senses) cooperate in producing desire and pleasure.
In a dialogue where Mind speaks and the Senses respond, the senses rebut the mind’s assumption by arguing that enjoyment of objects is impossible without their operation; they insist that if the mind could truly experience objects unaided, then its claim would be valid.