Shloka 6
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
जिद्दा चक्षुस्तथा श्रोत्रं वाड्मनो बुद्धिरेव च । न गन्धानधिगच्छन्ति प्राणस्तानधिगच्छति,जीभ, आँख, कान, त्वचा, मन और बुद्धि--ये गन्धोंको नहीं समझ पाते, किंतु नासिका उसका अनुभव करती है
jihvā cakṣus tathā śrotraṃ tvag mano buddhir eva ca | na gandhān adhigacchanti prāṇas tān adhigacchati ||
The brāhmaṇa said: “The tongue, the eyes, the ears, the skin, the mind, and even the intellect do not apprehend smells; it is the vital breath—working through the organ of smell—that apprehends them.” In context, the statement underscores the ordered division of faculties: each sense has its proper field, and confusion of functions leads to error. Ethically, it points to disciplined discernment—knowing the limits of one’s instruments of knowledge and not mistaking one capacity for another.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Each faculty has a specific domain: smell is not grasped by tongue, sight, hearing, touch, mind, or intellect as such, but by the life-force operating through the olfactory organ. The lesson is to cultivate discernment about how knowledge arises and to avoid confusion of functions—an ethical discipline of clear perception.
A brāhmaṇa speaker is explaining the workings and limits of the senses and inner faculties, using smell as an example to show that perception depends on the appropriate instrument and the animating prāṇa.