Shloka 20
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
अथवास्मासु लीनेषु तिष्ठत्सु विषयेषु च । यदि संकल्पमात्रेण भुद्ुक्ते भोगान् यथार्थवत्
athavāsmāsu līneṣu tiṣṭhatsu viṣayeṣu ca | yadi saṅkalpamātreṇa bhunkte bhogān yathārthavat ||
ចិត្តបាននិយាយថា៖ «មិនថាអង្គសញ្ញាទាំងឡាយរលាយចូលមកក្នុងខ្ញុំ ឬនៅតែភ្ជាប់ជាមួយវត្ថុរបស់វាក៏ដោយ—ប្រសិនបើដោយសេចក្តីសម្រេចចិត្តតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ អ្នកអាចទទួលអារម្មណ៍ភោគៈបានត្រឹមត្រូវដូចជាវាជាក់ស្តែង ហើយមិនដែលបរាជ័យ—ចូរសាកល្បងមើល៖ ឲ្យច្រមុះឃើញរូប, ឲ្យភ្នែកសាករស, ឲ្យត្រចៀកទទួលក្លិន។ ដូចគ្នានេះ ឲ្យអណ្តាតទទួលស្បর্শ, ឲ្យស្បែកទទួលសំឡេង, ហើយឲ្យបញ្ញាទទួលស្បর্শ»។
मन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse challenges the claim that mere mental intention can generate authentic sensory experience independent of the proper sense-organ and its object. By proposing impossible cross-sensory tasks (seeing with the nose, tasting with the eye, etc.), it underscores the limits of willpower and the need for disciplined understanding of how cognition and sense-perception actually function.
Mind (Manas) speaks in a disputational, testing tone, setting up a reductio ad absurdum: if someone asserts unfailing power to experience objects purely by resolve—whether the senses are withdrawn or active—then they should be able to invert the normal roles of the senses. The point is to expose an overclaim and clarify the proper relation between senses, objects, and inner faculties.