Shloka 17
Śuka’s Manifestation from the Araṇi (Āraṇeya-janma) — शुकजन्म (आरणेय-सम्भव)
न चेन्द्रियाणि पश्यन्ति मन एवानुपश्यति । चक्षु: पश्यति रूपाणि मनसा तु न चक्षुषा
na cendriyāṇi paśyanti mana evānupaśyati | cakṣuḥ paśyati rūpāṇi manasā tu na cakṣuṣā, rājendra |
Yājñavalkya berkata: “Pancaindera tidak benar-benar mempersepsi; mindalah sahaja yang mengikuti dan menangkap. Mata melihat rupa hanya dengan penyertaan minda, bukan dengan kuasa bebasnya sendiri, wahai raja. Maka, minda—bergerak melalui alat-alat indera—berpaling kepada objek, dan mindalah yang sentiasa ‘melihat’ serta mengenalinya. Implikasi etika ialah: penguasaan tingkah laku bermula dengan penguasaan minda, kerana persepsi dan keterikatan timbul di sana, bukan pada organ-organ itu sendiri.”
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Perception is fundamentally a function of the mind: the senses are instruments, but cognition, attention, and the experience of objects occur through the mind. Therefore ethical discipline and freedom from attachment depend primarily on governing the mind rather than merely restraining the organs.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Yājñavalkya addresses a king (rājendra) and explains a philosophical point about how perception works—using the example of sight—to guide the listener toward inner discipline and self-knowledge.