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
mana uvāca nāprāpti mām ṛte prāṇaṃ rasaṃ jihvā na vetti ca | rūpaṃ cakṣur na gṛhṇāti tvak sparśaṃ nāvabudhyate ||
Tâm nói: “Không có ta, khí sinh mệnh (prāṇa) không thể vận hành đúng phận sự; lưỡi không thể biết vị; mắt không thể nắm bắt sắc tướng; da không thể cảm nhận xúc chạm.”
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.