Shloka 12
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
घ्राणं जिह्ना च चक्षुश्न त्वक् श्रोत्र मन एव च | न निष्ठामधिगच्छन्ति बुद्धिस्तामधिगच्छति
ghrāṇaṁ jihvā ca cakṣuṣ tvak śrotraṁ mana eva ca | na niṣṭhām adhigacchanti buddhis tām adhigacchati ||
婆罗门说道：“同样，鼻、舌、眼、肤、耳，乃至心（manas），都不能抵达坚固的定见。唯有理智（buddhi）才能达到决断之知。”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sense faculties and the mind merely present impressions and fluctuate; they cannot by themselves produce a settled conclusion. Decisive understanding (niṣṭhā) arises through buddhi—the discriminative, determinative intellect that judges and ascertains.
A Brāhmaṇa speaker is instructing the listener on how knowledge and certainty are formed: sensory inputs and mental movements are insufficient for final judgment, and true ascertainment belongs to the intellect that discriminates and decides.