Shloka 17
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
काष्ठानीवार्द्रशुष्काणि यतमानैरपीन्द्रियै: । गुणार्थान् नाधिगच्छन्ति मामृते सर्वजन्तव:
kāṣṭhānīva ārdraśuṣkāṇi yatamānair api indriyaiḥ | guṇārthān nādhigacchanti mām ṛte sarvajantavaḥ ||
心识说道：“正如木块——无论湿干——自身并不‘体验’任何事物；同样，一切众生纵使诸根竭力运作，若无我，也不能真正领会诸境及其诸德。唯有心识使感官接触成为有意义；没有它，努力与器官皆成钝滞。”
मन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sense-organs alone do not produce experience; the mind is the indispensable mediator that apprehends sense-objects and their qualities. Without the mind’s participation, sensory effort is as inert as wet or dry wood.
The speaker ‘Mind’ is explaining its role within embodied life: even if the senses are active and striving, perception and enjoyment/knowledge of objects cannot occur without the mind, emphasizing inner causality over mere external faculties.