Shloka 21
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
अथ चेन्मन्यसे सिद्धिमस्मदर्थेषु नित्यदा । प्राणेन रूपमादत्स्व रसमादत्स्व चक्षुषा
atha cen manyase siddhim asmad-artheṣu nityadā | prāṇena rūpam ādatsva rasam ādatsva cakṣuṣā ||
心识说道：“若你自信能恒常成就我们的意图，那么就把诸根的次第彻底倒转：以气息摄取色相，以双眼品尝滋味。”此言乃锋利的诘问，旨在揭示感官器官之界限本自固定，亦昭示仅凭意念不能逾越知觉的自然疆域；真实的知见须凭严谨的辨别与修持，而非傲慢自夸的掌控之说。
मन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that perception is constrained by the inherent capacities of each sense-organ; claims of effortless mastery are tested by asking for impossible cross-sensory perception. Ethically, it cautions against pride and urges disciplined understanding of how mind and senses actually function.
The speaker, Mind (manas), challenges an interlocutor who claims constant success in fulfilling aims. Mind proposes an absurd reversal—seeing through breath and tasting through eyes—to demonstrate that intention alone cannot make the senses perform each other’s functions.