Shloka 8
भूमिगुण-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the qualities of Earth and the classification of beings
अन्योन्यं नाभिवर्तन्ते साम्यं भवति वै यदा,ये पाँचों गुण जब साम्यावस्थामें रहते हैं, तब एक-दूसरेसे संयुक्त नहीं होते हैं
anyonyam nābhivartante sāmyam bhavati vai yadā
সঞ্জয় বললেন—যখন এই পাঁচ গুণ সাম্যাবস্থায় থাকে, তখন তারা পরস্পরকে দমন করে না, একে অন্যের সঙ্গে মিশে বিকারও ঘটায় না; তারা সমত্বে স্থিত থাকে।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the idea of equilibrium: when the constituent qualities (guṇas) are in a state of balance, none dominates the others, and no further interaction or transformation is triggered. Ethically, it implies that disturbance and conflict arise when one tendency gains ascendancy; steadiness comes from balance.
Sañjaya is conveying a philosophical point within the Bhīṣma Parva context, explaining how states of balance versus dominance among qualities lead to different outcomes—serving as a conceptual backdrop to understanding agitation, action, and change amid the larger war narrative.