Shloka 21
Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna
Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties
परिद्रष्टा गुणानां च परिस््रष्टा यथातथम् । सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्योरेतदन्तरं विद्धि सूक्ष्मयो:
paridraṣṭā guṇānāṁ ca parisraṣṭā yathātatham | sattvakṣetrajñayor etad antaraṁ viddhi sūkṣmayoḥ ||
আত্মা গুণসমূহের সাক্ষী এবং যথাযথভাবে তাদের নিয়ন্তা/বিন্যাসকারীও। সত্ত্ব (বুদ্ধি) ও ক্ষেত্রজ্ঞ—এই দুই সূক্ষ্ম তত্ত্বের মধ্যে এই ভেদ জানো: বুদ্ধি দৃশ্য, আর আত্মা দ্রষ্টা।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse distinguishes the intellect (buddhi/sattva) from the Self (kṣetrajña): buddhi is part of prakṛti and thus an object that can be observed, while the Self is the observing consciousness. Because the Self is the witness, it knows the guṇas; the guṇas, being insentient constituents, do not truly know the Self.
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa delivers a philosophical clarification aimed at inner peace and liberation: he explains how to discern the seer from the seen, so that one does not mistake mental functions and guṇic movements for the true Self.