Shloka 7
Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna
Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties
कदाचिल्लभते प्रीतिं कदाचिदपि शोचति । न सुखेन न दुःखेन कदाचिदिह युज्यते
kadācillabhate prītiṁ kadācid api śocati | na sukhena na duḥkhena kadācid iha yujyate |
ব্যাস বললেন— কখনও তা প্রীতি ও আনন্দ লাভ করে, কখনও শোকে নিমজ্জিত হয়; আর কখনও এই জগতে না সুখের সঙ্গে যুক্ত থাকে, না দুঃখের সঙ্গে—মোহের অন্ধকারে জড় হয়ে থাকে।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The mind (or inner disposition) does not remain fixed: it alternates between joy/affection, grief, and a third condition where neither pleasure nor pain is felt due to dullness or delusion. Recognizing these as guṇa-driven fluctuations supports ethical steadiness and non-identification with transient moods.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vyāsa delivers a reflective teaching: he describes how inner experience shifts across different qualities (sattva, rajas, tamas), framing emotional change as a natural pattern to be understood and transcended through discernment.