Shloka 33

जनक–पराशर संवादः — वर्ण-गोत्र-धर्मविचारः

Janaka–Parāśara: Varṇa, Gotra, and Dharma Inquiry

Devanagari script

सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्योरेतदन्तरं विद्धि सूक्ष्मयो: । सृजते<त्र गुणानेक एको न सृजते गुणान्‌,बुद्धि और क्षेत्रज् (आत्मा)--ये दोनों सूक्ष्मतत्त्व हैं। इन दोनोंमें जो अन्तर है, उसे समझो। इनमेंसे एक अर्थात्‌ बुद्धि तो गुणोंकी सृष्टि करती है और दूसरा (आत्मा) गुणोंकी सृष्टि नहीं करता--केवल साक्षीभावसे देखता रहता है

Transliteration

sattva-kṣetrajñayor etad antaraṁ viddhi sūkṣmayoḥ | sṛjate 'tra guṇān eka eko na sṛjate guṇān ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Erkenne klar den feinen Unterschied zwischen dem Intellekt (sattva/buddhi) und dem Kenner des Feldes (kṣetrajña, dem Selbst). Von diesen beiden ist es der Intellekt, der die vielen Qualitäten (guṇas) in der Erfahrung hervorbringt und projiziert; das Selbst hingegen bringt keinerlei Qualitäten hervor, sondern bleibt allein als bezeugendes Bewusstsein.“

Word by Word

• {'sattva': 'here: the refined inner instrument, often identified with buddhi (intellect) in Sāṅkhya-style analysis

• also ‘clarity’ as a guṇa in other contexts', 'kṣetrajña': 'the ‘knower of the field’

• the Self/Ātman as conscious witness', 'etad': 'this (teaching/point)', 'antaram': 'difference, distinction, interval', 'viddhi': 'know, understand (imperative)', 'sūkṣmayoḥ': 'of the two subtle entities/principles (genitive dual)', 'sṛjate': 'creates, projects, brings forth', 'atra': 'here, in this context/within embodied experience', 'guṇān': 'qualities/constituents (sattva-rajas-tamas and their modifications)', 'ekaḥ': 'one (of the two)', 'na': 'not', 'sākṣī-bhāva (implied by commentary)': 'the stance of witnessing

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• sattva (buddhi)
• kṣetrajña (Ātman)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma distinguishes the intellect (buddhi/sattva), which generates and organizes the play of guṇas in experience, from the kṣetrajña (Ātman), which is not a producer of qualities but the non-doing witness. Ethical clarity follows: one should not mistake changing mental qualities for the true Self.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues his philosophical guidance to Yudhiṣṭhira, explaining subtle principles of self-knowledge and liberation-oriented discernment—specifically how to separate the witnessing Self from the mind/intellect that operates through guṇas.