Shloka 30
मनु-उपदेशः — भूत-उत्पत्ति, इन्द्रिय-निवृत्ति, तथा पर-स्वभाव-विवेकः
Manu’s Instruction on Elemental Origination, Sense-Withdrawal, and Discrimination of the Supreme Nature
सुखस्पर्श: सत्त्वगुणो दुःखस्पर्शो रजोगुण: । तमोगुणेन संयुक्ती भवतो5व्यावहारिकौ,सत्त्गगुण सुखकी अनुभूति करानेवाला है, रजोगुण दुःखकी प्राप्ति कराता है और जब वे दोनों तमोगुण (मोह)-से संयुक्त होते हैं, तब व्यवहारके विषय नहीं रह जाते
sukhasparśaḥ sattvaguṇo duḥkhasparśo rajoguṇaḥ | tamoguṇena saṃyuktī bhavato 'vyāvahārikau ||
Bhishma said: The quality of sattva is that which brings the touch and experience of happiness; the quality of rajas is that which brings the touch and experience of sorrow. But when these two are conjoined with tamas—delusion and darkness—they cease to be fit guides for practical conduct, for the mind then loses clarity and right discernment. Thus, one should recognize how the guṇas shape experience and, through discrimination, avoid letting tamas distort one’s pursuit of well-being and duty.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Happiness and sorrow arise according to the dominance of sattva and rajas, but when either is mixed with tamas (delusion), one’s experience and judgment become unreliable for right practical conduct; therefore discernment about the guṇas is essential for ethical living.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira about the guṇas and how they condition human experience, warning that tamas corrupts both pleasure and pain into confusion that cannot guide proper action.