Shloka 19
कामद्रुम-रूपकः तथा शरीर-पुर-रूपकः
The Desire-Tree and the Body-as-City Metaphors
इदं प्रियाय पुत्राय शिष्यायानुगताय च । रहस्यधर्म वक्तव्यं नान्यस्मै तु कथंचन
idam priyāya putrāya śiṣyāyānugatāya ca | rahasya-dharma vaktavyaṃ nānyasmai tu kathaṃcana || rajas-tamaś ca sattvaṃ ca yatraite svayonijāḥ | samāḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tān guṇān upalakṣayet ||
Vyāsa said: This secret teaching of dharma should be communicated only to a beloved son or to a devoted disciple who follows faithfully—never to anyone else in any manner. As for the three guṇas—rajas, tamas, and sattva—born of their own source (Prakṛti), they abide equally in all beings; one should discern these guṇas by their effects in conduct and experience.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Two points are emphasized: (1) esoteric dharma should be entrusted only to a qualified, devoted recipient (a faithful disciple or worthy son), and (2) the three guṇas—sattva, rajas, tamas—are present in all beings and should be identified by their observable effects in behavior and mental states.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa delivers a didactic statement on responsible transmission of spiritual knowledge and then turns to a Sāṃkhya-style analysis of nature, explaining how the guṇas pervade all creatures and can be inferred from their manifestations.