Shloka 10
Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna
Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties
सर्वाण्येवानुपूर्व्येण यद् यदानुविधीयते । अविभागगता बुद्धिर्भावे मनसि वर्तते
sarvāṇy evānupūrveṇa yad yad anuvidhīyate | avibhāgagatā buddhir bhāve manasi vartate ||
Vyāsa said: Whatever is set in motion, it proceeds in due sequence. Though the intellect is in itself undivided, it becomes operative in the mind and in the field of objects; and when the intellect aligns with a particular sense-faculty, that faculty—supported by the mind’s resolving activity—apprehends objects (such as a pot or cloth) step by step. Thus, cognition and sense-perception occur only when the senses are guided and empowered by buddhi.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Perception and cognition occur in an ordered sequence and depend on the coordinating power of buddhi. Although buddhi is essentially one and undivided, it functions through mind and senses; only when a sense faculty is ‘supported’ by buddhi (and mediated by the mind’s saṅkalpa) does it grasp an object.
In Śānti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Vyāsa explains the inner mechanics of experience: the intellect, mind, and senses cooperate so that objects are apprehended progressively. The verse is part of a broader teaching on self-mastery and right understanding as foundations for dharma.