Shloka 131
Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna
Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties
ये चैव भावा वर्तन्ते सर्व एष्वेव ते त्रिषु । अन्वर्था: सम्प्रवर्तन्ते रथनेमिमरा इव
ye caiva bhāvā vartante sarva eṣveva te triṣu | anvarthāḥ sampravartante rathanemimarā iva ||
Vyāsa said: Whatever states and conditions arise in the world—every one of them is found within these three (guṇas) alone. They proceed in accordance with their own proper meaning and function, revolving ceaselessly like the rim of a chariot-wheel.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
All experiences and dispositions are expressions of the three guṇas alone; they function according to their inherent nature and keep turning in a repetitive cycle, like a wheel—implying the need for discernment and detachment from fluctuating states.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on inner discipline and metaphysics, Vyāsa explains a framework for understanding worldly phenomena: everything that arises in life can be traced to the interplay of the three guṇas, which continually rotate and drive conduct and perception.