Shloka 2
नारायणीयमाख्यानम् (Nārāyaṇīyam Ākhyānam) — Nārada’s Return and Hymnic Consolidation
तमो हााष्टविधं हित्वा जहौ पञ्चविध॑ रज: । ततः सत्त्वं जहौ धीमांस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठि!र[ यह वचन कहकर महातपस्वी शुकदेवजी सिद्धि पानेके उद्देश्यस्से आगे बढ़ गये। बुद्धिमान् शुकने चार प्रकारके दोषोंका, आठ प्रकारके तमोगुणका तथा पाँच प्रकारके रजोगुणका परित्याग करके सत्त्वगुणको भी त्याग दिया-; यह एक अद्भुत-सी बात हुई
bhīṣma uvāca | tamo hāṣṭavidhāṃ hitvā jahau pañcavidhaṃ rajaḥ | tataḥ sattvaṃ jahau dhīmāṃs tad adbhutam ivābhavat ||
Bhishma said: Having cast off the eightfold darkness (tamas), the wise one abandoned the fivefold passion (rajas). Thereafter he even relinquished goodness (sattva); and that seemed almost wondrous. The verse points to an ascetic culmination in which even the subtlest virtue is transcended, toward liberation beyond all three guṇas.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that spiritual completion is not merely replacing tamas and rajas with sattva, but ultimately transcending even sattva—going beyond all guṇas toward liberation.
Bhishma describes an advanced ascetic state: the wise person first abandons tamas, then rajas, and finally even sattva, presenting this final relinquishment as something extraordinary.