Shloka 27
धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्नेति गुणानेतान् प्रचक्षते । यत्ते सर्वशरीरेषु तिष्ठन्ति विचरन्ति च
sattvaṁ rajas tamaś ceti guṇān etān pracakṣate | yatte sarvaśarīreṣu tiṣṭhanti vicaranti ca ||
Bhīṣma said: These are declared to be the three guṇas—sattva, rajas, and tamas. They abide in all embodied beings and continually move and operate within them, shaping conduct and experience.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma identifies the three guṇas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—as universal forces present in every embodied being; ethical and psychological life is understood as their ongoing interplay.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma continues his philosophical-ethical exposition to Yudhiṣṭhira, explaining how the guṇas pervade all beings and actively influence behavior and experience.