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 dit : Quels que soient les états et les conditions qui surgissent dans le monde, tous se trouvent uniquement dans ces trois guṇas. Ils se déploient selon leur sens et leur fonction propres, tournant sans cesse comme la jante d’une roue de char.
व्यास उवाच
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.