Shloka 103
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
तमसस्तामसा भावा व्यापि सत्त्वं तथोभयम् । स गुणस्तेजसो नित्यस्तस्य चाकाशमेव च
tamasas tāmasā bhāvā vyāpi sattvaṃ tathobhayam | sa guṇas tejaso nityas tasya cākāśam eva ca ||
Dari tamas lahir keadaan-keadaan yang tamasik; sedangkan sattva meresapi keduanya—rajas dan tamas. Sattva itu adalah sifat abadi dari tejas; bahkan ākāśa pun merupakan perwujudan dari prinsip yang sama.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a guṇa-based view of reality: tamas gives rise to tamasic states, while sattva—identified with an enduring luminous principle (tejas)—pervades and can operate within the other guṇas. Ethically, it implies that clarity and discernment (sattva) can illuminate and regulate passion (rajas) and inertia (tamas), enabling right judgment and dharmic conduct.
Vasiṣṭha is instructing his listener in metaphysical analysis, describing how the constituents of nature (guṇas) relate to cosmic manifestation. He links sattva with light (tejas) and even with space (ākāśa), presenting a framework in which the world and cognition are traced to underlying qualities and their interactions.