Shloka 31
तमोगुण-निरूपण
Analysis of Tamas and its Marks
शूद्रयोनिमतिक्रम्य ये चान्ये तामसा गुणा: । स्रोतोमध्ये समागम्य वर्तन्ते तामसे गुणे,कोई शूद्रयोनिसे आगे बढ़कर भी तामस गुणोंसे युक्त हो जाते हैं और उसके प्रवाहमें पड़कर तमोगुणमें ही प्रवृत्त रहते हैं
śūdrayonim atikramya ye cānye tāmasā guṇāḥ | srotomadhye samāgamya vartante tāmase guṇe ||
Vāyu said: “Even those who rise beyond a śūdra birth, and others who are dominated by tamas—when they come together in the middle of the current—continue to move and act under the sway of the tamasic quality.” The verse underscores that ethical and spiritual progress is not secured merely by outward status or change of station; association and inner disposition can draw one back into inertia, delusion, and morally dull conduct.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Inner disposition and company shape conduct more decisively than external status. Even if one ‘crosses beyond’ a low station, tamasic tendencies—especially reinforced by association—can keep a person acting in ignorance, inertia, and ethically unrefined ways.
Vāyu is instructing the listener about the operation of the guṇas. He explains how people, when drawn into a prevailing ‘current’ of tamas (a social or psychological stream), continue to function under tamasic influence despite apparent advancement.