Shloka 21
Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna
Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties
परिद्रष्टा गुणानां च परिस््रष्टा यथातथम् । सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्योरेतदन्तरं विद्धि सूक्ष्मयो:
paridraṣṭā guṇānāṁ ca parisraṣṭā yathātatham | sattvakṣetrajñayor etad antaraṁ viddhi sūkṣmayoḥ ||
आत्मा गुणांचा द्रष्टा आहे आणि यथार्थाप्रमाणे त्यांचा नियामक/विन्यासकर्ता देखील आहे. सत्त्व (बुद्धी) आणि क्षेत्रज्ञ—या दोन्ही सूक्ष्म तत्त्वांत हा भेद जाण: बुद्धी दृश्य आहे, आणि आत्मा द्रष्टा।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse distinguishes the intellect (buddhi/sattva) from the Self (kṣetrajña): buddhi is part of prakṛti and thus an object that can be observed, while the Self is the observing consciousness. Because the Self is the witness, it knows the guṇas; the guṇas, being insentient constituents, do not truly know the Self.
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa delivers a philosophical clarification aimed at inner peace and liberation: he explains how to discern the seer from the seen, so that one does not mistake mental functions and guṇic movements for the true Self.