Mokṣa–Saṃnyāsa–Tyāga–Guṇa-Vibhāga (Renunciation, Relinquishment, and the Three Guṇas) — Mahābhārata 6, Bhīṣma-parva
जिस प्रकार सर्वत्र व्याप्त आकाश सूक्ष्म होनेके कारण लिप्त नहीं होता, वैसे ही देहमें सर्वत्र स्थित आत्मा निर्गुण होनेके कारण देहके गुणोंसे लिप्त नहीं होता* ।।
yathā sarvatragaṃ ākāśaṃ sūkṣmatvān na lipyate | tathā dehe sarvagato 'pi ātmā nirguṇatvān na lipyate || yathā prakāśayaty ekaḥ kṛtsnaṃ lokam imaṃ raviḥ | kṣetraṃ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṃ prakāśayati bhārata ||
Sebagaimana ruang yang meliputi segalanya tidak ternoda kerana sifatnya yang halus, demikian juga Ātman yang hadir di seluruh tubuh—kerana melampaui guṇa (nirguṇa)—tidak tercemar oleh sifat-sifat tubuh. Dan sebagaimana satu matahari menerangi seluruh dunia, demikian juga satu sahaja Yang Mengetahui Medan (kṣetrajña) menerangi seluruh medan (kṣetra) pengalaman berjasad, wahai Bharata.
अजुन उवाच
The Self (kṣetrajña) is a pure witness: though present throughout the body and experiencing through it, it remains untouched by bodily qualities (guṇas), like space is unstained and like the sun illumines without being altered.
In the midst of the Kurukṣetra discourse, Arjuna voices (in this cited framing) a philosophical clarification using two analogies—space and the sun—to explain why the indwelling Self is not the doer and is not morally or materially contaminated by the body’s attributes.