Shloka 22
जनक–पराशर संवादः — वर्ण-गोत्र-धर्मविचारः
Janaka–Parāśara: Varṇa, Gotra, and Dharma Inquiry
पुरुषे तिष्ठती बुद्धिस्त्रिषु भावेषु वर्तते । कदाचिल्लभते प्रीतिं कदाचिदपि शोचति
puruṣe tiṣṭhatī buddhis triṣu bhāveṣu vartate | kadācil labhate prītiṁ kadācid api śocati |
Bhīṣma bersabda: “Walaupun buddhi (akal budi) bersemayam dalam diri insan (puruṣa), ia bergerak dalam tiga kecenderungan. Ada kalanya ia memperoleh kegembiraan dan kepuasan; ada kalanya ia jatuh ke dalam dukacita dan ratapan. Maka pengalaman batin naik turun menurut dominasi sifat-sifat dalaman itu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The intellect, though situated in the person, is influenced by three inner modes (commonly understood as sattva, rajas, and tamas). Because these modes alternate in dominance, one sometimes experiences clarity and joy, and at other times agitation and grief. The ethical implication is to cultivate steadiness and discernment rather than being carried away by fluctuating mental states.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and right living, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira about the workings of the inner instrument (mind/intellect). He explains why human experience oscillates between happiness and sorrow: the intellect operates under shifting dispositions, so emotional outcomes change accordingly.