Shloka 47
Adhyāya 302: Guṇa-vicāra, Gati-bheda, and the Imperishable State
Yājñavalkya–Janaka
तामसा निरयं यान्ति राजसा मानुषानथ । सात्त्विका देवलोकाय गच्छन्ति सुखभागिन:,तमोगुणी प्राणी नरकमें पड़ते हैं, राजस स्वभावके जीव मनुष्यलोकमें जाते हैं तथा सुखके भागी सात्त्विक पुरुष देवलोकको प्रस्थान करते हैं
tāmasā nirayaṃ yānti rājasā mānuṣān atha | sāttvikā devalokāya gacchanti sukhabhāginaḥ ||
Mereka yang dikuasai tamas jatuh ke neraka; mereka yang diperintah rajas lahir dalam alam manusia; dan mereka yang teguh dalam sattva—yang berbahagian dalam kebahagiaan—berangkat ke alam para dewa.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
A being’s dominant guṇa shapes its post-mortem destination: tamas leads to painful states (niraya), rajas to continued human rebirth driven by desire and action, and sattva to higher, happier realms (devaloka). The ethical implication is to refine conduct and mind toward sattva—clarity, restraint, and virtue.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vasiṣṭha delivers a doctrinal summary linking moral-psychological qualities (the three guṇas) with the results experienced after death, presenting a graded cosmology of consequences to guide right living.