Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दूरादपि हि दृश्यन्ते सहिता: संघचारिण: । तमः सत्त्वं रजश्चैव पृथक्त्वे नानुशुश्रुम,एक साथ चलनेवाले ये गुण दूरसे भी मिले हुए ही दिखायी पड़ते हैं। तमोगुण, सत्त्गगुण और रजोगुण--ये सर्वथा पृथक्‌-पृथक्‌ हों, ऐसा कभी नहीं सुना

Transliteration

dūrād api hi dṛśyante sahitāḥ saṅghacāriṇaḥ | tamaḥ sattvaṃ rajaś caiva pṛthaktve nānuśuśruma ||

Translation

“Mesmo de longe, essas qualidades parecem como que unidas, movendo-se numa só companhia. Nunca ouvimos que tamas, sattva e rajas existam em completa separação umas das outras.”

Word by Word

दूरात्from afar

अपिeven/also

हिindeed/for

दृश्यन्तेare seen/appear

सहिता:together/combined

संघचारिण:moving in a group

तमःtamas (darkness/guṇa of inertia)

सत्त्वम्sattva (guṇa of clarity)

रजःrajas (guṇa of activity)

चand

एवindeed/just

पृथक्त्वेin separateness/as separate entities

नnot

अनुशुश्रुमwe have heard/learned

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva

tamas

sattva

rajas

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The three guṇas—tamas, sattva, and rajas—operate in combination rather than in absolute isolation. Ethical and psychological states are typically mixed; discernment lies in recognizing which guṇa predominates and cultivating sattva while restraining rajas and tamas.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is explaining a doctrinal point about the guṇas: although they may be conceptually distinguished, in lived experience they are seen as moving together, intertwined in the workings of mind, conduct, and perception.