Shloka 4

व्याधि-गुण-साम्योपदेशः | Discourse on Affliction, Guṇa-Equilibrium, and the Inner Battle

Devanagari script

उष्णेन बाध्यते शीतं शीतेनोष्णं च बाध्यते । सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्नेति त्रय आत्मगुणा: स्मृता:,उष्ण शीतका निवारण करता और शीत उष्णका निवारण करता है। सत्त्व, रज और तम--ये तीन अन्तःकरणके गुण माने गये हैं

Transliteration

uṣṇena bādhyate śītaṃ śītenoṣṇaṃ ca bādhyate | sattvaṃ rajastamaś ceti traya ātmaguṇāḥ smṛtāḥ ||

Translation

Ваю сказал: «Жар сдерживается холодом, и холод сдерживается жаром. Так же и внутреннее “я” постигается через три первоосновные гуны — саттву, раджас и тамас».

Word by Word

उष्णेनby heat

बाध्यतेis obstructed/checked

शीतम्cold

शीतेनby cold

उष्णम्heat

चand

बाध्यतेis obstructed/checked

सत्त्वम्sattva (purity/clarity)

रजःrajas (activity/passion)

तमःtamas (inertia/darkness)

अश्नेतिeats/consumes

त्रयःthree

आत्मगुणाःqualities of the self (inner qualities)

स्मृताःare considered/are remembered as

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu-deva

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Opposites counteract each other (heat vs. cold), and likewise human inner life is shaped by three guṇas—sattva (clarity), rajas (restless activity), and tamas (inertia). Ethical cultivation involves recognizing these forces and strengthening sattva to restrain rajas and tamas.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Ashvamedhika Parva, Vāyu-deva speaks in a didactic mode, using a simple physical analogy to introduce a psychological and ethical framework: the three guṇas that govern the mind and conduct.