Shloka 2

ब्रह्मघोष-प्रवर्तनम्, अनध्याय-नियमः, वायु-मार्ग-वर्णनम्

Restoring Vedic Recitation, the Anadhyaya Rule, and the Taxonomy of Winds

Devanagari script

गुणैहिं गुणवानेव निर्गुणश्वागुणस्तथा । प्राहुरेवं महात्मानो मुनयस्तत्त्वदर्शिन:

Transliteration

guṇaiḥ hi guṇavān eva nirguṇaś ca aguṇas tathā | prāhur evaṁ mahātmāno munayas tattvadarśinaḥ ||

Translation

Яджнявалкья сказал: «Мудрецы великой души, зрящие истину, утверждают так: тот, кто пребывает в соприкосновении с гунами (guṇa), зовётся “гунаван” (guṇavān), обладающий гунами; а тот, кто свободен от касания гун, зовётся “ниргуна” (nirguṇa), то есть без качеств».

Word by Word

• गुणैः: by/with qualities
• गुणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• गुणवान्: possessed of qualities
• गुणवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• निर्गुणः: without qualities
• निर्गुणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्गुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अगुणः: without qualities
• अगुणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• प्राहुः: they said/declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

• एवम्: thus/in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• महात्मानः: great-souled ones
• महात्मानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्त्वदर्शिनः: seers of truth/reality
• तत्त्वदर्शिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्वदर्शिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

याज़्वल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• mahātmānaḥ (great-souled sages)
• munayaḥ (sages)
• tattvadarśinaḥ (truth-seers)
• guṇas (sattva-rajas-tamas, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person is termed guṇavān when bound up with the guṇas (the qualities of nature), and termed nirguṇa/aguṇa when free from their association. The verse frames liberation as dis-identification from prakṛti’s qualities.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Yājñavalkya cites the verdict of truth-seeing sages, offering a concise doctrinal definition that supports the broader discourse on peace, renunciation, and the path to inner freedom.