मनु-उपदेशः — भूत-उत्पत्ति, इन्द्रिय-निवृत्ति, तथा पर-स्वभाव-विवेकः
Manu’s Instruction on Elemental Origination, Sense-Withdrawal, and Discrimination of the Supreme Nature
सुखस्पर्श: सत्त्वगुणो दुःखस्पर्शो रजोगुण: । तमोगुणेन संयुक्ती भवतो5व्यावहारिकौ
sukhasparśaḥ sattvaguṇo duḥkhasparśo rajoguṇaḥ | tamoguṇena saṃyuktī bhavato 'vyāvahārikau ||
सुखस्पर्शः सत्त्वगुणो दुःखस्पर्शो रजोगुणः । तमोगुणेन संयुक्तौ भवतोऽव्यावहारिकौ ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Happiness and sorrow arise according to the dominance of sattva and rajas, but when either is mixed with tamas (delusion), one’s experience and judgment become unreliable for right practical conduct; therefore discernment about the guṇas is essential for ethical living.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira about the guṇas and how they condition human experience, warning that tamas corrupts both pleasure and pain into confusion that cannot guide proper action.