Shloka 17

Adhyāya 39 — त्रिगुणविवेकः (Discrimination of the Three Guṇas) and Avyakta-Doctrine

Devanagari script

स्थावरेषु तु भावेषु तिर्यग्भावगतं तम: । राजसास्तु विवर्तन्ते स्नेहभावस्तु सात््चिक:,स्थावर प्राणियोंमें तमोगुण अधिक होता है, उनमें जो बढ़नेकी क्रिया है वह राजस है और जो चिकनापन है, वह सात्त्विक है

Transliteration

sthāvareṣu tu bhāveṣu tiryagbhāvagataṃ tamaḥ | rājasās tu vivartante snehabhāvas tu sāttvikaḥ ||

Translation

వాయువు పలికెను—స్థావరభావములలో ప్రధానంగా తమోగుణమే ప్రబలుతుంది. వాటిలో వృద్ధి మొదలైన క్రియ రజస్వభావము; మరియు స్నిగ్ధత (చిక్కదనం) సాత్త్వికము.

Word by Word

स्थावरेषुin immobile beings/things

तुbut/indeed

भावेषुin states/conditions

तिर्यग्भावगतंgone into the state of animals (tiryak)

तमःdarkness; tamas (quality)

राजसाःrajasic (qualities/ones)

तुbut/indeed

विवर्तन्तेturn/transform/operate

स्नेहभावःthe state of unctuousness/greasiness; affection

तुand/but

सात्त्विकःsattvic (pure/clear)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva

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?

The verse teaches discernment of the three guṇas in all forms of life: immobile beings are tamas-dominant, their growth expresses rajas (activity), and their cohesive/nourishing unctuousness expresses sattva (harmonizing clarity). Ethical insight comes from recognizing how qualities function rather than condemning a being’s station.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is explaining a doctrinal point about the guṇas—how tamas, rajas, and sattva manifest even in ‘sthāvara’ (immobile) existence—within a broader instructional discourse in the Aśvamedhika Parva.