Shloka 6
Adhyāya 39 — त्रिगुणविवेकः (Discrimination of the Three Guṇas) and Avyakta-Doctrine
व्यतिरिक्तं तमो यत्र तिर्यगू भावगतं भवेत् | अल्पं तत्र रजो ज्ञेयं सत्त्वमल्पतरं तथा,तिर्यग् योनियोंमें जहाँ तमोगुणकी अधिकता होती है, वहाँ थोड़ा रजोगुण और बहुत थोड़ा सत्त्गगुण समझना चाहिये
vyatiriktaṃ tamo yatra tiryagū bhāvagataṃ bhavet | alpaṃ tatra rajo jñeyaṃ sattvam alpataram tathā ||
ในภาวะกำเนิดแห่งสัตว์เดรัจฉาน (ติรยัก) ที่ซึ่งตมัสเด่นชัดเป็นคุณหลัก พึงรู้ว่า รชัสมีเพียงเล็กน้อย และสัตตวะยิ่งน้อยกว่านั้น
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a guṇa-based understanding of embodied states: animal existence is typically dominated by tamas (delusion/inertia), with only a small presence of rajas (impulse/activity) and an even smaller presence of sattva (clarity/discernment). Ethically, it implies that clearer moral judgment and self-governance are harder where sattva is minimal.
Vāyudeva is explaining the distribution of the three guṇas across different modes of birth. In this segment he characterizes tiryag-yoni (animal forms) as chiefly tamasic, setting up a broader teaching on how qualities shape behavior, capacity, and moral agency.