Shloka 19
कामद्रुम-रूपकः तथा शरीर-पुर-रूपकः
The Desire-Tree and the Body-as-City Metaphors
इदं प्रियाय पुत्राय शिष्यायानुगताय च । रहस्यधर्म वक्तव्यं नान्यस्मै तु कथंचन
idam priyāya putrāya śiṣyāyānugatāya ca | rahasya-dharma vaktavyaṃ nānyasmai tu kathaṃcana || rajas-tamaś ca sattvaṃ ca yatraite svayonijāḥ | samāḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tān guṇān upalakṣayet ||
Wika ni Vyāsa: Ang lihim at malalim na aral ng dharma ay dapat ipahayag lamang sa minamahal na anak na lalaki o sa tapat na alagad na masunuring sumusunod—hindi kailanman sa iba sa anumang paraan. Tungkol naman sa tatlong guṇa—rajas, tamas, at sattva—na isinilang mula sa sarili nilang pinagmulan (Prakṛti), nananahan ang mga ito nang magkakapantay sa lahat ng nilalang; dapat makilala ang mga guṇa sa pamamagitan ng mga bunga nito sa asal at karanasan.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Two points are emphasized: (1) esoteric dharma should be entrusted only to a qualified, devoted recipient (a faithful disciple or worthy son), and (2) the three guṇas—sattva, rajas, tamas—are present in all beings and should be identified by their observable effects in behavior and mental states.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa delivers a didactic statement on responsible transmission of spiritual knowledge and then turns to a Sāṃkhya-style analysis of nature, explaining how the guṇas pervade all creatures and can be inferred from their manifestations.