Shloka 9
धर्मलक्षण-प्रश्नः (Marks and Sources of Dharma) | Chapter 251: Inquiry into the Definition of Dharma
उत्तरेषु गुणा: सन्ति सर्वसत्त्वेषु चोत्तरा:
uttareṣu guṇāḥ santi sarvasattveṣu cottarāḥ
Sinabi ni Vyāsa: Sa mga susunod (mas umunlad) na anyo, naroroon ang mga katangian ng mga nauna; kaya sa lahat ng nilalang, ang sumusunod ay taglay ang mga katangian ng nauna. Sa ganitong paraan, ang mga elemento at ang buhay na may katawan ay nagpapakita ng unti-unting pagdami ng mga katangian—ang kalawakan ay may tunog lamang; ang hangin ay may tunog at haplos; ang apoy ay may tunog, haplos, at anyo; ang tubig ay may tunog, haplos, anyo, at lasa; at ang lupa ay may tunog, haplos, anyo, lasa, at amoy.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a principle of gradation: later or more complex entities retain the qualities of earlier ones while adding new qualities. Applied to the five great elements, each successive element includes the sensory properties of the previous and gains an additional one, culminating in earth possessing all five (sound, touch, form, taste, smell).
In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, Vyāsa explains a philosophical framework for understanding the constitution of the world and embodied experience. He illustrates how the elements and beings are ordered by increasing attributes, supporting a reflective, dharma-oriented inquiry into nature and the self.