Shloka 21

Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna

Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties

Devanagari script

परिद्रष्टा गुणानां च परिस््रष्टा यथातथम्‌ । सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्योरेतदन्तरं विद्धि सूक्ष्मयो:

Transliteration

paridraṣṭā guṇānāṁ ca parisraṣṭā yathātatham | sattvakṣetrajñayor etad antaraṁ viddhi sūkṣmayoḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa nói: Tự Ngã là kẻ chứng tri các guṇa, đồng thời cũng là đấng sắp đặt/sinh khởi chúng đúng như thực tại. Hãy biết sự phân biệt vi tế giữa trí (sattva/buddhi) và kṣetrajña—“kẻ biết cánh đồng”: tuy cả hai đều vi tế, nhưng trí thuộc về cái bị thấy (một đối tượng có thể quan sát), còn Tự Ngã là kẻ thấy. Các guṇa không thật sự “biết” Tự Ngã; trái lại, Tự Ngã luôn biết các guṇa, vì Ngài đứng làm người nhận biết và điều ngự chúng.

Word by Word

• परिद्रष्टा: the all-around seer/observer
• परिद्रष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिद्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गुणानाम्: of the qualities (guṇas)
• गुणानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• परिस्रष्टा: the all-around creator/producer
• परिस्रष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिस्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• तथम्: so, in that manner (accordingly)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञयोः: of buddhi (sattva) and the knower of the field (kṣetrajña)
• सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अन्तरम्: difference, distinction
• अन्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विद्धि: know (you), understand
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Loṭ (imperative), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सूक्ष्मयोः: of the two subtle (entities)
• सूक्ष्मयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Dual

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• guṇas
• sattva (buddhi)
• kṣetrajña (Self/ātman)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes the intellect (buddhi/sattva) from the Self (kṣetrajña): buddhi is part of prakṛti and thus an object that can be observed, while the Self is the observing consciousness. Because the Self is the witness, it knows the guṇas; the guṇas, being insentient constituents, do not truly know the Self.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa delivers a philosophical clarification aimed at inner peace and liberation: he explains how to discern the seer from the seen, so that one does not mistake mental functions and guṇic movements for the true Self.