Shloka 21
Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna
Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties
परिद्रष्टा गुणानां च परिस््रष्टा यथातथम् । सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्योरेतदन्तरं विद्धि सूक्ष्मयो:
paridraṣṭā guṇānāṁ ca parisraṣṭā yathātatham | sattvakṣetrajñayor etad antaraṁ viddhi sūkṣmayoḥ ||
毗耶娑说：自我乃诸德性（guṇa）之见证者，亦依如实之理而为其安排与生发者。应知萨埵之智（buddhi）与“知田者”（kṣetrajña）之间的微细差别：二者虽皆微妙，然智属于所见（可被观察之对象），而自我是能见者。诸德性并不真正“认识”自我；唯有自我恒常了知诸德性，因为它立为其觉知者与调御者。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.