Shloka 7
Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna
Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties
कदाचिल्लभते प्रीतिं कदाचिदपि शोचति । न सुखेन न दुःखेन कदाचिदिह युज्यते
kadācillabhate prītiṁ kadācid api śocati | na sukhena na duḥkhena kadācid iha yujyate |
毗耶娑说：有时它获得爱悦与欢喜；有时又沉入忧悲。又有时，在此世间，它既不与乐相应，也不与苦相应——停留在昏钝的遮蔽之中。此偈指出心之性向（萨埵、罗阇、怛摩）迁流不定，劝人以辨别观照，而非盲目认同这些转瞬即逝的状态。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The mind (or inner disposition) does not remain fixed: it alternates between joy/affection, grief, and a third condition where neither pleasure nor pain is felt due to dullness or delusion. Recognizing these as guṇa-driven fluctuations supports ethical steadiness and non-identification with transient moods.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vyāsa delivers a reflective teaching: he describes how inner experience shifts across different qualities (sattva, rajas, tamas), framing emotional change as a natural pattern to be understood and transcended through discernment.