Shloka 12
तमेतमतितेजों5शं भूतात्मानं हृदि स्थितम् । तमोरजो भ्यामाविष्टा नानुपश्यन्ति मूर्तिषु
tam etam atitejoṁśaṁ bhūtātmānaṁ hṛdi sthitam | tamo-rajobhyām āviṣṭā nānupaśyanti mūrtiṣu ||
毗耶娑说：此个体之我，乃至上我（梵我、至上灵）极其光明的一分，安住于诸具身者之心。然为惰性（tamas）与躁动（rajas）所蔽者，不能于其形体之中觉见它。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The indwelling self, a radiant portion of the Supreme, resides in the heart, but it is not recognized when the mind is dominated by rajas (restless desire) and tamas (delusion and inertia). Ethical clarity depends on cultivating sattva-like lucidity so that one’s actions are guided by the inner self rather than bodily impulses.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on liberation and right understanding, Vyāsa explains to his listener that the true self is present within all embodied beings. He contrasts the ever-present reality of the ātman with the psychological condition of those clouded by the guṇas, who therefore fail to perceive the self within the body.