Shloka 16
श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः
Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma
एवं जातिशतैरयुक्तो गुणैरेव प्रसज्धिषु । बुद्धा निवर्तते दोषो यत्नेनाभ्यासजेन ह
evaṁ jātiśatair yukto guṇair eva prasajjiṣu | buddhā nivartate doṣo yatnenābhyāsajena ha ||
毗湿摩说道：即便一个人历经百生，被诸“德性”（guṇa：萨埵、罗阇、怛摩）的戏弄所缠，屡屡被牵引入种种执著之网，仍能凭觉醒的明智与由持久修习所生的精进，回转远离过失与道德污点。譬如油反复以芬芳之花熏染，便舍弃自身旧味而安住于花香；同样，久为世间接触所熏习的心，也能以智慧与反复训练而再度“熏香”，从惯常的缺失中退离。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even deeply ingrained faults formed over many lifetimes and reinforced by the guṇas can be reduced and overcome through buddhi (clear discernment) and sustained effort grounded in repeated practice (abhyāsa).
In Bhishma’s instruction (Shanti Parva), he explains to the listener that moral transformation is possible: habitual defects do not have to remain permanent, because disciplined practice and awakened understanding can reverse long-standing conditioning.