Shloka 17
जनक–पराशर संवादः — वर्ण-गोत्र-धर्मविचारः
Janaka–Parāśara: Varṇa, Gotra, and Dharma Inquiry
चक्षुरालोचनायैव संशयं कुरुते मन: । बुद्धिरध्यवसानाय साक्षी क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते । तमः सत्त्वं रजश्नलेति काल: कर्म च भारत
cakṣur ālocanāyaiva saṁśayaṁ kurute manaḥ | buddhir adhyavasānāya sākṣī kṣetrajña ucyate | tamaḥ sattvaṁ rajaś ceti kālaḥ karma ca bhārata
毗湿摩说道：“眼只为见；生疑者乃意（manas）。理智（buddhi）用于决断，而作证之自我称为‘田地之知者’（kṣetrajña）。怛摩、萨埵、罗阇——此为三德；又啊，婆罗多，时间与业（karma）亦统摄具身之人。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes inner faculties: the senses merely perceive, the mind doubts, the intellect decides, and the kṣetrajña (witnessing Self) observes. He then frames experience through the guṇas (tamas, sattva, rajas) and reminds that time and action shape embodied life.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhishma continues his discourse on inner discipline and right understanding, explaining how perception, doubt, decision, and witnessing consciousness function, and how guṇas, time, and karma condition human conduct and moral responsibility.