Mahabharata · Chapter 14.40

naiva śakyā guṇā vaktuṃ pṛthaktvenaiva sarvaśaḥ /
avicchinnāni dṛśyante rajaḥ satvaṃ tamastathā //

anyonyamanurajyante hyanyonyenānujīvinaḥ /
anyonyāpāśrayāḥ sarve tathā'nyonyānuvartinaḥ //

yāvatsatvaṃ rajastāvadvartate nātra saṃśayaḥ /
yāvattamaśca satvaṃ ca rajastāvadihocyate //

saṃhatya kurvate yātrāṃ sahitāḥ saṅghacāriṇaḥ /
saṅghātavṛttayo hyete vartante hetvahetubhiḥ //

udrekavyatiriktānāṃ teṣāmanyonyavartinām /
vakṣyate tadyathā'nyūnaṃ vyatiriktaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ //

vyatiriktaṃ tamo yatra tiryagbhāvagataṃ bhavet /
alpaṃ tatratha rajo jñeyaṃ satvamalpataraṃ tathā //

udriktaṃ ca rajo yatra madhyasrotogataṃ bhavet /
alpaṃ tatra tamo jñeyaṃ satvamalpataraṃ tathā //

udriktaṃ ca yadā satvamūrdhvasrotogataṃ bhavet /
alpaṃ tatra tamo jñeyaṃ rajaścālpataraṃ tathā //

satvaṃ vaikārikī yonirindriyāṇāṃ prakāśikā /
na hi satvātparo bhāvaḥ kaścidanyo vidhīyate //

ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti satvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ /
jaghanyaguṇasaṃyuktā yāntyadhastāmasā janāḥ //

tamaḥ śūdre rajaḥ kṣatre brāhmaṇe satvamuttamam /
ityevaṃ triṣu varṇeṣu vivartante guṇāstrayaḥ //

dūrādapi hi dṛśyanate sahitāḥ saṅghacāriṇaḥ /
tamaḥ satvaṃ rajaścaiva pṛthaktvenānuśuśruma //

dṛṣṭvā tvādityamudyantaṃ kucorāṇāṃ bhayaṃ bhavet /
adhvagāḥ paritapyeyuruṣṇato duḥkhabhāginaḥ //

ādityaḥ satvamuddiṣṭaḥ kucorāstu tathā tamaḥ /
paritāpo'dhvagānāṃ ca rajaso guṇa ucyate //

prākāśyaṃ satvamādityaḥ santāpo rajaso guṇaḥ /
upaplavastu vijñeyastāmasastasya parvasu //

evaṃ jyotiṣṣu sarveṣu pravartante guṇāstrayaḥ //
paryāyeṇa ca varntate tatratatra tathātathā //

sthāvareṣu tu bhāveṣu tiryagbhāvagataṃ tamaḥ /
rājasāstu vivartante snehabhāvastu sātvikaiḥ //

ahastridhā tu vijñeyaṃ tridhā rātrirvidhīyate /
māsārdamāsavarṣāṇi ṛtavaḥ sandhayastathā //

tridhā dānāni dīyante tridhā yajñaḥ pravartate /
tridhā lokāstridhā devāstridhā vidyāstridhā gatiḥ //

bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ ca dharmo'rthaḥ kāma eva ca /
prāṇāpānāvudānaścāpyeta eva trayo guṇāḥ //

paryāyeṇa pravartante tatratatra tathātathā /
yatkiñcidiha loke'sminsarvamete trayo guṇāḥ //

trayo guṇāḥ pravartante hyavyaktā nityameva tu /
satvaṃ rajastamaścaiva guṇasargaḥ sanātanaḥ //

tamo'vyaktaṃ śivaṃ dhāma rajo yoniḥ sanātanaḥ /
prakṛtirvikāraḥ pralayaḥ pradhānaṃ prabhavāpyayau //

anudriktamanūnaṃ vā'pyakampamacalaṃ dhruvam / sadasaccaiva tatsarvamavyaktaṃ triguṇaṃ smṛtam /
jñeyāni nāmadheyāni narairadyātmacintakaiḥ //

avyaktanāmāni guṇāṃśca tattvato yo veda sarvāṇi gatīśca kevalāḥ /
vimuktadehaḥ pravibhāgatattvavi- tsa mucyate sarvaguṇairnirāmayaḥ //