महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-187, verse-16

गुणान्नेनीयते बुद्धिर्बुद्धिरेवेन्द्रियाण्यपि ।
मनःषष्ठानि सर्वाणि बुद्ध्यभावे कुतो गुणाः ॥१६॥

16. guṇānnenīyate buddhirbuddhirevendriyāṇyapi ,
manaḥṣaṣṭhāni sarvāṇi buddhyabhāve kuto guṇāḥ.

16. guṇān nenīyate buddhiḥ buddhiḥ eva indriyāṇi api
manaḥṣaṣṭhāni sarvāṇi buddhyabhāve kutaḥ guṇāḥ

16. buddhiḥ guṇān nenīyate buddhiḥ eva manaḥṣaṣṭhāni sarvāṇi indriyāṇi api [ne-nīyate].
buddhyabhāve guṇāḥ kutaḥ [syuḥ]?

16. The intellect (buddhi) is constantly influenced by the qualities (guṇas). Indeed, the intellect also directs all the senses, with the mind (manas) as the sixth. In the absence of intellect, how could there be (perception of) qualities?

Words meanings summery:

• गुणान् (guṇān) - the three constituents of primordial nature (prakṛti) – sattva, rajas, and tamas (qualities, attributes, constituents)

• नेनीयते (nenīyate) - is strongly or repeatedly influenced/directed (is led, is guided, is moved, is driven)

• बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - the faculty of decisive understanding and judgment (buddhi) (intellect, understanding, discernment, reason)

• बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - the faculty of decisive understanding and judgment (buddhi) (intellect, understanding, discernment, reason)

• एव (eva) - emphasizes the direct control or role of the intellect (indeed, certainly, only, just, quite)

• इन्द्रियाणि (indriyāṇi) - the five cognitive and five conative senses (senses, sense organs, faculties)

• अपि (api) - indicates inclusion, 'even the senses' (also, even, too)

• मनःषष्ठानि (manaḥṣaṣṭhāni) - refers to the five cognitive senses and five conative senses, with the mind (manas) as the eleventh, or sixth when referring to groups of senses (e.g. 5 cognitive + mind, 5 conative + mind) (having mind as the sixth)

• सर्वाणि (sarvāṇi) - all the sense organs including the mind (all, whole, entire)

• बुद्ध्यभावे (buddhyabhāve) - when there is no functioning intellect (buddhi) to perceive or process (in the absence of intellect)

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - how could they exist or be perceived? (from where, whence, how)

• गुणाः (guṇāḥ) - the three constituents of primordial nature (prakṛti) that make up experienced reality (qualities, attributes, constituents)

Words meanings and morphology

गुणान् (guṇān) - the three constituents of primordial nature (prakṛti) – sattva, rajas, and tamas (qualities, attributes, constituents)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of guṇa

guṇa - quality, attribute, constituent, thread, strand, secondary quality

नेनीयते (nenīyate) - is strongly or repeatedly influenced/directed (is led, is guided, is moved, is driven)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of nī

intensive passive

From √nī (1st class) with reduplication (nenī) in passive voice, present tense, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada

Root: nī (class 1)

Note: Intensive form

बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - the faculty of decisive understanding and judgment (buddhi) (intellect, understanding, discernment, reason)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of buddhi

buddhi - intellect, understanding, perception, judgment, reason

From √budh 'to wake, to know'

Root: budh (class 1)

बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - the faculty of decisive understanding and judgment (buddhi) (intellect, understanding, discernment, reason)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of buddhi

buddhi - intellect, understanding, perception, judgment, reason

From √budh 'to wake, to know'

Root: budh (class 1)

एव (eva) - emphasizes the direct control or role of the intellect (indeed, certainly, only, just, quite)

(indeclinable)

इन्द्रियाणि (indriyāṇi) - the five cognitive and five conative senses (senses, sense organs, faculties)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of indriya

indriya - sense organ, faculty of sense, power, virility

Related to Indra, meaning 'belonging to Indra' or 'fitting for Indra'

अपि (api) - indicates inclusion, 'even the senses' (also, even, too)

(indeclinable)

मनःषष्ठानि (manaḥṣaṣṭhāni) - refers to the five cognitive senses and five conative senses, with the mind (manas) as the eleventh, or sixth when referring to groups of senses (e.g. 5 cognitive + mind, 5 conative + mind) (having mind as the sixth)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, plural of manaḥṣaṣṭha

manaḥṣaṣṭha - having the mind as the sixth

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (manas+ṣaṣṭha)

• manas – mind, intellect, thought, intention
  noun (neuter)
• ṣaṣṭha – sixth
  adjective (neuter)

सर्वाणि (sarvāṇi) - all the sense organs including the mind (all, whole, entire)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, entire

बुद्ध्यभावे (buddhyabhāve) - when there is no functioning intellect (buddhi) to perceive or process (in the absence of intellect)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of buddhyabhāva

buddhyabhāva - absence of intellect, lack of understanding

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (buddhi+abhāva)

• buddhi – intellect, understanding, perception, judgment
  noun (feminine)
  From √budh 'to wake, to know'
  Root: budh (class 1)
• abhāva – absence, non-existence, non-being
  noun (masculine)
  From a- + √bhū 'to be'
  Prefix: a
  Root: bhū (class 1)

कुतः (kutaḥ) - how could they exist or be perceived? (from where, whence, how)

(indeclinable)

गुणाः (guṇāḥ) - the three constituents of primordial nature (prakṛti) that make up experienced reality (qualities, attributes, constituents)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of guṇa

guṇa - quality, attribute, constituent, thread, strand, secondary quality