The qualities cannot know the Soul. The Soul, however, knows them. The ignorant regard the Soul as existing in a state of union with the qualities like qualities existing with their possessors. This, however, is not the case, for the Soul is only an idle spectator of everything.
न गुणा विदुरात्मानं स गुणान् वेद सर्वतः। परिद्रष्टा गुणानां तं संस्रष्टा मन्यते यथा।॥