Shloka 773

Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon

Devanagari script

रजसा तमसा चैव मानसं समभिप्लुतम्‌ | ऐसा पुरुष जब जन्म लेता है

Transliteration

rajasā tamasā caiva mānasaṃ samabhiplutam |

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: «إنَّ الذهنَ مغمورٌ كلَّه بالراجس (rajas) والتمس (tamas).» ومن جهة الأخلاق، فهذا وصفٌ لإنسانٍ تُسيِّرُ باطنَه الشهوةُ والاضطرابُ والجهل، حتى يَحتجبَ التمييزُ وتَميلَ السيرةُ إلى الحركةِ الظاهرةِ والاندفاع بدلَ الصفاء وضبطِ النفس.

Word by Word

• रजसा: by/with rajas (the quality of activity)
• रजसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तमसा: by/with tamas (the quality of darkness/inertia)
• तमसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• मानसम्: mind
• मानसम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• समभिप्लुतम्: flooded/overwhelmed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-अभि-प्लु (क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That when rajas (passionate agitation) and tamas (deluded inertia) dominate the mind, inner clarity is submerged; ethical life then requires recognizing these forces and cultivating sattva (lucidity) through discipline, right understanding, and self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing a psychological-ethical condition within the Śānti Parva’s instruction: the mind of a certain type of person is portrayed as overwhelmed by the lower guṇas, setting the stage for guidance about conduct and the paths of action and restraint.