Shloka 13
कामद्रुम-रूपकः तथा शरीर-पुर-रूपकः
The Desire-Tree and the Body-as-City Metaphors
रहस्यं सर्ववेदानामनैतिहमनागमम् | आत्मप्रत्ययिकं शास्त्रमिदं पुत्रानुशसनम्
vyāsa uvāca | rahasyaṁ sarvavedānām anaitihyam anāgamam | ātmapratyayikaṁ śāstram idaṁ putrānuśāsanam | mano buddhiḥ svabhāvaś ca traya ete svayonijāḥ | na guṇān ativartante guṇebhyaḥ paramāgatāḥ |
Vyāsa dit : «Mon fils, cet enseignement est le secret intérieur de tous les Veda ; il n’est pas établi par la seule tradition ni par ce qui se transmet de bouche à oreille. C’est une doctrine vérifiée dans la conscience directe de chacun, une discipline qui mène à la connaissance du Soi. Le mental (manas), l’intellect (buddhi) et la disposition innée —le sentiment du “moi” et la nature habituelle (ahaṃkāra)—, ces trois-là naissent de leurs propres causes, des impressions antérieures. Bien qu’ils soient subtils et supérieurs à d’autres produits des éléments, ils ne peuvent franchir entièrement les guṇa ; ils opèrent au sein des guṇa dont ils sont issus.»
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage asserts that the deepest Vedic secret is Self-knowledge verified by direct inner certainty (ātma-pratyaya), not merely by tradition or second-hand authority. It also teaches that mind, intellect, and innate disposition arise from prior causes and remain conditioned by the three guṇas, so liberation requires understanding and disentangling from guṇa-bound functioning rather than expecting these faculties to transcend guṇas on their own.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa addresses his son as a teacher, presenting a concise, philosophical admonition. He frames his counsel as an experiential doctrine of the Self and then analyzes the psychological instruments (mind, intellect, disposition) to show their dependence on prakṛti’s guṇas, guiding the listener toward a mokṣa-oriented understanding.