Shloka 68
Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon
वैशम्पायन उवाच तिस््र: प्रकृतयो राजन् देहबन्धेषु निर्मिता: । सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चैव भारत
vaiśampāyana uvāca tisraḥ prakṛtayo rājan dehabandheṣu nirmitāḥ | sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī caiva bhārata ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Ô roi, pour les êtres incarnés, liés dans les entraves du corps, le Seigneur a façonné trois dispositions (prakṛti) : la sāttvika, la rājasika et la tāmasika, ô rejeton de Bharata. Cet enseignement esquisse une psychologie morale : la constitution intérieure façonne la conduite, la responsabilité et la voie vers la clarté ou vers l’asservissement.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Embodied life is shaped by three fundamental dispositions—sattva, rajas, and tamas. Ethical behavior and spiritual progress depend on recognizing which tendency predominates and cultivating sattva (clarity and balance) while restraining rajas (agitation) and tamas (delusion).
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vaiśampāyana addresses the king (a Bhārata descendant) and introduces a framework for understanding human conduct: the Lord has constituted three types of prakṛti for beings bound to the body, preparing the ground for further instruction on their traits and consequences.