Shloka 10
Adhyāya 48: Brahmopadeśa on Prāṇāyāma, Sāttvika Vṛtti, and the Sattva–Kṣetrajña Question
पृथग्भूतं ततः सत्त्वमित्येतदविचारितम् | पृथग्भावश्न विज्ञेय: सहजश्नापि तत्त्वतः
pṛthagbhūtaṃ tataḥ sattvam ity etad avicāritam | pṛthagbhāvaś ca vijñeyaḥ sahajaś cāpi tattvataḥ ||
वायु बोले— वे कहते हैं कि क्षेत्रज्ञ से सत्त्व पृथक् है, और यह बात बिना विचार किए ही स्वयंसिद्ध मान ली गई है। पर समझना चाहिए कि दोनों स्वभावतः साथ रहते हुए भी तत्त्वतः अलग-अलग हैं।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse urges discernment: even if sattva (a guṇa or constituent of prakṛti) appears closely associated with the conscious knower (kṣetrajña), one should understand their essential difference—consciousness is the witness, while sattva is a quality of nature.
Vāyudeva is presenting a philosophical clarification within the Ashvamedhika Parva’s instructional discourse, critiquing an unexamined claim and directing the listener to a more precise understanding of the relation between the self (kṣetrajña) and the guṇas such as sattva.