Shloka 9
Adhyāya 48: Brahmopadeśa on Prāṇāyāma, Sāttvika Vṛtti, and the Sattva–Kṣetrajña Question
आहुरेके च विद्वांसो ये ज्ञानपरिनिष्ठिता: । क्षेत्रज्ञसत्त्वयोरैक्यमित्येतन्नोपपद्यते,ज्ञानमें भलीभाँति स्थित कितने ही विद्वान् कहते हैं कि क्षेत्रज्ष और सत्त्वकी एकता युक्तिसंगत नहीं है
āhur eke ca vidvāṁso ye jñāna-pariniṣṭhitāḥ | kṣetrajña-sattvayor aikyam ity etan nopapadyate ||
वायु बोले— जो विद्वान् ज्ञान में दृढ़ प्रतिष्ठित हैं, उनमें से कुछ कहते हैं कि क्षेत्रज्ञ और सत्त्व की एकता युक्तिसंगत नहीं है।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a key metaphysical distinction: the kṣetrajña (conscious witness/self) should not be equated with sattva (a guṇa of material nature). Even refined purity and clarity belong to prakṛti, whereas the knower is of a different order—awareness itself—so their absolute identity is argued to be untenable.
Vāyudeva is presenting a doctrinal position held by certain realized scholars: they reject the claim that the self (kṣetrajña) and the quality of sattva are one. This functions as a philosophical clarification within the Ashvamedhika Parva’s discourse setting.