Shloka 66
Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank
ऊचतुश्च समाविष्टौ रजसा तमसा च तौ । अयं स पुरुष: श्वेत: शेते निद्रामुपागत:
ūcatuś ca samāviṣṭau rajasā tamasā ca tau | ayaṃ sa puruṣaḥ śvetaḥ śete nidrām upāgataḥ ||
Waiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Dikuasai oleh rajas dan tamas, kedua asura itu saling berkata: ‘Pribadi berwarna cerah ini terbaring di sini, tenggelam dalam tidur. Pastilah dialah yang mencuri Weda dari Rasātala. Anak siapa dia—siapa dia—dan mengapa ia tidur di sini di atas dipan berbadan ular?’”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how rajas (agitation) and tamas (delusion) distort perception and judgment: the asuras, driven by these guṇas, hastily attribute a grave wrongdoing (theft of the Vedas) to the sleeping, radiant Person, illustrating ethical error born from inner imbalance.
Two asuras, overwhelmed by rajas and tamas, see a fair-colored Person asleep on a serpent-like couch and, suspecting him of having stolen the Vedas from Rasātala, question his identity and lineage and the reason for his sleeping there.