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 |
ヴィヤーサは言った。「我が子よ、この教えは一切のヴェーダの内奥の秘であり、ただ伝承や聞き伝えによって確立されるものではない。自らの直接の覚知によって確証されるシャーストラであり、アートマンの知へ導く修行である。意（manas）、知（buddhi）、そして生来の性向—『我』の感覚と習性（ahaṃkāra）—この三つは、それぞれの因の源、すなわち過去の印象（サンスカーラ）から生ずる。たとえ微細で、諸元素の他の産物より勝れていても、グナ（guṇa）を完全に超えることはできない。彼らは自ら生じたグナのうちに働くのである。」
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.