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 ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。欲（ラジャス）と闇（タマス）に呑まれたその二人のアスラは、互いに語り合った。「この白き御者は、ここで眠りに沈んで横たわっている。きっとラサータラからヴェーダを奪ったのはこやつだ。誰の子なのか—何者なのか—なぜ蛇身の臥床の上で、ここに眠っているのか。」
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.