Shloka 68
Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon
वैशम्पायन उवाच तिस््र: प्रकृतयो राजन् देहबन्धेषु निर्मिता: । सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चैव भारत
vaiśampāyana uvāca tisraḥ prakṛtayo rājan dehabandheṣu nirmitāḥ | sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī caiva bhārata ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「王よ、身体という枷に縛られた有身の者たちのために、主は三つの性質（プラクリティ）を定められた。すなわちサットヴァ、ラジャス、タマスである、バーラタの末裔よ。」この教えは道徳の心理を示す—内なる資質が行為と責め、そして明澄へ向かう道か束縛へ沈む道かを形づくるのである。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Embodied life is shaped by three fundamental dispositions—sattva, rajas, and tamas. Ethical behavior and spiritual progress depend on recognizing which tendency predominates and cultivating sattva (clarity and balance) while restraining rajas (agitation) and tamas (delusion).
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vaiśampāyana addresses the king (a Bhārata descendant) and introduces a framework for understanding human conduct: the Lord has constituted three types of prakṛti for beings bound to the body, preparing the ground for further instruction on their traits and consequences.