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 ||
वैशम्पायन उवाच—तिस्रः प्रकृतयो राजन् देहबन्धेषु देहिनाम्। ईश्वरेण विनिर्मुक्ताः सात्त्विकी राजसी तथा तामसी भारत॥
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.