Shloka 3

तमोगुण-निरूपण

Analysis of Tamas and its Marks

Devanagari script

त्रीणि स्रोतांसि यान्यस्मिन्नाप्यायन्ते पुन: पुनः । प्रनाड्यस्तिस्र एवैता: प्रवर्तन्ते गुणात्मिका:,इसमें जो तीन स्रोत (चित्तरूपी नदीके प्रवाह) हैं, वे उन तीन गुणमयी नाडियोंके द्वारा बार-बार भरे जाते एवं प्रवाहित होते हैं

Transliteration

trīṇi srotāṃsi yāny asminn āpyāyante punaḥ punaḥ | praṇāḍyas tisra evaitāḥ pravartante guṇātmikāḥ ||

Translation

வாயுதேவன் கூறினார்—“இதில் (உள்மனத்தில்) மூன்று ஓடைகள் உள்ளன; அவை மீண்டும் மீண்டும் நிரம்புகின்றன. குணமயமான அந்த மூன்று நாடிகளே அவற்றை இயக்கி இடையறாது ஓடச் செய்கின்றன.”

Word by Word

त्रीणिthree

स्रोतांसिstreams, channels

यानिwhich

अस्मिन्in this (herein)

आप्यायन्तेare filled, become replenished

पुनःagain

प्रनाड्यःchannels/tubes (pranadis)

तिस्रःthree

एवindeed, just

एताःthese

प्रवर्तन्तेproceed, flow, operate

गुणात्मिकाःconsisting of the guṇas

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वायुदेव (Vāyu-deva)

त

त्रिगुण (sattva-rajas-tamas) (implied)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links inner experience to the three guṇas: the mind’s recurring currents are repeatedly ‘fed’ and propelled by three guṇa-constituted channels. Ethically, it implies that mastering conduct requires understanding how sattva, rajas, and tamas continually condition one’s mental flow.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is explaining an inner, yogic-psychological model: within the person there are three ongoing ‘streams’ (currents of mind/being), and three guṇa-based nāḍīs (channels) repeatedly replenish and drive these currents.