Shloka 10
Adhyāya 48: Brahmopadeśa on Prāṇāyāma, Sāttvika Vṛtti, and the Sattva–Kṣetrajña Question
पृथग्भूतं ततः सत्त्वमित्येतदविचारितम् | पृथग्भावश्न विज्ञेय: सहजश्नापि तत्त्वतः
pṛthagbhūtaṃ tataḥ sattvam ity etad avicāritam | pṛthagbhāvaś ca vijñeyaḥ sahajaś cāpi tattvataḥ ||
Sinabi ni Vāyu: “Ipinapahayag nila na ang prinsipyo ng sattva ay hiwalay sa Nakaaalam sa Larangan (kṣetrajña), at ito’y tinatanggap na tila likas na malinaw kahit walang masusing pagsisiyasat. Gayunman, dapat maunawaan na bagaman magkasamang nananahan ang dalawa ayon sa kalikasan, sa katotohanan ay dapat silang makilalang magkahiwalay sa diwa.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse urges discernment: even if sattva (a guṇa or constituent of prakṛti) appears closely associated with the conscious knower (kṣetrajña), one should understand their essential difference—consciousness is the witness, while sattva is a quality of nature.
Vāyudeva is presenting a philosophical clarification within the Ashvamedhika Parva’s instructional discourse, critiquing an unexamined claim and directing the listener to a more precise understanding of the relation between the self (kṣetrajña) and the guṇas such as sattva.