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 ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśaṃpāyana: Daig ng puwersa ng pagnanasa at kadiliman, nagsalitaan ang dalawang asura: “Ang maputing Persona na ito’y nakahimlay dito, lubog sa pagtulog. Tiyak na siya ang nagnakaw ng mga Veda mula sa Rasātala. Kaninong anak siya—sino siya—at bakit siya natutulog dito sa isang higaan na katawan ng ahas?”
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.