Shloka 13
कामद्रुम-रूपकः तथा शरीर-पुर-रूपकः
The Desire-Tree and the Body-as-City Metaphors
रहस्यं सर्ववेदानामनैतिहमनागमम् | आत्मप्रत्ययिकं शास्त्रमिदं पुत्रानुशसनम्
vyāsa uvāca | rahasyaṁ sarvavedānām anaitihyam anāgamam | ātmapratyayikaṁ śāstram idaṁ putrānuśāsanam | mano buddhiḥ svabhāvaś ca traya ete svayonijāḥ | na guṇān ativartante guṇebhyaḥ paramāgatāḥ |
毗耶娑说：“吾子，此教诫乃一切吠陀之内秘，并非仅凭传统或传闻即可成立。此为须由自证之直接觉知所印可之法门，能导向对我（Ātman）之真知。意（manas）、慧（buddhi）与天性——‘我’之感与习性（ahaṃkāra）——此三者皆由各自之因源而生，即由先前之印痕（saṃskāra）所起。纵然它们微细，且胜过诸元素之其他产物，仍不能全然超越诸德性（guṇa）；它们在自身所由生起的 guṇa 之中运作。”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage asserts that the deepest Vedic secret is Self-knowledge verified by direct inner certainty (ātma-pratyaya), not merely by tradition or second-hand authority. It also teaches that mind, intellect, and innate disposition arise from prior causes and remain conditioned by the three guṇas, so liberation requires understanding and disentangling from guṇa-bound functioning rather than expecting these faculties to transcend guṇas on their own.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa addresses his son as a teacher, presenting a concise, philosophical admonition. He frames his counsel as an experiential doctrine of the Self and then analyzes the psychological instruments (mind, intellect, disposition) to show their dependence on prakṛti’s guṇas, guiding the listener toward a mokṣa-oriented understanding.