Shloka 21
कामद्रुम-रूपकः तथा शरीर-पुर-रूपकः
The Desire-Tree and the Body-as-City Metaphors
अतो गुह्ुतरार्थ तदध्यात्ममतिमानुषम् | यत् तन्महर्षिभिदर्दृष्ट वेदान्तेषु च गीयते
ato guhūtarārtha tad adhyātmamatimānuṣam | yat tan maharṣibhir dṛṣṭaṃ vedānteṣu ca gīyate || yat tu santāpasaṃyuktaṃ kāye manasi vā bhavet | pravṛttaṃ raja ity evaṃ tatra cāpy upalakṣayet ||
毗耶娑说：因此，依你所问，我将教授更为隐秘而微妙的、超越凡人的自我之智——此智为大圣仙亲证，并在吠檀多，即《奥义书》中所歌咏称扬。又当见身或心中生起苦恼与灼热的躁动时，应知彼处罗阇斯（rajas）——激情与不安之德——正在发动。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vyāsa frames his instruction as a deeper adhyātma (inner, Self-oriented) doctrine validated by seers and echoed in the Upaniṣads, then gives a practical diagnostic: distressful agitation in body or mind is a sign that rajas—the restless, passionate guṇa—has become active.
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa responds to a questioner by promising a more esoteric spiritual teaching and immediately begins explaining how to recognize the play of the guṇas in lived experience, starting with the mark of rajas.