Shloka 31
अश्वशिरो-आख्यानम्
Aśvaśiras / Hayaśiras Narrative: Retrieval of the Vedas
तस्मादव्यक्तमुत्पन्न॑ त्रिगुणं द्विजसत्तम । अव्यक्ता व्यक्तभावस्था या सा प्रकृतिरव्यया
tasmād avyaktam utpannaṁ triguṇaṁ dvijasattama | avyaktā vyaktabhāvasthā yā sā prakṛtir avyayā ||
那罗陀说道：“因此，噫，最胜之二生者！由彼至上真实而生具三德之未显原理。此不坏之原质（Prakṛti）虽住于显现之位，仍名‘未显’——微妙、不可知、不可言说、不动而恒常；超越诸根、根境与一切众生。它是万类众生的内在自我，故称‘知田者’（kṣetrajña），超越三德而名‘补卢沙’（puruṣa）。又由彼而复说：具三德之未显由此而起。”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse distinguishes the imperishable inner Self (kṣetrajña/puruṣa), which is beyond the three guṇas, from Prakṛti, the unmanifest principle associated with the guṇas. It teaches that the true Self is subtle, constant, beyond senses and objects, and is the inner witness of all beings—knowledge of which supports liberation-oriented discernment.
Nārada is instructing a brāhmaṇa sage within the Śānti Parva’s mokṣa-oriented discourse. He explains the cosmological and psychological framework of Sāṅkhya: from the supreme, guṇa-transcending Self, the guṇa-bearing unmanifest Prakṛti is spoken of as arising, and Prakṛti is described as ‘unmanifest’ even when it appears as the manifest world.