Shloka 68
Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon
वैशम्पायन उवाच तिस््र: प्रकृतयो राजन् देहबन्धेषु निर्मिता: । सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चैव भारत
vaiśampāyana uvāca tisraḥ prakṛtayo rājan dehabandheṣu nirmitāḥ | sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī caiva bhārata ||
毗湿摩波衍那说：大王啊，对于受身之众生，被身躯之缚所系者，主宰设立了三种性向（prakṛti）：萨埵（sāttvika）、罗阇（rājasika）与昏暗（tāmasika），婆罗多的后裔啊。此教诲阐明道德心理：内在禀赋如何塑造行为、责任，以及通向澄明或束缚之路。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Embodied life is shaped by three fundamental dispositions—sattva, rajas, and tamas. Ethical behavior and spiritual progress depend on recognizing which tendency predominates and cultivating sattva (clarity and balance) while restraining rajas (agitation) and tamas (delusion).
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vaiśampāyana addresses the king (a Bhārata descendant) and introduces a framework for understanding human conduct: the Lord has constituted three types of prakṛti for beings bound to the body, preparing the ground for further instruction on their traits and consequences.