Markandeya continued, “O Bharata, the fowler having expounded these
abstruse points, the Brahmana with great attention again enquired of him
about these subtle topics. The Brahmana said, ‘Do thou truly describe to
me, who now duly ask thee, the respective virtues of the qualities of
sattwa, rajas, and tamas.’ The fowler replied, ‘Very well, I shall tell
thee what thou hast asked. I shall describe separately their respective
virtues, do thou listen. Of them tamas is characterised by illusion
(spiritual), rajas incites (men to action), sattwa is of great grandeur,
and on that account, it is said to be the greatest of them. He who is
greatly under the influence of spiritual ignorance, who is foolish,
senseless and given to dreaming, who is idle, unenergetic and swayed by
anger and haughtiness, is said to be under the influence of tamas. And, O
Brahmana rishi, that excellent man who is agreeable in speech,
thoughtful, free from envy, industrious in action from an eager desire to
reap its fruits, and of warm temperament, is said to be under the
influence of rajas. And he who is resolute, patient, not subject to
anger, free from malice, and is not skilful in action from want of a
selfish desire to reap its fruits, wise and forbearing, is said to be
under the influence of sattwa. When a man endowed with the sattwa
quality, is influenced by worldliness, he suffers misery; but he hates
worldliness, when he realises its full significance. And then a feeling
of indifference to worldly affairs begins to influence him. And then his
pride decreases, and uprightness becomes more prominent, and his
conflicting moral sentiments are reconciled. And then self-restraint in
any matter becomes unnecessary. A man, O Brahmana, may be born in the
Sudra caste, but if he is possessed of good qualities, he may attain the
state of Vaisya and similarly that of a Kshatriya, and if he is steadfast
in rectitude, he may even become a Brahmana. I have described to thee
these virtues, what else dost thou wish to learn?’”