अव्यक्त–पुरुष–विवेकः (Discrimination of Avyakta/Prakṛti and Puruṣa) — Yājñavalkya’s Anvīkṣikī to Viśvāvasu
सर्वमव्यक्तमित्युक्तमसर्व: पजचविंशक: । य एनमभिजानन्ति न भयं तेषु विद्यते
sarvam avyaktam ity uktam asarvaḥ pañcaviṁśakaḥ | ya enam abhijānanti na bhayaṁ teṣu vidyate ||
قال فَسِشْتَهُ: «كل ما يُسمّى “غيرَ المتجلّي” هو البراكريتي (Prakṛti) الأولى. ومغايرٌ لها المبدأ الخامس والعشرون: الذاتُ العليا، وتُسمّى “أَسَرْفَا” (Asarva). من عرف هذه الحقائق على ما هي عليه لا يعود يساكنه الخوف—ولا سيما خوفُ التردّد المتكرر ذهابًا وإيابًا في السَّمْسارا.»
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Discriminative knowledge: understanding the ‘unmanifest’ as Prakṛti and recognizing the distinct twenty-fifth principle (Paramātman) removes existential fear—especially fear of saṁsāric return—because one no longer mistakes the Self for the changing field of nature.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on liberation-oriented philosophy, Vasiṣṭha teaches a Sāṅkhya-like distinction between Prakṛti (the unmanifest source) and the transcendent Self (the 25th principle). He states that those who realize this distinction become free from fear and the cycle of rebirth.