Shloka 37

Utkramaṇa-sthāna and Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇa: Yājñavalkya’s Instruction on Departure Pathways and Mortality Signs

Devanagari script

पजञ्चविंशतिनिष्ठो5यं यदा सम्यक्‌ प्रवर्तते । एकत्वं दर्शन चास्य नानात्वं चाप्यदर्शनम्‌

Transliteration

pañcaviṁśati-niṣṭho ’yaṁ yadā samyak pravartate | ekatvaṁ darśanaṁ cāsya nānātvaṁ cāpy adarśanam ||

Translation

Wenn diese Übung, gegründet auf den fünfundzwanzig Prinzipien (tattva), richtig in Gang gesetzt wird, schenkt sie die Schau der Einheit; und in derselben Klarheit wird der Schein der Vielheit nicht mehr gesehen.

Word by Word

पञ्चविंशतिनिष्ठःone established in the twenty-five (tattvas)

अयम्this (person)

यदाwhen

सम्यक्properly, rightly

प्रवर्ततेproceeds, engages (in practice)

एकत्वम्oneness

दर्शनम्seeing, perception

चand

अस्यof him/this (person)

नानात्वम्multiplicity, diversity

चand

अपिalso

अदर्शनम्non-seeing, non-perception

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वसिष्ठ (Vasiṣṭha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vasiṣṭha states that when one is firmly grounded in the framework of the twenty-five principles (a Sāṅkhya-style analysis) and practices it correctly, one comes to perceive unity (ekatva). In that realization, multiplicity (nānātva) is no longer apprehended as ultimately real—ethical stability follows from seeing beyond fragmentation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is instructing his listener in a liberation-oriented doctrine: correct engagement with a systematic philosophical discipline transforms perception. The teaching contrasts two modes of seeing—ordinary perception that takes plurality as real versus awakened insight that recognizes an underlying oneness.