Shloka 2

नारद–शुक संवादः (Nārada–Śuka Dialogue): Tyāga, Saṃyama, and Vyakta–Avyakta Viveka

Devanagari script

नास्ति सांख्यसमं ज्ञानं नास्ति योगसमं बलम्‌ | तावुभावेकचर्यो तावुभावनिधनौ स्मृती,सांख्यके समान कोई ज्ञान नहीं है। योगके समान कोई बल नहीं है। इन दोनोंका लक्ष्य एक है और वे दोनों ही मृत्युका निवारण करनेवाले माने गये हैं

Transliteration

nāsti sāṅkhyasamaṃ jñānaṃ nāsti yogasamaṃ balam | tāv ubhāv ekacaryau tāv ubhāv anidhanau smṛtī ||

Translation

Yājñavalkya sprach: „Kein Wissen ist dem der Sāṅkhya gleich, und keine Kraft ist der des Yoga gleich. Doch beide gehen einen einzigen Weg und zielen auf ein einziges Ziel; und beide gelten in der Überlieferung als Wege, die über den Tod hinausführen.“

Word by Word

नnot

अस्तिthere is

सांख्यसमम्equal to Sāṅkhya

ज्ञानम्knowledge

नnot

अस्तिthere is

योगसमम्equal to Yoga

बलम्strength, power

तौthose two

उभौboth

एकचर्यौhaving one course/aim; moving in one path

तौthose two

उभौboth

अनिधनौdeathless; not ending (in death)

स्मृतौare remembered/considered (as such) (lit. 'the two are remembered')

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yājñavalkya

Sāṅkhya

Yoga

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sāṅkhya is praised for unsurpassed liberating knowledge (discriminating Self from non-Self), and Yoga for unsurpassed strength (discipline, concentration, steadiness). Despite differing emphases, they converge in practice and culminate in the same end: transcendence of death through liberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, the sage Yājñavalkya teaches that the two major spiritual approaches—Sāṅkhya (insight) and Yoga (discipline)—are not rivals but complementary paths that ultimately lead to the same death-transcending realization.