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Shloka 37

नारद–शुक संवादः

Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga

विश्वाविश्वेति यदिदं गन्धर्विेन्द्रानुपृच्छसि । विश्वाव्यक्तं परं विद्याद्‌ भूतभव्यभयंकरम्‌

viśvāviśveti yad idaṃ gandharvīndrānupṛcchasi | viśvāvyaktaṃ paraṃ vidyād bhūtabhavyabhayaṅkaram ||

Yājñavalkya sprach: „Was du fragst—‚das Universale und das Nicht-Universale‘—, wisse: Die höchste Wirklichkeit ist das Unmanifestierte (Avyakta), das alles durchdringt. Es ist das oberste Prinzip, ehrfurchtgebietend für Wesen der Vergangenheit und der Zukunft, denn es steht jenseits gewöhnlicher Wahrnehmung und ist der Grund von allem, was ist und sein wird.“

विश्वthe all / universe
विश्व:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविश्व
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अविश्वthe non-all / not-universe
अविश्व:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअविश्व
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
इतिthus
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
यत्which
यत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
इदम्this
इदम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
गन्धर्विO Gandharvī (female Gandharva)
गन्धर्वि:
TypeNoun
Rootगन्धर्वी
FormFeminine, Vocative, Singular
इन्द्रIndra / lord
इन्द्र:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootइन्द्र
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अनुपृच्छसिyou ask / inquire after
अनुपृच्छसि:
TypeVerb
Rootअनु-प्रच्छ्
FormPresent, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada
विश्वthe all
विश्व:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootविश्व
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अव्यक्तम्unmanifest
अव्यक्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअव्यक्त
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
परम्supreme
परम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपर
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
विद्यात्one should know / may know
विद्यात्:
TypeVerb
Rootविद्
FormOptative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
भूतof the past beings / of what has been
भूत:
TypeNoun
Rootभूत
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
भव्यof the future / of what will be
भव्य:
TypeNoun
Rootभव्य
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
भयङ्करम्fear-causing / terrible
भयङ्करम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootभयङ्कर
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Y
Yājñavalkya
G
Gandharvīndra (lord of the Gandharvas)
V
Viśva
A
Aviśva
A
Avyakta (the Unmanifest)

Educational Q&A

The verse identifies the highest reality as the all-pervading Unmanifest (avyakta), beyond the categories of ‘universal’ and ‘non-universal’ as ordinarily conceived, and portrays it as a transcendent principle that inspires awe across time (past and future).

In a philosophical exchange in Śānti Parva, Yājñavalkya responds to a question posed to him (addressed as ‘lord of the Gandharvas’) about the notions of viśva and aviśva, redirecting the inquiry toward the supreme, unmanifest ground of existence.