Shloka 25
Adhyāya 302: Guṇa-vicāra, Gati-bheda, and the Imperishable State
Yājñavalkya–Janaka
महर्षि वसिष्ठका राजा कराल जनकको उपदेश वायुज्योतिरथाकाशमापो5थ पृथिवी तथा । शब्द: स्पर्शक्षु रूपं च रसो गन्धस्तथैव च,आकाश, वायु, तेज, जल और पृथ्वी--ये पाँच महाभूत तथा शब्द, स्पर्श, रूप, रस और गन्ध--ये पाँच विषय वैकृत-सर्गके अन्तर्गत हैं
vāsiṣṭha uvāca | vāyujyotirathākāśam āpo 'tha pṛthivī tathā | śabdaḥ sparśaś ca rūpaṃ ca raso gandhas tathaiva ca |
Vasiṣṭha said: “Air, fire, and space, then water and likewise earth—these are the five great elements. Sound, touch, form, taste, and smell—these five sense-objects arise within the created order (the evolved creation).” In this instruction, the sage frames the world of experience as a structured manifestation, guiding the listener toward discernment: ethical steadiness and inner freedom begin by understanding that sensory objects and elemental constituents are products of nature and not the Self.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse classifies experience into (1) the five great elements—space, air, fire, water, earth—and (2) the five sense-objects—sound, touch, form, taste, smell—presenting them as products of the manifest creation. This supports discernment (viveka): one should not mistake these changing constituents for the enduring Self, and ethical calm arises from non-attachment to sensory objects.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Vasiṣṭha is delivering a doctrinal explanation—listing the elemental and sensory categories—to ground the listener in a philosophical map of the world. The teaching functions as a step toward renunciation and inner steadiness by explaining how the field of experience is constituted.