Shloka 39

Devanagari script

निस्तत्त्वं पज्चविंशस्य परमाहुर्निंदर्शनम्‌ । सर्गस्य वर्गमाधारं तत्त्वं तत्वात्‌ू सनातनम्‌,तत्त्व (क्षर और निस्तत्त्व (अक्षर) का यह पृथकृ-पृथक्‌ लक्षण समझना चाहिये। कुछ मनीषी पुरुष पचीस तत्त्वोंको ही तत्त्व कहते हैं; परंतु दूसरे विद्वानोंने चौबीस जड तत्त्वोंको तो तत्त्व कहा है और पचीसवें चेतन परमात्माको निस्तत्त्व (तत्त्वसे भिन्न) बताया है। यह चैतन्य ही परमात्माका लक्षण है। महत्तत््व आदि जो विकार हैं, वे क्षरतत्त्व हैं और परम पुरुष परमात्मा उन “क्षर” तत्त्वोंसे भिन्न उनका सनातन आधार है

Transliteration

nistattvaṃ pañcaviṃśasya paramāhur nirdarśanam | sargasya vargam ādhāraṃ tattvaṃ tattvāt tu sanātanam ||

Translation

Vasiṣṭha said: “Some declare that the supreme indication lies in the twenty-fifth principle, which is beyond the manifest categories. It is the eternal foundation that supports the entire array of creation, standing apart from the changing principles while sustaining them.”

Word by Word

निस्तत्त्वम्the non-tattva (beyond the principles)

पञ्चविंशस्यof the twenty-fifth

परम्supreme; highest

आहुःthey say; they have declared

निर्दर्शनम्indication; defining mark

सर्गस्यof creation; of emanation

वर्गम्group; class

आधारम्support; basis

तत्त्वम्principle; reality

तत्त्वात्from the tattva; from the principle(s)

सनातनम्eternal

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vasiṣṭha

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes the changing, enumerated principles of creation from an eternal conscious ground: the twenty-fifth principle (Puruṣa/Paramātman) is presented as the supreme indicator and the timeless substratum supporting all manifested categories.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Vasiṣṭha explains a Sāṅkhya-like framework, clarifying how some thinkers classify the ultimate conscious reality as distinct from the material principles and as the enduring support of the cosmos.