Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पीना त++ बछ। न - पुरुष प्रकृतिकी जडताको आच्छादित करके उसके दुःखका आश्रय लेता है तथा प्रकृति पुरुषके आनन्दगुणको आच्छादित करके उसके चैतन्य गुणका आश्रय लेती है। तात्पर्य यह कि प्रकृतिके संयोगसे पुरुष आनन्दसे वंचित हो दुःखका भागी होता है और प्रकृति पुरुषके संगसे अपनी जडताको भुलाकर चेतनकी भाँति कार्य करने लगती है। घडधिकत्रिशततमो< ध्याय: योग और सांख्यके स्वरूपका वर्णन तथा आत्मज्ञानसे मुक्ति जनक उवाच नानात्वैकत्वमित्युक्त त्वयैतदृषिसत्तम | पश्याम्येतद्धि संदिग्धमेतयोर्व निदर्शनम्‌,जनकने पूछा--मुनिश्रेष्ठ! आपने क्षरको अनेक रूप और अक्षरको एकरूप बताया; किंतु इन दोनोंके तत्त्वका जो निर्णय किया गया है, उसे मैं अब भी संदेहकी दृष्टिसे ही देखता हूँ

Transliteration

janaka uvāca | nānātvaikatvam ity uktaṁ tvayaitad ṛṣisattama | paśyāmy etad dhi saṁdigdham etayor na nidarśanam ||

Translation

Janaka said: “O best of sages, you have declared that the perishable (kṣara) is manifold and the imperishable (akṣara) is one. Yet I still regard the settled conclusion about these two with doubt, for I do not clearly see a decisive illustration that distinguishes them.”

Word by Word

नानात्वम्diversity, multiplicity

एकत्वम्unity, oneness

इतिthus, as

उक्तम्said, stated

त्वयाby you

एतत्this

ऋषि-सत्तमO best of sages

पश्यामिI see

एतत्this

हिindeed, for

संदिग्धम्doubtful, uncertain

एतयोःof these two

नnot

निदर्शनम्clear illustration, demonstration

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

Ṛ

Ṛṣisattama (unnamed sage addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds a key metaphysical distinction: the perishable realm appears as plurality (nānātva), while the imperishable principle is one (ekatva). Janaka insists that such doctrine must be supported by a clear nidarśana—an explanatory demonstration—so that understanding becomes firm rather than merely asserted.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shānti Parva’s teaching dialogue on Sāṅkhya and Yoga, King Janaka questions the sage’s earlier claim about plurality and oneness. He admits lingering doubt and asks for a clearer, decisive illustration to resolve the distinction between the two principles.