Shloka 1

Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda

Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped

Devanagari script

अड---#क्र-ज > जैसे घड़ेमें जल भरा जाता है

Transliteration

Vasiṣṭha uvāca—Sāṅkhyadarśanam etāvad uktaṁ te nṛpasattama | vidyāvidye idānīṁ me tvaṁ nibodhānupūrvaśaḥ ||

Translation

Vasiṣṭha said: “O best of kings, this much of the Sāṅkhya teaching has been explained to you. Now, listen from me in due order to the account of true knowledge (vidyā) and ignorance (avidyā).”

Word by Word

• सांख्यदर्शनम्: the Sāṅkhya doctrine/philosophy
• सांख्यदर्शनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्यदर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एतावत्: so much; thus far
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एतावत्

• उक्तम्: has been said/told
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive (PPP)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Second, Dative, Singular

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विद्ये: knowledge (and)
• विद्ये: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Dual

• अविद्ये: ignorance (the two: knowledge and ignorance)
• अविद्ये: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविद्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Dual

• विदानीम्: now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम्

• मे: from me / of me
• मे: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: First, Ablative/Genitive, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Second, Nominative, Singular

• निबोध: understand; learn
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अनुपूर्वशः: in due order; sequentially
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुपूर्वशस्

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• nṛpasattama (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse marks a transition: after outlining Sāṅkhya analysis, Vasiṣṭha announces a systematic explanation of vidyā (liberating knowledge) and avidyā (bonding ignorance), framing ethical-spiritual progress as discernment between what frees and what binds.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage-teacher Vasiṣṭha addresses a king and signals the next topic of the discourse: a step-by-step teaching on knowledge and ignorance following the earlier Sāṅkhya exposition.