Shloka 17
शुकस्य मिथिलागमनम् (Śukasya Mithilāgamanam) — Śuka’s Journey to Mithilā and the Courtly Test
एषोप्ययस्ते राजेन्द्र यथावत् समुदाहत: । अध्यात्ममधिभूतं च अधिदैवं च श्रूयताम्
eṣo'py ayaṃ te rājendra yathāvat samudāhṛtaḥ | adhyātmam adhibhūtaṃ ca adhidaivaṃ ca śrūyatām ||
O king, I have thus set forth for you, in due order and as it truly is, this account of dissolution. Now listen, O best of kings, to the exposition of the threefold framework—what pertains to the Self (adhyātma), to embodied existence and the elements (adhibhūta), and to the divine order (adhidaiva).
याज़्वल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The speaker transitions from a prior explanation to a structured teaching that interprets reality in three correlated domains: the inner self (adhyātma), the material/elemental world of beings (adhibhūta), and the divine or cosmic presiding order (adhidaiva).
Yājñavalkya addresses the king respectfully, stating that he has already explained a preceding topic in proper sequence, and now invites the king to listen to the next section—an exposition of adhyātma, adhibhūta, and adhidaiva.