Shloka 11
अव्यक्तस्थं परं यत् तत् पृष्टस्ते5हं नराधिप । स एष प्रकृतिस्थो हि तत्स्थ इत्यभिधीयते,नरेश्वर! तुमने जो अव्यक्त प्रकृतिमें स्थित परमतत्त्वके विषयमें मुझसे प्रश्न किया था, उसके उत्तरमें यह निवेदन है कि यह परमतत्त्व प्राकृत शरीरमें स्थित होनेसे ही प्रकृतिस्थ कहलाता है
avyaktasthaṁ paraṁ yat tat pṛṣṭas te ’haṁ narādhipa | sa eṣa prakṛtistho hi tatstha ity abhidhīyate ||
Dijo Yājñavalkya: «Oh rey, me preguntaste por la Realidad suprema que mora en lo Inmanifestado. En respuesta declaro esto: ese mismo Supremo es llamado “situado en Prakṛti”, porque en verdad está presente dentro de Prakṛti y allí permanece.»
याज़्वल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse clarifies a key metaphysical point: the Supreme Reality, though described as abiding in the Unmanifest (avyakta), is also spoken of as ‘prakṛtistha’ because it is present within and associated with Prakṛti at the level of embodied existence. The teaching reconciles transcendence (beyond perception) with immanence (present within nature).
In a didactic dialogue in Śānti Parva, the sage Yājñavalkya responds to a king’s inquiry about the highest principle connected with the Unmanifest. He begins his answer by defining the terminology—why the Supreme is termed ‘situated in Prakṛti’—setting the stage for further explanation of reality, embodiment, and liberation.