Shloka 71

नारद–शुक संवादः

Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga

Devanagari script

अनेन प्रतिबोधेन प्रधान प्रवदन्ति तत्‌ । सांख्ययोगाश्च तत्त्वज्ञा यथाश्रुतिनिदर्शनात्‌

Transliteration

anena pratibodhena pradhānaṁ pravadanti tat | sāṅkhyayogāś ca tattvajñā yathāśrutinidarśanāt ||

Translation

Por este modo de despertar y reflejo, hablan de ello como ‘Pradhāna’ (la Naturaleza primordial). Los conocedores de la verdad en el Sāṅkhya y el Yoga, siguiendo las indicaciones de la revelación védica, explican que, así como la luna aparece reflejada en el agua, del mismo modo la luz de la conciencia, propia del Sí mismo consciente, parece espejarse en la Prakṛti; y por causa de ese conocimiento reflejado, la Prakṛti recibe el nombre de Pradhāna.

Word by Word

• {'anena': 'by this

• through this (instrumental of idam)', 'pratibodhena': 'by awakening/realization

• by the ‘reflected’ apprehension', 'pradhānam': 'Pradhāna

• unmanifest Nature (often identified with Prakṛti in Sāṅkhya)', 'pravadanti': 'they declare

• they describe', 'tat': 'that (principle)', 'sāṅkhya-yogāḥ': 'Sāṅkhya and Yoga (systems/paths of knowledge and discipline)', 'tattva-jñāḥ': 'knowers of reality

• those who know the principles (tattvas)', 'yathā': 'according as

• in the manner that', 'śruti-nidarśanāt': 'from the indications/illustrations of Śruti (Vedic revelation)

• on the authority of Śruti', 'prakṛti': 'Nature

• the field of manifesting qualities (guṇas)', 'jīva-ātman': 'the individual self (as spoken of in embodied context)', 'jñāna-svarūpa': 'whose nature is consciousness/knowledge', 'pratibimba': 'reflection

• mirrored appearance (as in water)', 'candra': 'the moon', 'jala': 'water'}

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Pradhāna
• Sāṅkhya
• Yoga
• Śruti
• Prakṛti
• Jīva/Ātman
• Moon (candra)
• Water (jala)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Pradhāna (primordial Nature) is spoken of as Prakṛti insofar as it appears to ‘carry’ cognition due to a reflected awareness: consciousness belongs to the Self, yet it seems mirrored in Nature—like the moon reflected in water—producing the appearance that Prakṛti is knowing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yājñavalkya is explaining a Sāṅkhya–Yoga account of how experience arises: the Self is intrinsically conscious, while Prakṛti is the material basis; by Śruti-supported reasoning and analogy, he clarifies why the primordial principle is termed Pradhāna and how apparent knowing can be attributed to Nature through reflection.