Shloka 18

Utkramaṇa-sthāna and Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇa: Yājñavalkya’s Instruction on Departure Pathways and Mortality Signs

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ त्वं शूणु राजेन्द्र यथैतदनुदृश्यते । याथातथ्येन सांख्येषु योगेषु च महात्मसु

Transliteration

tasmāt tvaṃ śṛṇu rājendra yathaitad anudṛśyate | yāthātathyena sāṅkhyeṣu yogeṣu ca mahātmasu ||

Translation

C’est pourquoi, ô meilleur des rois, écoute. Je te dirai en toute vérité comment la délivrance est comprise et directement perçue dans l’enseignement des sages magnanimes qui connaissent le Sāṅkhya et le Yoga.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: ablative (used adverbially)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• शृणु: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (शृणोति)
• Form: imperative, 2nd person, singular, parasmaipada

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• यथा: as/how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा
• Form: indeclinable

• एतत्: this (matter/that)
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• अनुदृश्यते: is seen/observed (accordingly)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (अनु + दृश्)
• Form: present, 3rd person, singular, atmanepada, passive sense

• याथातथ्येन: with exactness/according to reality
• याथातथ्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: याथातथ्य
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• सांख्येषु: in Sāṅkhya (teachings)
• सांख्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य
• Form: neuter, locative, plural

• योगेषु: in Yoga (teachings)
• योगेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग
• Form: masculine, locative, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: indeclinable

• महात्मसु: among great-souled (sages)
• महात्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: masculine, locative, plural

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• rājendra (the king being addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vasiṣṭha frames the next instruction as a faithful account of mokṣa (liberation) as understood by authoritative sages of both Sāṅkhya (discriminative knowledge) and Yoga (disciplined practice), emphasizing truthfulness and direct insight rather than mere opinion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha addresses a king respectfully as 'rājendra' and signals a transition: he is about to explain, in a precise and reality-aligned way, the nature of liberation as seen by great souls versed in Sāṅkhya and Yoga.