Shloka 23
जनक–सुलभा संवादः
Janaka–Sulabhā Dialogue on Mokṣa and Non-attachment
मशकोदुम्बरे यद्वदन्यत्वं तद्धदेतयो: । मत्स्योदके यथा तद्वदन्यत्वमुपलभ्यते
maśakodumbare yadvad anyatvaṃ tad ubhayayoḥ | matsyodake yathā tadvad anyatvam upalabhyate ||
Vasiṣṭha dit : «De même que le moucheron et la figue udumbara, bien qu’on les trouve ensemble, demeurent distincts l’un de l’autre, et de même que le poisson et l’eau sont distincts, ainsi doit-on discerner la différence entre Prakṛti (la nature matérielle) et Puruṣa (le Soi conscient). La proximité ou la coexistence n’abolit pas leurs réalités séparées.»
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches viveka (discriminative insight): Prakṛti (nature, guṇas, body-mind) and Puruṣa (conscious self) may appear inseparable in experience, yet they are fundamentally distinct—like fish and water or an insect and the fig it inhabits.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, the sage Vasiṣṭha explains metaphysical principles to clarify how the self relates to nature. He uses everyday analogies to show that coexistence does not imply identity, guiding the listener toward detachment and liberation-oriented understanding.