Shloka 9
Śuka–Janaka Saṃvāda: Āśrama-krama, Jñāna-vijñāna, and the Marks of Liberation (शुक-जनक संवादः)
प्राणमध्यात्ममित्याहुर्यथा श्रुतिनिदर्शिन: । गन्ध एवाधिभूतं तु पृथिवी चाधिदेवतम्
prāṇam adhyātmam ity āhur yathā śrutinidarśinaḥ | gandha evādhibhūtaṃ tu pṛthivī cādhidaivatam ||
Yājñavalkya bersabda: “Para resi yang sungguh memahami maksud wahyu Weda menyatakan: dalam pemetaan triadik ini, prāṇa adalah adhyātma; wewangian (gandha) adalah adhibhūta; dan Bumi (Pṛthivī) adalah adhidaivata.” Dengan demikian ia mengajarkan agar pengalaman dibaca secara etis dan kontemplatif—sebagai tatanan yang mengaitkan diri, dunia, dan pemerintahan ilahi atas alam.
याज़्वल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a Vedic-style correspondence: inner life-force (prāṇa) is the adhyātma (subjective/inner) principle; smell (gandha) is the adhibhūta (objective/elemental) aspect; and Earth (pṛthivī) is the adhidaivata (presiding divine principle). It frames perception and existence as an ordered unity of self, world, and divine regulation.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, Yājñavalkya is explaining metaphysical classifications drawn from Śruti. He presents a specific triad to guide the listener toward disciplined understanding of how bodily functions and sensory objects relate to cosmic and divine principles.