Shloka 12

अव्यक्त–पुरुष–विवेकः (Discrimination of Avyakta/Prakṛti and Puruṣa) — Yājñavalkya’s Anvīkṣikī to Viśvāvasu

Devanagari script

तैश्वात्मा सततं ज्ञेय इत्येवमनुशुश्रुम । व्रतं हुहीनमनसो नान्यथेति विनिश्चय:,हमने गुरुजनोंके मुखसे सुना है कि जो लोग इस प्रकार प्राणायाम करते हैं, वे सदा ही परब्रह्म परमात्माके जाननेके अधिकारी होते हैं। जिसका मन सदा ध्यानमें संलग्न रहता है, ऐसे योगीके ही योग्य यह व्रत है अन्यथा बहिर्मुख चित्तवाले पुरुषके लिये यह नहीं है। यह निश्चितरूपसे जानना चाहिये

Transliteration

taiś cātmā satataṁ jñeya ity evam anuśuśruma | vrataṁ hīna-manaso nānyatheti viniścayaḥ ||

Translation

ヴァシシュタは言った。「我らは尊き師たちの口より聞いた。かかる規律ある修習によって、人は常に至上の自己を知るにふさわしくなる、と。この行（誓戒）は、心が観想に堅く収斂するヨーギーのためのものであり、内向の力に欠け、心が外へ向かう者のためではない。これを確定した結論として理解せよ。」

Word by Word

तैःby them/with those (means)

आत्माthe Self

सततम्always/constantly

ज्ञेयःto be known/knowable

इतिthus (quotative)

एवम्in this manner

अनुशुश्रुमwe have heard

व्रतम्vow/observance

हिindeed/for

हीनमनसःof one whose mind is deficient/undisciplined

नnot

अन्यथाotherwise

इतिthus

विनिश्चयःthe determination/settled conclusion

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vasiṣṭha

guru-jana (venerable teachers/elders)

Ātman (Self/Supreme Self)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True knowledge of the Self is presented as the fruit of disciplined yogic observance, but only for one whose mind is inwardly collected and steady in contemplation; outward-turned or undisciplined minds are said to be unfit for this vow.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is instructing his listener by appealing to received tradition: he reports what has been heard from revered teachers and then states a firm conclusion about who is qualified to undertake the observance that leads to knowledge of the Supreme Self.