Shloka 19
Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda
Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped
क्षरो भवत्येष यदा तदा गुणवतीमथ । प्रकृतिं त्वभिजानाति निर्गुणत्वं तथा55त्मन:,जब यह पुरुष क्षर होता है, अर्थात् परमात्मामें लीन हो जाता है, उस समय वह प्रकृतिके सगुणत्वको और अपने निर्गुणत्वको यथार्थ समझ लेता है
kṣaro bhavaty eṣa yadā tadā guṇavatīm atha | prakṛtiṁ tv abhijānāti nirguṇatvaṁ tathātmanaḥ ||
ಈ ಪುರುಷನು ‘ಕ್ಷರ’ನಾಗುವಾಗ—ಅಂದರೆ ಪರಮಾತ್ಮನಲ್ಲಿ ಲೀನನಾಗುವಾಗ—ಅವನು ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಸಗುಣವೆಂದು ಯಥಾರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಅರಿಯುತ್ತಾನೆ; ತನ್ನ ಆತ್ಮಸ್ವರೂಪವನ್ನು ನಿಜವಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ಗುಣವೆಂದೂ ಗ್ರಹಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Right discernment (viveka): prakṛti is inherently guṇa-made (saguṇa), while the true Self is nirguṇa. Liberation is described as merging into the Supreme, where this distinction becomes directly known.
Vasiṣṭha is instructing on liberation and metaphysical discrimination: as the individual’s identity with change falls away and he becomes absorbed in the Supreme, he recognizes the guṇas as belonging to prakṛti and realizes the Self’s qualityless nature.