Shloka 42
Adhyāya 302: Guṇa-vicāra, Gati-bheda, and the Imperishable State
Yājñavalkya–Janaka
एवमेष महानात्मा सर्गप्रलयकोविद: । विकुर्वाण: प्रकृतिमानभिमन्यत्यबुद्धिमान्,इस प्रकार सृष्टि और प्रलयके तत्त्वको जाननेवाला यह महान् आत्मा अविकारी होकर भी प्रकृतिके संसर्गसे युक्त हो विकारवान्-सा हो जाता है एवं प्राकृत-बुद्धिसे रहित होनेपर भी शरीरमें आत्माभिमान कर लेता है
evam eṣa mahānātmā sargapralayakovidaḥ | vikurvāṇaḥ prakṛtimān abhimanyaty abuddhimān ||
ວະສິດຖະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ອາດຕະອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ນີ້ ຜູ້ຮູ້ແຈ້ງເຖິງຫຼັກການແຫ່ງການເກີດແລະການດັບ ແທ້ຈິງແລ້ວບໍ່ຖືກປ່ຽນແປງ; ແຕ່ເນື່ອງຈາກການຄົບຄືນກັບປຣະກຣິຕິ ຈຶ່ງປາກົດຮາວກັບມີການແປປ່ຽນ. ແລະແມ່ນວ່າມັນພົ້ນຈາກປັນຍາອັນເປັນວັດຖຸ (ປຣະກຣະຕະ) ແຕ່ກໍຍັງຈິນຕະນາ “ຂ້ອຍ” ຂຶ້ນຕໍ່ຮ່າງກາຍ ໂດຍເອົາສິ່ງທີ່ບໍ່ແມ່ນອາດຕະເປັນອາດຕະ.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the pure Self, which is intrinsically unchanging and beyond material intellect, can seem to become a doer and experiencer when associated with Prakṛti; this apparent change culminates in dehābhimāna—identifying the Self with the body. The ethical implication is to cultivate discernment (viveka) and detachment, refusing to ground ‘I’ and ‘mine’ in bodily and material conditions.
In Śānti Parva’s mokṣa-oriented instruction, Vasiṣṭha explains a philosophical mechanism of bondage: how the great Self, though knowledgeable of cosmic processes (creation and dissolution), appears to be modified and falls into body-identification due to contact with Prakṛti. This frames the broader teaching on how ignorance arises and how liberation is pursued through right understanding.