Shloka 4
कला पज्चदशी योनिस्तद्धाम प्रतिबुध्यते । नित्यमेतद् विजानीहि सोम॑ वै षोडशीं कलाम्,राजन! चन्द्रमाकी पंद्रह कलाओंके समान जीवोंकी पंद्रह कलाएँ ही उत्पत्तिके स्थान हैं। अज्ञानी जीव उन्हींको अपना आश्रय समझता है; परंतु उसकी जो सोलहवीं कला है, उसको तुम नित्य समझो। वह चन्द्रमाकी अमा नामक सोलहवीं कलाके समान है
kalā pañcadaśī yonis taddhāma pratibudhyate | nityam etad vijānīhi somaṁ vai ṣoḍaśīṁ kalām, rājan |
ວາສິດຖະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ກະລາສິບຫ້າ ແມ່ນຄັນ—ແຫຼ່ງກໍ່ເກີດທີ່ສັດທັງຫຼາຍເກີດຂຶ້ນ; ຜູ້ມີອະວິຊາ ຕື່ນຮູ້ພຽງແຕ່ຖິ່ນນັ້ນ ແລະຖືວ່າເປັນທີ່ພຶ່ງ. ແຕ່ຈົ່ງຮູ້ໄວ້ເປັນນິດ ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ: ຍັງມີກະລາທີ່ສິບຫົກ ຄືຫຼັກ “ໂສມ” ອັນລະອຽດ ແລະຍືນຍົງ; ດັ່ງດວງຈັນຂັ້ນທີ່ສິບຫົກ (ອະມາ) ທີ່ຢູ່ເຫນືອການແປປ່ຽນຂອງສິບຫ້າ».
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts the changing, manifest basis of embodied life (the ‘fifteen kalās’ taken as the womb/source) with a subtler, enduring ‘sixteenth kalā’ identified with Soma/the lunar essence. Ethically and spiritually, it urges the king to look beyond what the ignorant treat as their sole refuge—mere phenomenal supports—and to recognize a constant principle that transcends fluctuation.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on higher knowledge, Vasiṣṭha addresses a king and uses lunar imagery: beings arise within a fifteenfold field, but true understanding includes a sixteenth, more constant element. The teacher redirects the listener from ordinary identification with the manifest ‘abode’ to contemplation of the subtler, abiding reality.