Shloka 1
Utkramaṇa-sthāna and Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇa: Yājñavalkya’s Instruction on Departure Pathways and Mortality Signs
ऑपन-आ करा (_ अ-्---क्ााज पञज्चाधिकत्रिशततमोब< ध्याय: क्षर-अक्षर एवं प्रकृति-पुरुषके विषयमें राजा जनककी शंका और उसका वसिष्ठजीद्धारा उत्तर जनक उवाच अक्षरक्षरयोरेष द्वयो: सम्बन्ध इष्यते । स्त्रीपुंसोर्वापि भगवन् सम्बन्धस्तद्वदुच्यते
Janaka uvāca: kṣara-akṣarayor eṣa dvayoḥ sambandha iṣyate | strī-puṁsor vāpi bhagavan sambandhas tadvad ucyate ||
ພະຣາຊາ ຊະນະກະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຂ້າແຕ່ທ່ານຜູ້ນ່າເຄົາລົບ, ເຂົາຖືກັນວ່າ ມີຄວາມສຳພັນລະຫວ່າງສອງຢ່າງນີ້—ສິ່ງທີ່ເສື່ອມສະລາຍ (ກະສະຣະ) ແລະ ສິ່ງທີ່ບໍ່ເສື່ອມສະລາຍ (ອັກສະຣະ), ຄື ປຣະກຣິຕິ ແລະ ປຸຣຸສະ. ຄວາມສຳພັນນັ້ນ ຄວນເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າຄ້າຍຄືພັນທະສົມຣົດລະຫວ່າງຍິງແລະຊາຍ ຫຼືບໍ?»
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a philosophical inquiry: how the mutable (kṣara/prakṛti) and the immutable (akṣara/puruṣa) are connected. By proposing the analogy of husband–wife, Janaka seeks clarity on whether their linkage is intimate yet distinct—an important step toward understanding bondage and liberation.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction section, King Janaka addresses the sage Vasiṣṭha with a doubt. He asks whether the accepted relation between kṣara and akṣara is like the conjugal relation between woman and man, setting up Vasiṣṭha’s forthcoming explanation.