Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda
Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped
अविद्यामाहुरव्यक्तं सर्गप्रलयधर्मि वै । सर्गप्रलयनिर्मुक्तां विद्यां वै पडचविंशक:
Vasiṣṭha uvāca: avidyām āhur avyaktam sarga-pralaya-dharmi vai | sarga-pralaya-nirmuktāṁ vidyāṁ vai pañcaviṁśakam ||
ວະສິດຖະກ່າວວ່າ: ບັນດາລະສີມຸນີເອີ້ນ «ອະວິຊາ» ວ່າແມ່ນອະວະຍັກຕະ (ປຣະກຣິຕິ) ອັນດໍາເນີນໄປຕາມການສ້າງແລະການລະລາຍ. ແຕ່ສິ່ງທີ່ພົ້ນຈາກການສ້າງແລະການລະລາຍ—ຄືຕັດຕະວະທີ 25, ພຣະບຸຣຸສະສູງສຸດ, ພຣະອາດຕະສູງສຸດ ເຫນືອກວ່າຕັດຕະວະ 24—ນັ້ນເອີ້ນວ່າ «ວິຊາ».
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Ignorance is identification with the unmanifest prakṛti that undergoes creation and dissolution; true knowledge is recognition of the twenty-fifth principle—the Puruṣa/Paramātman—transcending the changing cycle of sarga and pralaya.
In a didactic discourse within Śānti Parva, Vasiṣṭha instructs by defining ‘avidyā’ and ‘vidyā’ in Sāṅkhya terms, contrasting the changeful cosmic principle (avyakta/prakṛti) with the changeless Supreme Self beyond the twenty-four tattvas.