Shloka 7

Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda

Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped

Devanagari script

विद्या प्रकृतिरव्यक्तं तत्त्वानां परमेश्वरी | विद्या ज्ञेया नरश्रेष्ठ विधिश्व॒ परम: स्मृत:

Transliteration

vidyā prakṛtir avyaktam tattvānāṁ parameśvarī | vidyā jñeyā naraśreṣṭha vidhiś ca paramaḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

ວາສິດຖະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ວິທະຍາ (ຄວາມຮູ້) ແມ່ນ ປຣະກຣິຕິ ອະວະຍັກຕະ—ອຳນາດອັນສູງສຸດ ທີ່ຮອງຮັບຕັດຕະວະທັງປວງ. ໂອ ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນມະນຸດ, ຄວາມຮູ້ນີ້ຄວນຮູ້ໃຫ້ແຈ້ງ; ຖືກຈື່ຈຳວ່າເປັນ ວິທີ (ວິທິ) ອັນສູງສຸດ—ວິໄນອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ ເພື່ອຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈທີ່ແທ້».

Word by Word

• विद्या: knowledge
• विद्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रकृतिः: nature (Prakriti)
• प्रकृतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अव्यक्तम्: the unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्त्वानाम्: of the principles / realities
• तत्त्वानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (नपुं. प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• परमेश्वरी: supreme goddess / supreme ruler (f.)
• परमेश्वरी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमेश्वरी (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विद्या: this knowledge
• विद्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्ञेया: to be known / knowable
• ज्ञेया: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञेय (√ज्ञा)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नरश्रेष्ठ: O best of men
• नरश्रेष्ठ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विधिः: method / rule
• विधिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतः: is regarded / is called
• स्मृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (√स्मृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse identifies true knowledge (vidyā) with the unmanifest Prakṛti—the supreme governing basis of all tattvas—and states that realizing this is the highest discipline or method for liberation-oriented understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vasiṣṭha addresses a listener as “best of men” and delivers a concise metaphysical teaching, elevating knowledge of the unmanifest ground of reality as the foremost path.