Shloka 13
Śuka’s Manifestation from the Araṇi (Āraṇeya-janma) — शुकजन्म (आरणेय-सम्भव)
राजेन्द्र! आकाश आदि पाँच महाभूतोंमें क्रमश: शब्द, स्पर्श, रूप, रस और गन्ध--ये विशेष गुण हैं ।।
Yājñavalkya uvāca: Rājendra! ākāśādi pañca mahābhūteṣu kramaśaḥ śabdaḥ sparśaḥ rūpaṃ rasaḥ gandhaś ca—ete viśeṣa-guṇāḥ. Yair āviṣṭāni bhūtāni ahany ahani pārthiva, anyonyaṃ spṛhayanti ete anyonyasya hite ratāḥ. Pṛthvīnātha! pravāha-rūpeṇa sadā vidyamāneṣu manohareṣu śabdādi-viṣayeṣv āviṣṭāḥ sarve prāṇinaḥ pratidinaṃ kadācit anyonyaṃ kāṅkṣanti, kadācit paraspara-hita-sādhane tatparā bhavanti, kadācit anyonyaṃ nīcīkartuṃ ceṣṭante, kadācit īrṣyāṃ kurvanti, kadācit parasparaṃ praharanti ca.
ຍາຊະນະວັນກະລະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ! ໃນມະຫາພູດທັງຫ້າ ເລີ່ມຈາກອາກາດ ຄຸນລັກສະນະພິເສດເກີດຂຶ້ນຕາມລໍາດັບ—ສຽງ, ການສຳຜັດ, ຮູບ, ລົດຊາດ, ແລະ ກິ່ນ. ໂອ ເຈົ້າແຫ່ງແຜ່ນດິນ! ເມື່ອຖືກຄອບງໍາໂດຍອາຣົມອັນຫວານຊື່ນເຫຼົ່ານີ້—ທີ່ມີຢູ່ເປັນກະແສຕໍ່ເນື່ອງບໍ່ຂາດ—ສັດທັງຫຼາຍໃນແຕ່ລະວັນ ບາງຄັ້ງປາຖະໜາກັນ, ບາງຄັ້ງພາກພຽນເພື່ອປະໂຫຍດຮ່ວມ, ບາງຄັ້ງພະຍາຍາມຫຍຸ້ມຫຍາມກັນ, ບາງຄັ້ງໄໝ້ດ້ວຍຄວາມອິດສາ, ແລະ ບາງຄັ້ງກໍຖຶງຂັ້ນທຳຮ້າຍກັນ».
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse explains that beings are driven by the specific qualities of the five elements as they appear as sense-objects (sound, touch, form, taste, smell). Captivation by these produces a repeating cycle of attraction and cooperation, but also rivalry, jealousy, and violence—showing why mastery over the senses is central to ethical life and inner peace.
In a didactic dialogue within the Śānti Parva, the sage Yājñavalkya addresses a king and analyzes everyday social behavior. He traces shifting human relations—desire, mutual help, belittling, envy, and aggression—to the constant stream of sensory experience that overwhelms living beings.