Shloka 70

नारद–शुक संवादः

Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga

Devanagari script

अबुध्यमानां प्रकृति बुध्यते पडचरविंशक: । नतु बुध्यति गन्धर्व प्रकृति: पडचविंशकम्‌,गन्धर्व! प्रकृति जड है, इसलिये उसे पचीसवाँ तत्त्व--जीवात्मा तो जानता है; किंतु प्रकृति जीवात्माको नहीं जानती

Transliteration

abudhyamānāṃ prakṛtiṃ budhyate pañcaviṃśakaḥ | na tu budhyati gandharva prakṛtiḥ pañcaviṃśakam, gandharva |

Translation

യാജ്ഞവൽക്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ ഗന്ധർവാ, ജഡമായ പ്രകൃതി ഒന്നും അറിയുന്നില്ല; പഞ്ചവിംശതത്ത്വമായ ചേതനാത്മാവ് പ്രകൃതിയെ അറിയുന്നു. എന്നാൽ പ്രകൃതി പഞ്ചവിംശതത്ത്വത്തെ അറിയുന്നില്ല.

Word by Word

अबुध्यमानाम्not understanding, unknowing

प्रकृतिम्Prakriti, primordial nature

बुध्यतेunderstands/knows

पञ्चविंशकःthe twenty-fifth (tattva), i.e., the puruṣa/jīva

नnot

तुbut

बुध्यतिunderstands/knows

गन्धर्वO Gandharva

प्रकृतिःPrakriti

पञ्चविंशकम्the twenty-fifth (tattva), the puruṣa/jīva

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yājñavalkya

Gandharva

Prakṛti

Pañcaviṃśa-tattva (Puruṣa/Jīva/Ātman)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the Sāṅkhya-style distinction between the conscious knower (the twenty-fifth principle, Puruṣa/Ātman) and unconscious material nature (Prakṛti). The Self can cognize Prakṛti, but Prakṛti—being inert—cannot cognize the Self; therefore consciousness is not a product of matter.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Yājñavalkya addresses a Gandharva and clarifies the relationship between Prakṛti and the twenty-fifth tattva. The statement functions as a doctrinal point within a teaching dialogue aimed at right discernment leading toward liberation.