Shloka 46
नारद–शुक संवादः
Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga
अक्षयत्वात् प्रजनने अजमत्राहुरव्ययम् अक्षयं पुरुष प्राहु: क्षयो हास्य न विद्यते
akṣayatvāt prajanane ajam atrāhur avyayam | akṣayaṃ puruṣaṃ prāhuḥ kṣayo hāsya na vidyate ||
Yājñavalkya berkata: “Kerana ia tidak binasa walaupun memasuki kelahiran, orang bijaksana di sini menamakan Diri itu ‘tidak lahir’ dan ‘tidak berubah’. Mereka menyatakan Sang Puruṣa tidak pernah susut, kerana sesungguhnya tiada pelapukan atau kebinasaan yang pernah menjadi milik-Nya. Ajaran ini menegaskan bahawa keteguhan beretika dan kebebasan daripada ketakutan lahir daripada mengenal Diri batin sebagai tidak mati, walaupun hidup dalam jasad.”
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The embodied condition does not imply that the true Self is born or destroyed. Because the Puruṣa is intrinsically imperishable (akṣaya) and unchanging (avyaya), the wise describe it as ‘unborn’ (aja) even while it appears in the cycle of birth.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Yājñavalkya expounds a metaphysical point: the inner Person/Self remains free from decay. This supports the broader ethical aim of Śānti Parva—cultivating fearlessness, restraint, and clarity through knowledge of the deathless Self.