Shloka 49
Adhyāya 302: Guṇa-vicāra, Gati-bheda, and the Imperishable State
Yājñavalkya–Janaka
एवमव्यक्तविषयं क्षरमाहुर्मनीषिण: । पज्चविंशतिमो यो<यं ज्ञानादेव प्रवर्तते
evam avyaktaviṣayaṁ kṣaram āhur manīṣiṇaḥ | pañcaviṁśatimo yo 'yaṁ jñānād eva pravartate ||
ବସିଷ୍ଠ କହିଲେ—ଯାହାର କ୍ଷେତ୍ର ଓ ଆଧାର ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତ ପ୍ରକୃତି, ତାହାକୁ ଜ୍ଞାନୀମାନେ ‘କ୍ଷର’ କହନ୍ତି। କିନ୍ତୁ ଚବିଶ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱରୁ ଭିନ୍ନ ଯେ ପଚିଶତମ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱ—ପରମପୁରୁଷ, ପରମାତ୍ମା—ସେଇ ‘ଅକ୍ଷର’। ତାଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତି କେବଳ ସତ୍ୟ ଜ୍ଞାନରେ ହୁଏ।
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
All phenomena grounded in the Unmanifest (prakṛti) are ‘kṣara’—perishable and changing. Beyond the twenty-four principles stands the twenty-fifth, the Supreme Self (Paramapuruṣa/Paramātman), called ‘akṣara’—imperishable. Realization of this imperishable principle is attained only through jñāna (discriminative knowledge).
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on liberation and right understanding, Vasiṣṭha explains a Sāṅkhya-style distinction between the perishable field of prakṛti and its evolutes versus the imperishable supreme Self, emphasizing knowledge as the means to attain the highest reality.