Shloka 6
Yājñavalkya on the Unity of Sāṃkhya and Yoga and the Marks of Meditative Composure
षोडशी तु कला सूक्ष्मा स सोम उपधार्यताम् | न तूपयुज्यते देवै्देवानुपयुनक्ति सा
ṣoḍaśī tu kalā sūkṣmā sa soma upadhāryatām | na tūpayujyate devair devān upayuṅkti sā ||
ବସିଷ୍ଠ କହିଲେ—ଷୋଡଶ କଳା ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ; ତାହାକୁ ହିଁ ‘ସୋମ’ ବୋଲି ଦୃଢ଼ଭାବେ ଧାରଣ କର—ସେହି ଜୀବର ମୂଳ ପ୍ରକୃତି। ‘ଦେବ’ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଇଥିବା—ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ଅନ୍ତଃକରଣ ଓ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟଗଣ, ଯେମାନେ ପନ୍ଦର କଳା ନାମରେ ପରିଚିତ—ସେମାନେ ସେହି ଷୋଡଶ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱକୁ ଉପଯୋଗ କରିପାରନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ; ବରଂ କାରଣରୂପ ପ୍ରକୃତି ଥିବା ସେହି ଷୋଡଶ କଳା ହିଁ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଉପଯୋଗ କରି ଚାଳାଏ।
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse distinguishes the fifteen functional constituents (identified with the inner organ and senses) from a sixteenth, subtler causal principle called Soma. The key point is agency: the senses and mental faculties do not ‘use’ the deepest causal nature; rather, that underlying nature employs the faculties, indicating a hierarchy from subtle cause to gross function.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vasiṣṭha is explaining a metaphysical analysis of the person: how the senses and inner faculties operate, and how their operation depends on a subtler foundational principle (the sixteenth kalā), framed here as Soma.