Shloka 27
अव्यक्त–पुरुष–विवेकः (Discrimination of Avyakta/Prakṛti and Puruṣa) — Yājñavalkya’s Anvīkṣikī to Viśvāvasu
अव्यक्तमाहु: प्रकृतिं परां प्रकृतिवादिन: । तस्मान्महत् समुत्पन्नं द्वितीयं राजसत्तम
avyaktam āhuḥ prakṛtiṁ parāṁ prakṛtivādinaḥ | tasmān mahat samutpannaṁ dvitīyaṁ rājasattama, nṛpaśreṣṭha |
ବସିଷ୍ଠ କହିଲେ—ପ୍ରକୃତିବାଦୀମାନେ ପରମ ପ୍ରକୃତିକୁ ‘ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତ’ ବୋଲି କହନ୍ତି। ହେ ରାଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ସେଇ ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତରୁ ଦ୍ୱିତୀୟ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱ ‘ମହତ୍’ ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ ହୁଏ।
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a Prakṛti-based cosmology: the highest Prakṛti is called the Unmanifest (avyakta), and from it emerges the next principle, Mahat (the Great), which functions as the first manifest evolute and a foundation for further creation.
In Śānti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Vasiṣṭha addresses a king and explains a doctrinal account of creation used by Prakṛti-theorists, identifying the Unmanifest as the source and Mahat as the subsequent principle that arises from it.