Shloka 42
नारद–शुक संवादः
Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga
(सूर्यमव्यक्तमित्युक्तमतिसूर्यस्तु निष्कल: । अविद्या प्रकृतिज्ञेया विद्या पुरुष उच्यते ।।
yājñavalkya uvāca |
(sūryam avyaktam ity uktam ati-sūryas tu niṣkalaḥ |
avidyā prakṛtir jñeyā vidyā puruṣa ucyate ||)
tathaivāvedyam avyaktam vedyaḥ puruṣa ucyate |
calācalam iti proktaṃ tvayā vā tad api me śṛṇu ||
ଯାଜ୍ଞବଲ୍କ୍ୟ କହିଲେ—ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱକୁ ‘ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ’ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ; ନିଷ୍କଳ, ନିର୍ଗୁଣ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱକୁ ‘ଅତିସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ’ ବୋଲି ଡାକାଯାଏ। ପ୍ରକୃତିକୁ ‘ଅବିଦ୍ୟା’ ଭାବେ ଜାଣ, ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଷକୁ ‘ବିଦ୍ୟା’ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ। ଏହିପରି ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତ ‘ଅବେଦ୍ୟ’ ଓ ପୁରୁଷ ‘ବେଦ୍ୟ’। ତୁମେ ଯେ ଚଳ–ଅଚଳ ବିଷୟରେ ପଚାରିଛ, ତାହାର ଉତ୍ତର ମଧ୍ୟ ଏବେ ଶୁଣ।
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse distinguishes two principles: Prakṛti, identified with avidyā (ignorance) and the unmanifest basis of change, and Puruṣa, identified with vidyā (knowledge) as the knowable conscious reality. It uses metaphors (‘sun’ and ‘beyond-sun’) to indicate levels of subtlety and transcendence, pointing toward liberation through right discernment.
In the Śānti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Yājñavalkya answers a questioner by defining key metaphysical categories—unmanifest nature and conscious self—and then signals that he will proceed to explain the distinction between the moving and the unmoving.