Shloka 17

Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda

Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped

Devanagari script

तदा क्षरत्वं प्रकृतिर्गच्छते गुणसंश्रिता । निर्गुणत्वं च वैदेह गुणेष्वप्रतिवर्तनात्‌

Transliteration

tadā kṣaratvaṁ prakṛtir gacchate guṇa-saṁśritā | nirguṇatvaṁ ca vaideha guṇeṣv aprativartanāt, videha-rāja |

Translation

ਹੇ ਵਿਦੇਹ-ਰਾਜ! ਉਸ ਵੇਲੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਗੁਣਾਂ ਉੱਤੇ ਆਧਾਰਿਤ ਪ੍ਰਕ੍ਰਿਤੀ ਨਾਸ ਅਤੇ ਬਦਲਾਅ (ਛਰਤਵ) ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ; ਪਰ ਪੁਰੁਸ਼ ਗੁਣਾਂ ਵੱਲ ਨਾ ਮੁੜਨ, ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਵਿਰਤ ਨਾ ਹੋਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ (ਗੁਣਾਤੀਤ) ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ—ਇਹੀ ਭੇਦ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• क्षरत्वम्: perishability; destructible state
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षरत्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रकृतिः: Prakriti; primordial nature
• प्रकृतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गच्छते: goes; attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• गुणसंश्रिता: resting on/associated with the guṇas
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण-सम्-श्रि (संश्रित)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• निर्गुणत्वम्: quality of being without guṇas; transcendence of guṇas
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्गुणत्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वैदेह: O Vaideha (king of Videha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदेह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गुणेषु: in the guṇas
• गुणेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अप्रतिवर्तनात्: because of non-engagement/non-return (i.e., not turning toward them)
• अप्रतिवर्तनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-प्रति-वर्तन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• विदेहराज: O king of Videha
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदेहराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Vaideha (Janaka)
• Videha
• Prakṛti
• Guṇas
• Puruṣa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Prakṛti is inherently changeful and perishable because it operates through the guṇas; the Puruṣa (self) is realized as beyond the guṇas when it does not identify with or engage in guṇa-driven activity. Liberation is framed as non-involvement (asaṅga) with the guṇas.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha instructs the king of Videha (Janaka) in a Sāṅkhya-style distinction between nature (Prakṛti) and the self (Puruṣa), explaining how Prakṛti tends toward decay while the self becomes ‘nirguṇa’ through disengagement from the guṇas.