Shloka 2
मनु-उपदेशः — भूत-उत्पत्ति, इन्द्रिय-निवृत्ति, तथा पर-स्वभाव-विवेकः
Manu’s Instruction on Elemental Origination, Sense-Withdrawal, and Discrimination of the Supreme Nature
युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! शास्त्रोंमें मनुष्यके लिये अध्यात्मके नामसे जिसका विचार किया जाता है, वह अध्यात्मज्ञान क्या है और कैसा है? यह मुझे बताइये ।।
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—pitāmaha! śāstreṣu manuṣyasya yac cādhyātma-nāmnā vicāryate, tad adhyātma-jñānaṁ kiṁ kīdṛśaṁ ca? tan me brūhi. kutaḥ sṛṣṭam idaṁ viśvaṁ brahman sthāvara-jaṅgamam? pralaye katham abhyeti? tan me vaktum ihārhasi.
Yudhishthira disse: “Avô! Nas escrituras há um ensinamento, considerado para os homens sob o nome de ‘adhyātma’. O que é exatamente esse conhecimento espiritual, e qual é a sua natureza? Peço-te que me digas. Ó brâmane, de que foi criado este universo inteiro—o imóvel e o móvel? E no tempo da dissolução, como ele retorna à sua fonte? Tu és digno de mo explicar.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a foundational spiritual inquiry: true adhyātma-jñāna concerns understanding the self and the ultimate source of the cosmos—how the world of moving and unmoving beings arises and how it is reabsorbed at dissolution. It sets the stage for a metaphysical explanation grounded in dharma and scriptural reasoning.
In Śānti Parva, Yudhishthira, seeking peace and clarity after the war, respectfully questions Bhīṣma (lying on the bed of arrows) about spiritual knowledge and cosmic origins. He asks Bhīṣma to explain creation and dissolution, indicating Bhīṣma’s authority as an elder and teacher.