Shloka 1
अव्यक्तकालमान-निर्णयः
Measures of Time from the Unmanifest; Creation, Elements, and the Primacy of Mind
युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! संसारमें बहुत-से विद्वान् सत्य
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
Sāṅkhye yoge ca me tāta viśeṣaṃ vaktum arhasi |
Tava dharmajña sarvaṃ hi viditaṃ Kurusattama ||
युधिष्ठिर उवाच— सांख्ये योगे च मे तात विशेषं वक्तुमर्हसि। तव धर्मज्ञ सर्वं हि विदितं कुरुसत्तम॥
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a philosophical inquiry: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks a clear distinction between two liberation-oriented paths—Sāṅkhya (discernment/knowledge) and Yoga (disciplined practice). It emphasizes that ethical and spiritual clarity comes through competent instruction from a dharma-knower.
In the Śānti Parva’s Mokṣadharma section, Yudhiṣṭhira continues his post-war questioning of Bhīṣma. Here he respectfully requests Bhīṣma to explain how Sāṅkhya and Yoga differ, setting up a teaching on their methods, aims, and practical implications.