Shloka 10

Yājñavalkya on the Unity of Sāṃkhya and Yoga and the Marks of Meditative Composure

Devanagari script

अशुद्ध एव शुद्धात्मा तादृग्‌ भवति पार्थिव । अबुद्धसेवनाच्चापि बुद्धो<प्यबुद्धतां ब्रजेत्‌,पचीसवाँ तत्त्वरूप जो महान्‌ आत्मा है, वह निर्मल एवं विशुद्ध है। उसको न जाननेके कारण तथा शुद्ध-अशुद्ध वस्तुओंके सेवनसे वह निर्मल, संगरहित आत्मा भी शुद्ध और अशुद्ध वस्तुओंके सदृश हो जाता है। पृथ्वीनाथ! अविवेकीके संगसे विवेकशील भी अविवेकी हो जाता है

Transliteration

aśuddha eva śuddhātmā tādṛg bhavati pārthiva | abuddha-sevanāc cāpi buddho 'py abuddhatāṁ vrajet ||

Translation

वसिष्ठ उवाच—अशुद्ध एव शुद्धात्मा तादृग् भवति पार्थिव । अबुद्धसेवनाच्चापि बुद्धोऽप्यबुद्धतां ब्रजेत् ॥

Word by Word

अशुद्धःimpure

एवindeed/just

शुद्धात्माthe pure-souled one

तादृक्such/like that

भवतिbecomes

पार्थिवO king (earth-lord)

अबुद्धसेवनात्from association/service of the unwise

चand

अपिalso/even

बुद्धःwise/discerning

अपिeven

अबुद्धताम्unwisdom/foolishness

ब्रजेत्would go/come to

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वसिष्ठ (Vasiṣṭha)

प

पार्थिव (pārthiva—address to a king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Character is strongly shaped by association: even one who is naturally pure or discerning can be made to seem impure or become undiscerning through the company and habits of the unwise; therefore one should seek the company of the wise and avoid corrupting influences.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Vasiṣṭha addresses a king and offers moral instruction. Here he warns that the apparent purity or wisdom of a person can be altered by what they associate with—especially by keeping company with those lacking discernment.