Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

पजञ्चविंशो महानात्मा तस्यैवाप्रतिबोधनात्‌ | विमलस्य विशुद्धस्य शुद्धाशुद्धनिषेवणात्‌,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

pañcaviṁśo mahānātmā tasyaivāpratibodhanāt | vimalasya viśuddhasya śuddhāśuddhaniṣevaṇāt ||

Translation

वसिष्ठ उवाच—पञ्चविंशो महानात्मा तस्यैवाप्रतिबोधनात् । विमलस्य विशुद्धस्य शुद्धाशुद्धनिषेवणात् ॥ शुद्धाशुद्धसमासङ्गात् स एवात्मा निरञ्जनः । शुद्धाशुद्ध इवाभाति पृथ्वीनाथ न संशयः ॥ अविवेकिनि संसर्गे विवेकीऽप्यविवेकी भवेत् ॥

Word by Word

पञ्चविंशःthe twenty-fifth

महानात्माthe great-souled one (great self)

तस्यof him/its

एवindeed/just

अप्रतिबोधनात्from non-awakening / from not knowing

विमलस्यof the spotless/pure

विशुद्धस्यof the completely pure

शुद्धाशुद्धनिषेवणात्from resorting to/associating with the pure and the impure

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vasiṣṭha

Pṛthvīnātha (the king addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The Self (Puruṣa), though intrinsically pure and unattached, seems to take on impurity or purity due to ignorance (non-recognition) and due to association/indulgence in mixed influences; therefore one should cultivate discernment and avoid the company and habits that erode it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha instructs a king (addressed as ‘lord of the earth’) in a philosophical-ethical discourse: he identifies the ‘twenty-fifth principle’ as the pure Self and explains how ignorance and association with pure/impure objects makes it appear otherwise, concluding with a practical warning about the corrupting power of bad company.