Shloka 32
Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda
Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped
“जो मेरे साथ संयुक्त होकर मेरी समानता करने लगी है, ऐसी इस प्रकृतिके साथ मैं मूर्खतावश सहवास कैसे कर सकता हूँ? यह लो, अब मैं स्थिर हो रहा हूँ ।। सहवासं न यास्यामि कालमेतद्धि वज्चनात् । वज्चितो<स्म्यनया यद्धि निर्विकारो विकारया,“मैं निर्विकार होकर भी इस विकारमयी प्रकृतिके द्वारा ठगा गया। इतने समयतक इसने मेरे साथ ठगी की है। इसलिये अब इसके साथ नहीं रहूँगा
sahavāsaṃ na yāsyāmi kālam etad dhi vañcanāt | vañcito 'smy anayā yad dhi nirvikāro vikārayā ||
वसिष्ठ उवाच— “नाहं पुनरस्या सह सहवासं गमिष्यामि; कालमेतद्धि वञ्चनमेव। अहं स्वभावतो निर्विकारः सन् अपि विकारमय्या प्रकृत्या मोहितोऽस्मि। अतः परं नास्याः सह वत्स्यामि; पश्यत, इदानीं स्थिरो भवामि।”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses discernment between the changeless Self (nirvikāra) and changeful Nature (vikāra/Prakṛti). Liberation-oriented ethics here is the resolve to withdraw identification and ‘companionship’ with Prakṛti’s modifications—seeing them as deceptive when mistaken for the Self.
Vasiṣṭha declares a turning point: recognizing that Prakṛti has long ‘deceived’ him through its transformations, he resolves to end association with it and become steady—i.e., to abide in the unmodified state rather than be carried by changing conditions.