Shloka 46
अव्यक्त–पुरुष–विवेकः (Discrimination of Avyakta/Prakṛti and Puruṣa) — Yājñavalkya’s Anvīkṣikī to Viśvāvasu
सम्यड्निदर्शन नाम प्रत्यक्ष॑ प्रकृतेस्तथा । गुणतत्त्वान्यथैतानि निर्गुणो<न्यस्तथा भवेत्,प्रकृति-पुरुषका प्रत्यक्ष-दर्शन (अपरोक्ष-अनुभव) ही सम्यग्दर्शन है। ये जो गुणमय तत्त्व हैं, इनसे भिन्न परमपुरुष परमात्मा निर्गुण हैं
samyag-darśana-nāma pratyakṣaṁ prakṛtes tathā | guṇa-tattvāny athaitāni nirguṇo 'nyas tathā bhavet ||
ప్రకృతిని యథాతథంగా ప్రత్యక్షంగా, అపరోక్షంగా అనుభవించడమే సమ్యగ్దర్శనం. ఇవి గుణమయమైన తత్త్వాలు; వాటికి భిన్నంగా మరొక పరమపురుషుడు ఉన్నాడు—అతడు నిర్గుణుడు.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Right knowledge is presented as direct realization: one should clearly perceive Prakṛti and its guṇa-made tattvas, and then discern the distinct reality beyond them—the Supreme Person/Ātman—who is nirguṇa (not constituted by the guṇas). This discrimination supports liberation-oriented ethics by loosening identification with changing qualities.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Vasiṣṭha is teaching a metaphysical discernment: he defines ‘true vision’ as immediate insight into Prakṛti and explains that the guṇa-based categories belong to nature, while the highest Self is separate from them and beyond qualities.