Shloka 43

नारद–शुक संवादः

Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga

Devanagari script

चलां तु प्रकृतिं प्राहु: कारणं क्षयसर्गयो: । आक्षेपसर्गयो: कर्ता निश्चल: पुरुष: स्मृत:

Transliteration

calāṃ tu prakṛtiṃ prāhuḥ kāraṇaṃ kṣaya-sargayoḥ | ākṣepa-sargayoḥ kartā niścalāḥ puruṣaḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

ప్రకృతిని ‘చల’ అని అంటారు; సృష్టి మరియు క్షయానికి కారణభూతం అది. ఆక్షేపం మరియు సర్గం విషయంలో కర్త పురుషుడే; అతడు ‘నిశ్చలుడు’ అని స్మరించబడతాడు.

Word by Word

• चलाम्: moving, mutable
• चलाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• प्रकृतिम्: Prakriti, primordial nature
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राहुः: they have said/call
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Plural

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• क्षय-सर्गयोः: of dissolution and creation
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• आक्षेप-सर्गयोः: of projection/impulsion and creation
• Type: Noun
• Root: आक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• कर्ता: doer, agent
• कर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निश्चलः: immovable, unmoving
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषः: Purusha, spirit/person
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतः: is considered/remembered (as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Prakṛti
• Puruṣa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes two principles: Prakṛti is changeful and serves as the causal ground for creation and dissolution, while Puruṣa is essentially unmoving/unchanging, associated with agency in manifestation without itself undergoing transformation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Yājñavalkya explains a Sāṅkhya-style framework to clarify how cosmic processes (sṛṣṭi and pralaya) relate to the material principle (Prakṛti) and the conscious principle (Puruṣa).