Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अविधिश्व विधिश्वैव समुत्पन्नौ तथैकतः । विद्याविद्येति विख्याते श्रूतिशास्त्रार्थचिन्तकै:,अविधि (ज्ञान) और विधि (कर्म) की उत्पत्ति भी उस परमात्मासे ही हुई है। श्रुति तथा शास्त्रके अर्थका विचार करनेवाले विद्वानोंने उन्हें विद्या और अविद्या बतलाया है

Transliteration

avidhiś ca vidhiś caiva samutpannau tathaikataḥ | vidyāvidyeti vikhyāte śrutiśāstrārthacintakaiḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vasiṣṭha: “Kapwa ang di-itinakdang gawain (o ang pag-alam na walang wastong pagsasabuhay) at ang itinakdang gawain ay nagmumula sa iisang pinagmulan. Ang mga pantas na nagbubulay sa kahulugan ng Veda at ng mga śāstra ay tumatawag sa dalawang ito na ‘vidyā’ (kaalaman) at ‘avidyā’ (kamangmangan).”

Word by Word

अविधिःnon-ritual / non-prescribed (here: knowledge as 'non-action')

विधिःinjunction / prescribed rite (here: action/karma)

एवindeed / just

समुत्पन्नौarisen / originated

तथाthus / likewise

एकतःfrom one (source) / from the One

विद्याknowledge

अविद्याignorance / non-knowledge

इतिthus (quotative)

विख्यातेwell-known / designated

श्रुति-शास्त्र-अर्थ-चिन्तकैःby thinkers on the meaning of śruti and śāstra

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vasiṣṭha

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?

Vasiṣṭha teaches that both ‘vidhi’ (prescribed duty/karma) and ‘avidhi’ (non-prescribed or improperly grounded conduct/understanding) arise from a single ultimate source, and that reflective interpreters of śruti and śāstra classify the pair as vidyā (true knowledge) and avidyā (ignorance). The ethical point is to discern which orientation leads toward right understanding and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction setting, Vasiṣṭha is explaining a doctrinal distinction: how learned exegetes, by contemplating Vedic and śāstric meanings, name and differentiate two co-arising principles—vidhi/avidhi—framing them as knowledge versus ignorance to guide conduct and insight.