Shloka 23
जनक–सुलभा संवादः
Janaka–Sulabhā Dialogue on Mokṣa and Non-attachment
मशकोदुम्बरे यद्वदन्यत्वं तद्धदेतयो: । मत्स्योदके यथा तद्वदन्यत्वमुपलभ्यते
maśakodumbare yadvad anyatvaṃ tad ubhayayoḥ | matsyodake yathā tadvad anyatvam upalabhyate ||
Wika ni Vasiṣṭha: “Kung paanong ang munting kulisap at ang bunga ng udumbara, bagama’t magkasama, ay magkaiba pa rin; at kung paanong ang isda at ang tubig ay magkaiba; gayon din, dapat makita ang pagkakaiba ng Prakṛti (likas na materyal) at Puruṣa (malay na sarili). Ang paglalapit o pagsasabay ng pag-iral ay hindi nagbubura sa kanilang magkahiwalay na katotohanan.”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches viveka (discriminative insight): Prakṛti (nature, guṇas, body-mind) and Puruṣa (conscious self) may appear inseparable in experience, yet they are fundamentally distinct—like fish and water or an insect and the fig it inhabits.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, the sage Vasiṣṭha explains metaphysical principles to clarify how the self relates to nature. He uses everyday analogies to show that coexistence does not imply identity, guiding the listener toward detachment and liberation-oriented understanding.