Shloka 96
जनक–सुलभा संवादः
Janaka–Sulabhā Dialogue on Mokṣa and Non-attachment
तदा प्रकृतिमानेष भवत्यव्यक्तलोचन: । चौबीसवीं अव्यक्त प्रकृति न तो अद्वितीय ब्रह्मको देख पाती है और न पचीसतवें तत्त्वरूप जीवात्माको। जब जीवात्मा अव्यक्त ब्रह्मकी ओर दृष्टि रखकर अपनेको प्रकृतिसे भिन्न मानता है
tadā prakṛtimāneṣa bhavaty avyaktalocanaḥ | caturviṁśatīm avyaktāṁ prakṛtiṁ na tu advitīyaṁ brahma paśyati na pañcaviṁśaṁ tattvarūpaṁ jīvātmānam | yadā jīvātmā avyaktabrahmaṇi dṛṣṭiṁ kṛtvā ātmānaṁ prakṛteḥ bhinnaṁ manyate tadā eṣa prakṛter adhipatir bhavati |
Sinabi ni Vasiṣṭha: Noon, ang nilalang na ang paningin ay nakatuon sa Di-Nahahayag (Avyakta) ay hindi tunay na nakikita ang ika-dalawampu’t apat na prinsipyo—ang di-nahahayag na Prakṛti—ni hindi rin niya nakikita ang ika-dalawampu’t limang prinsipyo, ang indibiduwal na Sarili (jīvātman) sa kanyang tunay na kalikasan, ni ang di-dalawang Brahman. Ngunit kapag ang indibiduwal na Sarili ay itinuon ang titig sa di-nahahayag na Brahman at naunawaang siya’y hiwalay sa Prakṛti, siya’y nagiging panginoon ng Prakṛti at hindi na alipin nito.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Freedom comes from discriminative knowledge: when the jīvātman recognizes itself as distinct from Prakṛti and orients itself toward the unmanifest Brahman, it is no longer driven by the guṇas and becomes ‘lord’ over Prakṛti—i.e., not compelled by material nature.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on liberation, Vasiṣṭha explains a subtle error of perception—mistaking or failing to discern Prakṛti, jīvātman, and Brahman—and then states the corrective: turning one’s insight toward Brahman and distinguishing the Self from Prakṛti.