Shloka 11
Adhyāya 314 — हिमवदाश्रमः, शक्तिक्षेपकथा, तथा स्वाध्यायविधिः
Himalayan Hermitage, the Myth of the Thrown Spear, and Rules of Vedic Study
अव्यक्तस्थं परं यत् तत् पृष्टस्ते5हं नराधिप । स एष प्रकृतिस्थो हि तत्स्थ इत्यभिधीयते,नरेश्वर! तुमने जो अव्यक्त प्रकृतिमें स्थित परमतत्त्वके विषयमें मुझसे प्रश्न किया था, उसके उत्तरमें यह निवेदन है कि यह परमतत्त्व प्राकृत शरीरमें स्थित होनेसे ही प्रकृतिस्थ कहलाता है
avyaktasthaṁ paraṁ yat tat pṛṣṭas te ’haṁ narādhipa | sa eṣa prakṛtistho hi tatstha ity abhidhīyate ||
اے نرادھپ! تم نے مجھ سے اُس پرم تत्त्व کے بارے میں پوچھا تھا جو اَویَکت میں قائم ہے۔ اس کے جواب میں میں کہتا ہوں: وہی پرم حقیقت ‘پرکرتی میں قائم’ کہلاتی ہے، کیونکہ وہ فی الحقیقت پرکرتی کے اندر موجود ہے اور اسی میں ٹھہری ہوئی ہے۔
याज़्वल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse clarifies a key metaphysical point: the Supreme Reality, though described as abiding in the Unmanifest (avyakta), is also spoken of as ‘prakṛtistha’ because it is present within and associated with Prakṛti at the level of embodied existence. The teaching reconciles transcendence (beyond perception) with immanence (present within nature).
In a didactic dialogue in Śānti Parva, the sage Yājñavalkya responds to a king’s inquiry about the highest principle connected with the Unmanifest. He begins his answer by defining the terminology—why the Supreme is termed ‘situated in Prakṛti’—setting the stage for further explanation of reality, embodiment, and liberation.