Shloka 32
Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda
Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped
“जो मेरे साथ संयुक्त होकर मेरी समानता करने लगी है, ऐसी इस प्रकृतिके साथ मैं मूर्खतावश सहवास कैसे कर सकता हूँ? यह लो, अब मैं स्थिर हो रहा हूँ ।।
sahavāsaṃ na yāsyāmi kālam etad dhi vañcanāt | vañcito 'smy anayā yad dhi nirvikāro vikārayā ||
Vasiṣṭha nói: “Ta sẽ không còn bước vào sự chung sống với nàng nữa; bởi bấy lâu nay tất cả chỉ là sự lừa dối. Dẫu bản tính ta vốn bất biến, ta vẫn bị Prakṛti biến dịch này mê hoặc. Vì thế ta sẽ không ở cùng nàng thêm nữa; hãy xem, nay ta đã trở nên vững định.”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses discernment between the changeless Self (nirvikāra) and changeful Nature (vikāra/Prakṛti). Liberation-oriented ethics here is the resolve to withdraw identification and ‘companionship’ with Prakṛti’s modifications—seeing them as deceptive when mistaken for the Self.
Vasiṣṭha declares a turning point: recognizing that Prakṛti has long ‘deceived’ him through its transformations, he resolves to end association with it and become steady—i.e., to abide in the unmodified state rather than be carried by changing conditions.