Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 1
Sāṅkhya Enumeration of Tattvas, Distinction of Puruṣa–Prakṛti, and the Mechanics of Birth and Death
श्रीउद्धव उवाच कति तत्त्वानि विश्वेश सङ्ख्यातान्यृषिभि: प्रभो । नवैकादश पञ्च त्रीण्यात्थ त्वमिह शुश्रुम ॥ १ ॥ केचित् षड्विंशतिं प्राहुरपरे पञ्चविंशतिम् । सप्तैके नव षट् केचिच्चत्वार्येकादशापरे । केचित् सप्तदश प्राहु: षोडशैके त्रयोदश ॥ २ ॥ एतावत्त्वं हि सङ्ख्यानामृषयो यद्विवक्षया । गायन्ति पृथगायुष्मन्निदं नो वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ ३ ॥
śrī-uddhava uvāca kati tattvāni viśveśa saṅkhyātāny ṛṣibhiḥ prabho navaikādaśa pañca trīṇy āttha tvam iha śuśruma
乌达婆问道：我亲爱的主啊，宇宙之主！诸大圣贤曾数算造化的诸“真理要素”（tattva）究竟有多少？我曾亲闻您说有九、十一、五与三，总计二十八。然有的权威说二十六，有的说二十五；有的说七、九、六、四或十一；还有的说十七、十六或十三。各位圣贤以不同方式计算，其用意何在？至上永恒者，愿您慈悲为我开示。
Lord Kṛṣṇa thoroughly explained in the previous chapter that Vedic knowledge is not meant for sense gratification but for liberation from material bondage. Now Uddhava presents some intermediate questions that must be answered so the path of liberation will be clear. Different philosophers have historically disagreed over the exact number of material elements, about the existence and nonexistence of particular external objects and about the existence of the soul itself. The jñāna-kāṇḍa section of the Vedas aims at liberation through analytic understanding of the material world and of the spirit soul as a transcendental element beyond matter. Ultimately the Supreme Lord Himself stands above all elements and maintains them by His personal potency. Uddhava mentions in numerical terms different methodologies of various sages, citing first the Lord’s own opinion. The word āyuṣman, or “possessing eternal form,” is significant in this regard. Since Lord Kṛṣṇa is eternal, He possesses all knowledge of past, present and future and is thus the original and supreme philosopher.
FAQs
In this passage Uddhava notes that different sages enumerate different totals—such as 26, 25, 17, 16, 13, 11, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3—because they emphasize different explanatory purposes.
Uddhava observes that authoritative teachers present varying enumerations of reality, and he asks Śrī Kṛṣṇa to reconcile these differences and explain the underlying intent behind each count.
It trains discernment—seeing what is essential versus secondary—so one can align choices with spiritual purpose rather than getting lost in conflicting viewpoints.