Shloka 43
अव्यक्त–पुरुष–विवेकः (Discrimination of Avyakta/Prakṛti and Puruṣa) — Yājñavalkya’s Anvīkṣikī to Viśvāvasu
इतना ही सांख्यदर्शन है। सांख्यके विद्वान् तत्त्वोंकी संख्या (गणना) करते और प्रकृतिको ही जगत्का कारण बताते हैं। इसीलिये इस दर्शनका नाम सांख्यदर्शन है ।।
tattvāni ca caturviśat pari-saṅkhyāya tattvataḥ | sāṅkhyāḥ saha prakṛtyā tu niṣtattvāḥ pañcaviṃśakaḥ || sāṅkhyavettāḥ puruṣaṃ prakṛti-sahitaṃ caturviṃśati-tattvānāṃ parigaṇanāt paraṃ puruṣaṃ jaḍa-tattvebhyo bhinnaṃ pañcaviṃśaṃ niścayanti ||
婆悉吒说道：“这正是数论（Sāṅkhya）教义之所指。之所以称为数论家，是因为他们‘枚举’诸原理：他们将二十四种成分与自性（Prakṛti）合而计之，视为显现世界之基；继而判定第二十五者——普鲁沙（Puruṣa），有觉知之原理——与那些无情的范畴迥然有别。由辨别无知觉与有知觉，他们指出更高的真我，超然于物质自然。”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sāṅkhya is defined by its method of enumerating reality: it counts the twenty‑four material principles with Prakṛti as the causal basis of the world, and then posits a distinct twenty‑fifth principle—Puruṣa, pure consciousness—separate from inert matter. The ethical thrust is discernment: freedom comes from knowing the Self as other than nature’s changing constituents.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vasiṣṭha explains to his listener what ‘Sāṅkhya’ means and why it bears that name. He summarizes the doctrine’s key move—systematic enumeration of categories and the decisive separation of Puruṣa from Prakṛti—framing it as a guide to right understanding and inner peace.