Shloka 42
Jarā-Mṛtyu-anatikrama: Janaka–Pañcaśikha-saṃvāda
Aging and Death Cannot Be Overstepped
अक्षरक्षरयोरेतदुक्त तव निदर्शनम् । मयेह ज्ञानसम्पन्नं यथाश्रुतिनिदर्शनात्,राजन! वेदमें जैसा वर्णन किया गया है, उसके अनुरूप यह क्षर-अक्षरका विवेक करानेवाला ज्ञान मैंने तुम्हें सुनाया है
akṣarakṣarayor etad uktaṁ tava nidarśanam | mayeha jñānasampannaṁ yathāśruti-nidarśanāt, rājan! vedaṁ me yathā varṇitaṁ, tasya anurūpaṁ idaṁ kṣara-akṣara-viveka-kārakaṁ jñānaṁ mayā tubhyaṁ śrāvitam ||
婆悉吒说道：“关于不坏者（akṣara）与坏灭者（kṣara）的譬喻，如今已为使汝明了而宣说。于此，我依《闻传》（Śruti）之指示，向汝传授具足真实智的教法。大王啊，正如《吠陀》所述，我已为汝诵说此能辨别变易与不变之智。”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes viveka—clear discernment between kṣara (the changing, perishable realm) and akṣara (the unchanging, imperishable principle)—and asserts that this teaching is aligned with Śruti/Vedic testimony, presenting scriptural authority as the basis for right understanding.
Vasiṣṭha addresses a king and concludes or summarizes an instruction: he has provided an illustrative explanation of the imperishable and perishable, claiming it is faithful to Vedic description, and that he has now recited this discriminative knowledge to the listener.