Shloka 23
जनक–सुलभा संवादः
Janaka–Sulabhā Dialogue on Mokṣa and Non-attachment
मशकोदुम्बरे यद्वदन्यत्वं तद्धदेतयो: । मत्स्योदके यथा तद्वदन्यत्वमुपलभ्यते
maśakodumbare yadvad anyatvaṃ tad ubhayayoḥ | matsyodake yathā tadvad anyatvam upalabhyate ||
婆悉吒说道：“譬如小蚋与优昙婆罗无花果（udumbara），虽同处一处，终究彼此有别；又如鱼与水，本亦不同。如此，当辨明普拉克里蒂（Prakṛti，物质自然）与普鲁沙（Puruṣa，觉知之我）之间的差别。相近或共存，并不能抹去它们各自独立的真实。”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches viveka (discriminative insight): Prakṛti (nature, guṇas, body-mind) and Puruṣa (conscious self) may appear inseparable in experience, yet they are fundamentally distinct—like fish and water or an insect and the fig it inhabits.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, the sage Vasiṣṭha explains metaphysical principles to clarify how the self relates to nature. He uses everyday analogies to show that coexistence does not imply identity, guiding the listener toward detachment and liberation-oriented understanding.