Shloka 46
नारद–शुक संवादः
Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga
अक्षयत्वात् प्रजनने अजमत्राहुरव्ययम् अक्षयं पुरुष प्राहु: क्षयो हास्य न विद्यते
akṣayatvāt prajanane ajam atrāhur avyayam | akṣayaṃ puruṣaṃ prāhuḥ kṣayo hāsya na vidyate ||
阎若伐迦说道：“正因为它即便入于生起之中亦不毁坏，智者在此称自我为‘无生’与‘不变’。他们宣说普鲁沙无有穷尽，因为真实而言，衰败与毁灭从不属于他。此教诲昭示：道德的坚定与无畏的自在，源于了知内在自我为不死，即使身处具身之生。”
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The embodied condition does not imply that the true Self is born or destroyed. Because the Puruṣa is intrinsically imperishable (akṣaya) and unchanging (avyaya), the wise describe it as ‘unborn’ (aja) even while it appears in the cycle of birth.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Yājñavalkya expounds a metaphysical point: the inner Person/Self remains free from decay. This supports the broader ethical aim of Śānti Parva—cultivating fearlessness, restraint, and clarity through knowledge of the deathless Self.