नारद–शुक संवादः
Impermanence, Svabhāva, and Śuka’s Resolve for Yoga
नरेन्द्र! अत: सब ओरसे ज्ञान प्राप्त करनेका ही प्रयत्न करना चाहिये। यह तो मैं तुमसे बता ही चुका हूँ कि सभी वर्णोके लोग अपने-अपने आश्रममें रहते हुए ही ज्ञान प्राप्त कर सकते हैं; अतः जो ब्राह्मण ज्ञानमें स्थित है अथवा जो दूसरे वर्णका मनुष्य भी ज्ञाननिष्ठ है
narendra! ataḥ sarva-ore jñāna-prāptiṃ kartum eva prayatnaḥ kartavyaḥ. etat tu mayā tubhyaṃ pūrvam eva kathitam—sarve varṇāḥ sva-svāśrame sthitvā jñānaṃ prāptuṃ śaknuvanti; ataḥ yaḥ brāhmaṇaḥ jñāne sthitaḥ, athavā yaḥ anyavarṇīyaḥ api jñāna-niṣṭhaḥ, tasya nityaṃ mokṣa-prāptiḥ proktā. yat te pṛṣṭaṃ tan mayā copadiṣṭaṃ yāthātathyaṃ; tad viśoko bhavasva. rājan, gacchasva etad-arthasya pāraṃ; samyak proktaṃ; svasti te tv astu nityam.
人中王啊!因此当从各方面竭力求取真知。我已告知你:一切阶序之人,皆可在各自住于其人生住期(āśrama)之中而得知识;故凡安住于知识者——无论是婆罗门,抑或他阶序之人而能坚住于智慧——皆被宣说为常得解脱。你所问者,我已依真实而教示;故当离忧无悲。大王,去吧,抵达此真理之彼岸。我已尽为开示。去吧——愿恒久的吉祥常与汝同在。
याज़्वल्क्य उवाच
Liberating knowledge (jñāna) is the decisive means to mokṣa, and it is accessible to people of all varṇas when they live rightly within their own āśrama; steadfastness in knowledge, not mere social identity, is what is praised as leading to enduring liberation.
Yājñavalkya concludes his instruction to the king: he affirms that he has answered the king’s question truthfully, urges him to become free from grief, and sends him forth with a blessing to internalize the teaching and reach the ‘far shore’ of its meaning.