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युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
धर्माधर्मविमुक्तं यद्विमुक्तं सर्वसंश्रयात्। जन्ममृत्युविमुक्तं च विमुक्तं पुण्यपापयोः ॥१२-२९८-१॥
That which is free from righteousness and unrighteousness, free from all dependence, free from birth and death, and free from both merit and sin.
यच्छिवं नित्यमभयं नित्यं चाक्षरमव्ययम्। शुचि नित्यमनायासं तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥१२-२९८-२॥
You are worthy to speak of that which is auspicious, eternal, fearless, imperishable, unchanging, pure, and effortless.
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्येऽहमितिहासं पुरातनम्। याज्ञवल्क्यस्य संवादं जनकस्य च भारत ॥१२-२९८-३॥
O Bhārata, here I shall narrate to you the ancient history, the dialogue between Yājñavalkya and Janaka.
याज्ञवल्क्यमृषिश्रेष्ठं दैवरातिर्महायशाः। पप्रच्छ जनको राजा प्रश्नं प्रश्नविदां वरः ॥१२-२९८-४॥
Janaka, the renowned king of the Daivarāti lineage, who was foremost among those skilled in questioning, asked Yājñavalkya, the greatest of sages, a question.
कतीन्द्रियाणि विप्रर्षे कति प्रकृतयः स्मृताः। किमव्यक्तं परं ब्रह्म तस्माच्च परतस्तु किम् ॥१२-२९८-५॥
O best of Brāhmaṇas, how many senses are there, and how many primordial natures are remembered? What is the unmanifest, the supreme Brahman, and what exists beyond that?
प्रभवं चाप्ययं चैव कालसङ्ख्यां तथैव च। वक्तुमर्हसि विप्रेन्द्र त्वदनुग्रहकाङ्क्षिणः ॥१२-२९८-६॥
O best of Brāhmaṇas, you are worthy to speak of the origin, dissolution, and likewise the reckoning of time, for we are desiring your favor.
अज्ञानात्परिपृच्छामि त्वं हि ज्ञानमयो निधिः। तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि सर्वमेतदसंशयम् ॥१२-२९८-७॥
Because of my ignorance, I ask you thoroughly, for you are truly a treasure of knowledge. Therefore, I wish to hear all this from you without any doubt.
याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच॥
Yājñavalkya said.
श्रूयतामवनीपाल यदेतदनुपृच्छसि। योगानां परमं ज्ञानं साङ्ख्यानां च विशेषतः ॥१२-२९८-८॥
O king, listen to what you have asked: the supreme knowledge of the yogas, and especially that of the Sāṅkhyas.
न तवाविदितं किञ्चिन्मां तु जिज्ञासते भवान्। पृष्टेन चापि वक्तव्यमेष धर्मः सनातनः ॥१२-२९८-९॥
There is nothing unknown to you, yet you ask me; when asked, one should answer—this is the eternal law.
अष्टौ प्रकृतयः प्रोक्ता विकाराश्चापि षोडश। अथ सप्त तु व्यक्तानि प्राहुरध्यात्मचिन्तकाः ॥१२-२९८-१०॥
It is said that there are eight natures and also sixteen modifications. Now, those who contemplate on the self declare that there are seven manifested entities.
अव्यक्तं च महांश्चैव तथाहङ्कार एव च। पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम् ॥१२-२९८-११॥
The unmanifest, the great principle, and likewise the ego-principle, as well as earth, air, space, water, and light as the fifth element.
एताः प्रकृतयस्त्वष्टौ विकारानपि मे शृणु। श्रोत्रं त्वक्चैव चक्षुश्च जिह्वा घ्राणं च पञ्चमम् ॥१२-२९८-१२॥
Hear from me about these natures and also the eight modifications. The ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose, and the fifth (sense).
शब्दस्पर्शौ च रूपं च रसो गन्धस्तथैव च। वाक्च हस्तौ च पादौ च पायुर्मेढ्रं तथैव च ॥१२-२९८-१३॥
Sound, touch, form, taste, and smell; likewise, speech, hands, feet, anus, and genitals.
एते विशेषा राजेन्द्र महाभूतेषु पञ्चसु। बुद्धीन्द्रियाण्यथैतानि सविशेषाणि मैथिल ॥१२-२९८-१४॥
O Maithila, these particularities, O king, exist in the five great elements. These organs of intellect are also with particularities.
मनः षोडशकं प्राहुरध्यात्मगतिचिन्तकाः। त्वं चैवान्ये च विद्वांसस्तत्त्वबुद्धिविशारदाः ॥१२-२९८-१५॥
Those who contemplate the movement of the self have declared the mind to be sixteenfold; you, as well as other learned ones skilled in discerning the truth, have also affirmed this.
अव्यक्ताच्च महानात्मा समुत्पद्यति पार्थिव। प्रथमं सर्गमित्येतदाहुः प्राधानिकं बुधाः ॥१२-२९८-१६॥
O king, from the unmanifest, the great self arises; the wise call this first creation the primordial one.
महतश्चाप्यहङ्कार उत्पद्यति नराधिप। द्वितीयं सर्गमित्याहुरेतद्बुद्ध्यात्मकं स्मृतम् ॥१२-२९८-१७॥
O king, from the Mahat (great principle), the ego-principle also arises. This is called the second creation, and it is remembered as being of the nature of intellect.
अहङ्काराच्च सम्भूतं मनो भूतगुणात्मकम्। तृतीयः सर्ग इत्येष आहङ्कारिक उच्यते ॥१२-२९८-१८॥
The mind, which arises from ego and is composed of the qualities of the elements, is known as the third creation, called the egoic creation.
मनसस्तु समुद्भूता महाभूता नराधिप। चतुर्थं सर्गमित्येतन्मानसं परिचक्षते ॥१२-२९८-१९॥
O king, the great elements that have arisen from the mind are called the fourth creation, known as the mental creation.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धस्तथैव च। पञ्चमं सर्गमित्याहुर्भौतिकं भूतचिन्तकाः ॥१२-२९८-२०॥
The thinkers on elements declare that sound, touch, form, taste, and likewise smell constitute the fifth creation, which is material in nature.
श्रोत्रं त्वक्चैव चक्षुश्च जिह्वा घ्राणं च पञ्चमम्। सर्गं तु षष्ठमित्याहुर्बहुचिन्तात्मकं स्मृतम् ॥१२-२९८-२१॥
The ear, skin, eye, tongue, and nose are the five senses; the sixth creation, they say, is remembered as being of the nature of much thought.
अधः श्रोत्रेन्द्रियग्राम उत्पद्यति नराधिप। सप्तमं सर्गमित्याहुरेतदैन्द्रियकं स्मृतम् ॥१२-२९८-२२॥
O king, below, the group of auditory senses arises. This is called the seventh creation, known as the sensory creation.
ऊर्ध्वस्रोतस्तथा तिर्यगुत्पद्यति नराधिप। अष्टमं सर्गमित्याहुरेतदार्जवकं बुधाः ॥१२-२९८-२३॥
O king, the wise say that the eighth creation, which arises upward and across, is called the creation of straightforwardness.
तिर्यक्स्रोतस्त्वधःस्रोत उत्पद्यति नराधिप। नवमं सर्गमित्याहुरेतदार्जवकं बुधाः ॥१२-२९८-२४॥
O king, the wise say that the ninth creation, which arises with a horizontal and downward current, is called the creation of honesty.
एतानि नव सर्गाणि तत्त्वानि च नराधिप। चतुर्विंशतिरुक्तानि यथाश्रुति निदर्शनात् ॥१२-२९८-२५॥
O king, these nine creations and principles, twenty-four in total, have been stated as per the Veda and by illustration.
अत ऊर्ध्वं महाराज गुणस्यैतस्य तत्त्वतः। महात्मभिरनुप्रोक्तां कालसङ्ख्यां निबोध मे ॥१२-२९८-२६॥
O great king, from this point onward, listen to the true nature of this quality and the reckoning of time as declared by the great souls, as I explain it to you.
