12.298
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
dharmādharmavimuktaṃ yadvimuktaṃ sarvasaṃśrayāt। janmamṛtyuvimuktaṃ ca vimuktaṃ puṇyapāpayoḥ ॥12-298-1॥
That which is free from righteousness and unrighteousness, free from all dependence, free from birth and death, and free from both merit and sin.
yacchivaṃ nityamabhayaṃ nityaṃ cākṣaramavyayam। śuci nityamanāyāsaṃ tadbhavānvaktumarhati ॥12-298-2॥
You are worthy to speak of that which is auspicious, eternal, fearless, imperishable, unchanging, pure, and effortless.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
atra te vartayiṣye'hamitihāsaṃ purātanam। yājñavalkyasya saṃvādaṃ janakasya ca bhārata ॥12-298-3॥
O Bhārata, here I shall narrate to you the ancient history, the dialogue between Yājñavalkya and Janaka.
yājñavalkyam ṛṣiśreṣṭhaṃ daivarātir mahāyaśāḥ। papraccha janako rājā praśnaṃ praśnavidāṃ varaḥ॥12-298-4॥
Janaka, the renowned king of the Daivarāti lineage, who was foremost among those skilled in questioning, asked Yājñavalkya, the greatest of sages, a question.
katīndriyāṇi viprarṣe kati prakṛtayaḥ smṛtāḥ। kimavyaktaṃ paraṃ brahma tasmācca paratastu kim ॥12-298-5॥
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?
prabhavaṃ cāpyayaṃ caiva kālasaṅkhyāṃ tathaiva ca। vaktumarhasi viprendra tvadanugrahakāṅkṣiṇaḥ ॥12-298-6॥
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.
ajñānāt paripṛcchāmi tvaṃ hi jñānamayo nidhiḥ। tad ahaṃ śrotum icchāmi sarvam etad asaṃśayam ॥12-298-7॥
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.
yājñavalkya uvāca॥
Yājñavalkya said.
śrūyatām avanīpāla yad etad anupṛcchasi। yogānāṃ paramaṃ jñānaṃ sāṅkhyānāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ ॥12-298-8॥
O king, listen to what you have asked: the supreme knowledge of the yogas, and especially that of the Sāṅkhyas.
na tavāviditaṃ kiñcin māṃ tu jijñāsate bhavān। pṛṣṭena cāpi vaktavyam eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ॥12-298-9॥
There is nothing unknown to you, yet you ask me; when asked, one should answer—this is the eternal law.
aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ proktā vikārāś cāpi ṣoḍaśa। atha sapta tu vyaktāni prāhur adhyātmacintakāḥ ॥12-298-10॥
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.
avyaktaṃ ca mahāṃścaiva tathāhaṅkāra eva ca। pṛthivī vāyurākāśamāpo jyotiśca pañcamam ॥12-298-11॥
The unmanifest, the great principle, and likewise the ego-principle, as well as earth, air, space, water, and light as the fifth element.
etāḥ prakṛtayas tvaṣṭau vikārān api me śṛṇu। śrotraṃ tvak caiva cakṣuś ca jihvā ghrāṇaṃ ca pañcamam ॥12-298-12॥
Hear from me about these natures and also the eight modifications. The ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose, and the fifth (sense).
śabdasparśau ca rūpaṃ ca raso gandhas tathaiva ca। vāk ca hastau ca pādau ca pāyur meḍhraṃ tathaiva ca ॥12-298-13॥
Sound, touch, form, taste, and smell; likewise, speech, hands, feet, anus, and genitals.
ete viśeṣā rājendra mahābhūteṣu pañcasu। buddhīndriyāṇy athaitāni saviśeṣāṇi maithila ॥12-298-14॥
O Maithila, these particularities, O king, exist in the five great elements. These organs of intellect are also with particularities.
manaḥ ṣoḍaśakaṃ prāhur adhyātmagaticintakāḥ। tvaṃ caiva anye ca vidvāṃsaḥ tattvabuddhiviśāradāḥ ॥12-298-15॥
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.
avyaktācca mahānātmā samutpadyati pārthiva। prathamaṃ sargamityetadāhuḥ prādhānikaṃ budhāḥ ॥12-298-16॥
O king, from the unmanifest, the great self arises; the wise call this first creation the primordial one.
mahataś cāpy ahaṅkāra utpadyati narādhipa। dvitīyaṃ sargam ity āhur etad buddhyātmakaṃ smṛtam ॥12-298-17॥
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.
ahaṅkārācca sambhūtaṃ mano bhūtaguṇātmakam। tṛtīyaḥ sarga ityeṣa ahaṅkārika ucyate ॥12-298-18॥
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.
manasastu samudbhūtā mahābhūtā narādhipa। caturthaṃ sargamityetanmānasaṃ paricakṣate ॥12-298-19॥
O king, the great elements that have arisen from the mind are called the fourth creation, known as the mental creation.
śabdaḥ sparśaś ca rūpaṃ ca raso gandhas tathaiva ca। pañcamaṃ sargam ity āhur bhautikaṃ bhūtacintakāḥ ॥12-298-20॥
The thinkers on elements declare that sound, touch, form, taste, and likewise smell constitute the fifth creation, which is material in nature.
śrotraṃ tvak caiva cakṣuś ca jihvā ghrāṇaṃ ca pañcamam। sargaṃ tu ṣaṣṭham ity āhur bahucintātmakaṃ smṛtam ॥12-298-21॥
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.
adhaḥ śrotrendriyagrāma utpadyati narādhipa| saptamaṃ sargamityāhureta daindriyakaṃ smṛtam ॥12-298-22॥
O king, below, the group of auditory senses arises. This is called the seventh creation, known as the sensory creation.
ūrdhvasrotastathā tiryagutpadyati narādhipa। aṣṭamaṃ sargamityāhuretadārjavakaṃ budhāḥ ॥12-298-23॥
O king, the wise say that the eighth creation, which arises upward and across, is called the creation of straightforwardness.
tiryak-srotas tv adhaḥ-srota utpadyati narādhipa। navamaṃ sargam ity āhur etad ārjavakaṃ budhāḥ ॥12-298-24॥
O king, the wise say that the ninth creation, which arises with a horizontal and downward current, is called the creation of honesty.
etāni nava sargāṇi tattvāni ca narādhipa। caturviṃśatiruktāni yathāśruti nidarśanāt ॥12-298-25॥
O king, these nine creations and principles, twenty-four in total, have been stated as per the Veda and by illustration.
ata ūrdhvaṃ mahārāja guṇasyaitasya tattvataḥ। mahātmabhir anuproktāṃ kālasaṅkhyāṃ nibodha me ॥12-298-26॥
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.
