युधिष्ठिर उवाच धर्माधर्मविमुक्तं यद् विमुक्तं सर्वसंशयात्। जन्ममृत्युविमुक्तं च विमुक्तं पुण्यपापयोः॥ यच्छिवं नित्यमभयं नित्यमक्षरमव्ययम्। शुचि नित्यमनायासं तद् भवान् वक्तुमर्हति॥
You should, O grandfather, describe to me what is freed from duty and its reverse, what is freed from every doubt, what is above birth and death, as also virtue and sin, what is auspiciousness, what is eternal fearlessness, what is Eternal and Indestructible, and Immutable, what is always Pure, and what is ever free from exertion.
भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि इतिहासं पुरातनम्। याज्ञवल्क्यस्य संवादं जनकस्य च भारत॥ याज्ञवल्क्यमृषिश्रेष्ठं दैवरातिर्महायशाः। पप्रच्छ जनको राजा प्रश्न प्रश्नविदां वरम्॥
Bhishma said O Bharata, referring to this matter I shall recite to you the old discourse between Yajnavalkya and Janaka. Once on a time the famous king Daivarati of Janaka's race, truthfully understanding the meaning of all questions, put this question to Yajnavalkya, that foremost of Rishis.
जनक उवाच कतीन्द्रियाणि विप्रर्षे कति प्रकृतयः स्मृताः। किमव्यक्तं परं ब्रह्म तस्माच्च परतस्तु किम्॥ प्रभवं चाप्ययं चैव कालसंख्यां तथैव च। वक्तुमर्हसि विप्रेन्द्र त्वदनुग्रहकाङ्क्षिणः॥
Janaka said ( regenerate Rishi, how many kinds of senses are there? How many kinds also are there of Nature? What is the Unmanifest and highest Brahma? What is higher than Brahmana? What is Birth and what Death? What are the limits of Age? You should, O foremost of Brahmanas, describe all these subjects to me who seek your favour.
अज्ञानात् परिपृच्छामि त्वं हि ज्ञानमयोनिधिः। तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि सर्वमेतदसंशयम्॥
I am ignorant while you are an Ocean of knowledge. Hence, I ask you. Verily, I wish to hear you describe all these subject.
याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच श्रूयतामवनीपाल यदेतदनुपृच्छसि। योगानां परमं ज्ञानं सांख्यानां च विशेषतः॥
Hear, O king, what I say in answer to these questions of yours. I shall give you the high knowledge which Yogins prize, and especially that which is possessed by the Sankhyas.
न तवाविदितं किंचिन्मां तु जिज्ञासते भवान्। पृष्टेन चापि वक्तव्यमेष धर्मः सनातनः॥
Nothing is unknown to you. Still you ask me. One, however, who is questioned, should answer. This is the eternal practice.
अष्टौ प्रकृतयः प्रोक्ता विकाराश्चापि षोडश। तत्र तु प्रकृतीरष्टौ प्राहुरध्यात्मचिन्तकाः॥
Eight principles have been called by the name of Nature, while sixteen have been called changes. Of Manifest, there are seven. These are of views of those persons who are conversant with the spiritual science.
अव्यक्तं च महान्तं च तथाहङ्कार एव च। पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्च पञ्चमम्॥ एताः प्रकृतयस्त्वष्टौ विकारानपि मे शृणु। श्रोत्रं त्वक्चैव चक्षुश्च जिह्वा घ्राणं च पञ्चमम्॥ शब्दः स्पर्शच रूपं च रसो गन्धस्तथैव च। वाक् च हस्तौ च पादौ च पायुर्मेद्रं तथैव च॥
The Unmanifest, Greatness, Consciousness and the five subtile elements of Earth, Wind, Ether, water, and Light, these eight are known by the name of Nature. Listen now to the enumeration of those called changes. They are the ear, the skin, the eye, the tongue' and the nose; and sound, touch, form, taste, and scent, as also speech, the two arins, the two feet, the lower duct (within the body), and the organ of pleasure.
एते विशेषा राजेन्द्र महाभूतेषु पञ्चसु। बुद्धीन्द्रियाण्यथैतानि सविशेषाणि मैथिल॥
The ten commencing with sound, and originating from the five great principles, are called Vishesha. The five senses of knowledge are called Savishesha, O king of Mithila.
मनः षोडशकं प्राहुरध्यात्मगतिचिन्तकाः। त्वं चैवान्ये च विद्वांसस्तत्त्वबुद्धिविशारदाः॥
Persons conversant with the spiritual science consider the Mind as the sixteenth. This is agreeable to your own views as also to those of other learned men well acquainted with the truths about principles.
अव्यक्ताच्च महानात्मा समुत्पद्यति पार्थिव। प्रथमं सर्गमित्येतदाहुः प्राधानिकं बुधाः॥
From the Unmanifest, O king, originates the Greatness. The learned say this to be the first creation relating to Nature.
महतश्चाप्यहङ्कार उत्पन्नो हि नराधिप। द्वितीयं सर्गमित्याहुरेतद् बुद्ध्यात्मकं स्मृतम्॥
From Greatness, O king of men, originates Consciousness. This has been designated the second creation having the Understanding for its essence.
अहङ्काराच्च सम्भूतं मनो भूतगुणात्मकम्। तृतीयः सर्ग इत्येष आहङ्कारिक उच्यते॥
From Consciousness has originated the Mind which is the essence of sound and the others that are the qualities of ether and the rest. This is the third creation, relating to Consciousness.
मनसस्तु समुद्भूता महाभूता नराधिप। चतुर्थं सर्गमित्येतन्मानसं विद्धि मे मतम्॥
From Mind have originated the great elements, O king! This is the fourth creation called mental.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धस्तथैव च। पञ्चमं सर्गमित्याहुभौतिकं भूतचिन्तकाः॥
Persons conversant with the principal elements hold that Sound and Touch and Form and Taste and Scent are the fifth creation, relating to the Great elements.
चक्षुश्च जिह्वा घ्राणं च पञ्चमम्। सर्गं तु षष्ठमित्याहुर्बहुचिन्तात्मकं स्मृतम्॥
The creation of the Ear, the Skin, the Eye, the Tongue, and the Scent, forms the sixth and is considered as having for its essence multiplicity of thought.
अधः श्रोत्रेन्द्रियग्राम उत्पद्यति नराधिप। सप्तमं सर्गमित्याहुरेतदैन्द्रियकं स्मृतम्॥
The senses that come after the Ear and the others then originate, O king. This is called seventh creation and relates to the senses of knowledge.
श्रोत्रं त्व त्वक् चैव ऊर्ध्वं स्रोतस्तथा तिर्यगुत्पद्यति नराधिप। अष्टमं सर्गमित्याहुरेतदार्जवकं स्मृतम्॥
Then, O king, come the vital air that rises upwards and those that go downwards. This is the eighth creation and called Arjjva (straight).
तिर्यस्रोतस्त्वधःस्रोत उत्पद्यति नराधिप। नवमं सर्गमित्याहुरेतदार्जवकं बुधाः॥
Then come those vital airs which move transversely in the lower parts of the body and also that called Apana passing downwards. This, the ninth creation, is also called Arjjava, O king.
एतानि नव सर्गाणि तत्त्वानि च नराधिप। चतुर्विंशतिरुक्तानि यथाश्रुतिनिदर्शनात्॥
These nine kinds of creation, and these principles, O king, which are twenty-four in number, are described to you according to what has been laid down in the scriptures.
अत ऊर्ध्वं महाराज गुणस्यैतस्य तत्त्वतः। महात्मभिरनुप्रोक्तां कालसंख्यां निबोध मे॥
After this, O king, listen to me as I tell you the durations of time as said by the learned regarding these principles or attributes.