युधिष्ठिर उवाच
शब्दे स्पर्शे च रूपे च तथैव रसगन्धयोः ॥
तस्याधिष्ठानम् अव्यग्रं ब्रूहि सर्प यथातथम् ॥
किं न गृह्णासि विषयान् युगपत् त्वं महामते ॥
एतावद् उच्यतां चोक्तं सर्वं पन्नगसत्तम ॥
सर्प उवाच
यद् आत्मद्रव्यम् आयुष्मन् देहसंश्रयणान्वितम् ॥
करणाधिष्ठितं भोगान् उपभुङ्क्ते यथाविधि ॥
ज्ञानं चैवात्र बुद्धिश् च मनश् च भरतर्षभ ॥
तस्य भोगाधिकरणे करणानि निबोध मे ॥
मनसा तात पर्येति क्रमशो विषयान् इमान् ॥
विषयायतनस्थेन भूतात्मा क्षेत्रनिःसृतः ॥
अत्र चापि नरव्याघ्र मनो जन्तोर् विधीयते ॥
तस्माद् युगपद् अस्यात्र ग्रहणं नोपपद्यते ॥
स आत्मा पुरुषव्याघ्र भ्रुवोर् अन्तरम् आश्रितः ॥
द्रव्येषु सृजते बुद्धिं विविधेषु परावराम् ॥
बुद्धेर् उत्तरकालं च वेदना दृश्यते बुधैः ॥
एष वै राजशार्दूल विधिः क्षेत्रज्ञभावनः ॥
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
मनसश् चापि बुद्धेश् च ब्रूहि मे लक्षणं परम् ॥
एतद् अध्यात्मविदुषां परं कार्यं विधीयते ॥
सर्प उवाच
बुद्धिर् आत्मानुगा तात उत्पातेन विधीयते ॥
तदाश्रिता हि संज्ञैषा विधिस् तस्यैषणे भवेत् ॥
बुद्धेर् गुणविधिर् नास्ति मनस् तु गुणवद् भवेत् ॥
बुद्धिर् उत्पद्यते कार्ये मनस् तूत्पन्नम् एव हि ॥
एतद् विशेषणं तात मनोबुद्ध्योर् मयेरितम् ॥
त्वम् अप्य् अत्राभिसंबुद्धः कथं वा मन्यते भवान् ॥
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
अहो बुद्धिमतां श्रेष्ठ शुभा बुद्धिर् इयं तव ॥
विदितं वेदितव्यं ते कस्मान् माम् अनुपृच्छसि ॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
śabde sparśe ca rūpe ca tathaiva rasagandhayoḥ ||
tasyādhiṣṭhānam avyagraṃ brūhi sarpa yathātatham ||
kiṃ na gṛhṇāsi viṣayān yugapat tvaṃ mahāmate ||
etāvad ucyatāṃ coktaṃ sarvaṃ pannagasattama ||
sarpa uvāca
yad ātmadravyam āyuṣman dehasaṃśrayaṇānvitam ||
karaṇādhiṣṭhitaṃ bhogān upabhuṅkte yathāvidhi ||
jñānaṃ caivātra buddhiś ca manaś ca bharatarṣabha ||
tasya bhogādhikaraṇe karaṇāni nibodha me ||
manasā tāta paryeti kramaśo viṣayān imān ||
viṣayāyatanasthena bhūtātmā kṣetraniḥsṛtaḥ ||
atra cāpi naravyāghra mano jantor vidhīyate ||
tasmād yugapad asyātra grahaṇaṃ nopapadyate ||
sa ātmā puruṣavyāghra bhruvor antaram āśritaḥ ||
dravyeṣu sṛjate buddhiṃ vividheṣu parāvarām ||
buddher uttarakālaṃ ca vedanā dṛśyate budhaiḥ ||
eṣa vai rājaśārdūla vidhiḥ kṣetrajñabhāvanaḥ ||
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
manasaś cāpi buddheś ca brūhi me lakṣaṇaṃ param ||
etad adhyātmaviduṣāṃ paraṃ kāryaṃ vidhīyate ||
sarpa uvāca
buddhir ātmānugā tāta utpātena vidhīyate ||
tadāśritā hi saṃjñaiṣā vidhis tasyaiṣaṇe bhavet ||
buddher guṇavidhir nāsti manas tu guṇavad bhavet ||
buddhir utpadyate kārye manas tūtpannam eva hi ||
etad viśeṣaṇaṃ tāta manobuddhyor mayeritam ||
tvam apy atrābhisaṃbuddhaḥ kathaṃ vā manyate bhavān ||
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
aho buddhimatāṃ śreṣṭha śubhā buddhir iyaṃ tava ||
viditaṃ veditavyaṃ te kasmān mām anupṛcchasi ||
Yudhishthira said: 'Tell me, serpent, what is the unwavering foundation of sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. And why do you, O great sage, not perceive objects simultaneously? Tell me this, best of serpents.' The serpent said: 'That substance of the self, O long-lived one, which is joined to its bodily support and established in the organs, experiences its objects according to rule. Know that knowledge, buddhi, and mind, best of the Bharatas, are here the instruments of its experience. The mind, my son, passes through these objects in sequence; abiding in the seats of the objects, the embodied self issues forth through the field. Therefore simultaneous perception does not occur here. This self, tiger among men, dwelling between the eyebrows, generates buddhi regarding various objects — higher and lower. After buddhi, as the wise perceive, sensation arises. Such, tiger among kings, is the order in which the knower of the field manifests.' Yudhishthira said: 'Tell me the supreme definition of mind and buddhi; this is held to be the highest task of those who know the self.' The serpent said: 'Buddhi, my son, follows the self and arises for the sake of discernment; the power of naming, resting upon it, serves its inquiry. Buddhi has no separate allotment of qualities, while the mind possesses qualities. Buddhi arises in relation to an action, while the mind has already arisen. Such is the distinction between mind and buddhi, my son, which I have set forth. You too are awakened to this — what is your own view?' Yudhishthira said: 'O best of the wise, good is this wisdom of yours. What is to be known is known to you; why then do you question me?'
fa904e9cf550 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:12:45 PM UTC
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The dialogue moves from ethics to the inner structure of perception. Nahusha's liberation requires not morality alone, but knowledge of how the self is joined to mind, the organs, and experience.