'
"Bhishma said, 'I shall in this connection recite to thee the old
narrative, O Bharata, of the discourse between Yajnavalkya and Janaka.
Once on a time the famous king Daivarati of Janaka's race, fully
conversant with the import of all questions, addressed this question to
Yajnavalkya, that foremost of Rishis.
"'Janaka said, 'O regenerate Rishi, how many kinds of senses are there?
How many kinds also are there of Prakriti? What is the Unmanifest and
highest Brahma? What is higher than Brahma? What is birth and what is
death? What are the limits of Age? It behoveth thee, O foremost of
Brahmanas, to discourse on all these topics unto me that am solicitous of
obtaining thy grace; I am ignorant while thou art an Ocean of knowledge.
Hence, I ask thee! Verily, I desire to hear thee discourse on all these
subjects!
"'Yajnavalkya said, Hear, O monarch, what I say in an answer to these
questions of thine, I shall impart to thee the high knowledge which
Yogins value, and especially that which is possessed by the Sankhyas.
Nothing is unknown to thee. Still thou askest me. One however, that is
questioned should answer. This is the eternal practice. Eight principles
have been called by the name of Prakriti, while sixteen have been called
modifications. Of Manifest, there are seven. These are the views of those
persons who are conversant with the science of Adhyatma. The Unmanifest
(or original Prakriti), Mahat, Consciousness, and the five subtile
elements of Earth, Wind, Space, Water, and Light,--these eight are known
by the name of Prakriti.
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