Shloka 31

Aśmagīta: Janaka’s Inquiry on Loss, Kāla, and the Limits of Control (अश्मगीता)

Devanagari script

मृगयाक्षा: स्त्रिय: पान॑ प्रसंगा निन्दिता बुधैः । दृश्यन्ते पुरुषाश्चात्र सम्प्रयुक्ता बहुश्ुता:

Transliteration

mṛgayākṣāḥ striyaḥ pāna-prasaṅgā ninditā budhaiḥ | dṛśyante puruṣāś cātra samprayuktā bahuśrutāḥ ||

Translation

Janaka sprach: „Frauen mit dem ‘Blick des Jägers’ und die Verstrickung ins Trinken werden von den Weisen getadelt. Und doch sieht man hier auch Männer—ja, selbst solche, die als gelehrt gelten—von diesen Beschäftigungen ergriffen und gebunden.“

Word by Word

मृगयाक्षाःwomen with hunting-eyes / women intent on hunting (men)

स्त्रियःwomen

पानdrinking

प्रसङ्गाःattachments / indulgences / entanglements

निन्दिताःcensured

बुधैःby the wise

दृश्यन्तेare seen / appear

पुरुषाःmen

चand

अत्रhere

सम्प्रयुक्ताःassociated / engaged / joined (with them)

बहुश्रुताःlearned / much-heard (well-versed)

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that indulgence in intoxicants and sensual entanglements is ethically blameworthy, and that even the learned can become ensnared; therefore wisdom must be joined with self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janaka is speaking in a didactic context, pointing out common moral failings—attachment to drink and to seductive company—and observing that such faults are not limited to the ignorant but are also found among reputedly learned men.