Shloka 42

Devanagari script

न दृष्टपूर्व प्रत्यक्ष परलोकं विदुर्बुधा: । आगरमांस्त्वनतिक्रम्य श्रद्धातव्यं बुभूषता,यद्यपि विद्वान पुरुष कहते हैं कि परलोक न तो आँखोंके सामने है और न पहलेका ही देखा हुआ है, तथापि अपने कल्याणकी इच्छा रखनेवाले पुरुषको शास्त्रोंकी आज्ञाका उल्लंघन न करके उसकी बातोंपर विश्वास करना चाहिये

Transliteration

na dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ pratyakṣaṃ paralokaṃ vidur budhāḥ | āgamāṃs tv anatikramya śraddhātavyaṃ bubhūṣatā ||

Translation

Janaka said: The wise know that the other world is neither directly visible to the senses nor something previously seen. Even so, one who seeks one’s own highest good should not transgress the injunctions of the sacred teachings; rather, one should place trust in what they enjoin.

Word by Word

• {'na': 'not', 'dṛṣṭa-pūrvam': 'previously seen

• known from prior direct experience', 'pratyakṣam': 'directly perceptible

• evident to the senses', 'paralokam': 'the other world

• realm beyond this life', 'viduḥ': 'know

• understand', 'budhāḥ': 'the wise

• discerning persons', 'āgamān': 'scriptural teachings

• authoritative tradition (śāstra)', 'tu': 'but

• however', 'anatikramya': 'without overstepping

• without violating', 'śraddhātavyam': 'should be trusted

• should be held with faith', 'bubhūṣatā': 'by one who wishes to be (well)

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• paraloka
• āgama (scriptural authority)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even if the afterlife cannot be verified by direct perception or prior experience, a person seeking true welfare should not violate scriptural injunctions and should place trust in the guidance of śāstra/āgama.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s discourse setting, King Janaka speaks as a teacher of dharma, addressing doubts about the unseen ‘other world’ and urging adherence to authoritative teachings as a practical ethical discipline.