Shloka 48
Aśmagīta: Janaka’s Inquiry on Loss, Kāla, and the Limits of Control (अश्मगीता)
तथैव तपसोपेता: स्वाध्यायाभ्यसने रता: । दातारो यज्ञशीलाश्न न तरन्ति जरान्तकौ,इसी प्रकार शास्त्रोंके स्वाध्याय और अभ्यासमें लगे हुए विद्वान, तपस्वी, दानी और यज्ञशील पुरुष भी जरा और मृत्युको पार नहीं कर पाते हैं
tathaiva tapasopetāḥ svādhyāyābhyasane ratāḥ | dātāro yajñaśīlāś ca na taranti jarāntakau ||
Janaka said: “In the same way, even those endowed with austerity—those devoted to the study and disciplined practice of the scriptures, the learned ascetics, generous givers, and men devoted to sacrifice—still do not cross beyond old age and death.”
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Janaka emphasizes the universality of mortality: even exemplary religious and ethical life—study of scripture, austerity, charity, and sacrificial devotion—does not by itself make one physically immortal. The verse points toward detachment and deeper wisdom about the self beyond bodily change, rather than reliance on merit alone to escape aging and death.
In the Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse, Janaka speaks as a teacher-king, underscoring a sobering truth about human life. He lists respected paths of dharmic conduct (tapas, svādhyāya, dāna, yajña) and notes that none of these prevent the inevitable arrival of old age and death, setting the stage for inquiry into liberation-oriented understanding.