Shloka 13
Adhyāya 314 — हिमवदाश्रमः, शक्तिक्षेपकथा, तथा स्वाध्यायविधिः
Himalayan Hermitage, the Myth of the Thrown Spear, and Rules of Vedic Study
जनक उवाच अनादिनिधनावेतावुभावेव महामते । अमूर्तिमन्तावचलावप्रकम्प्यगुणागुणौ
janaka uvāca anādinidhanāv etāv ubhāv eva mahāmate | amūrtimantāv acalāv aprakampyaguṇāguṇau ||
Janaka said: “O great-minded one, these two indeed are without beginning and without end—formless, unmoving, unshakable, and beyond the pairs of ‘with qualities’ and ‘without qualities.’”
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Janaka points to an ultimate reality (or realities) described as beginningless and endless, formless, immovable, and unshakable—transcending ordinary categories like ‘possessing qualities’ and ‘lacking qualities.’ The ethical implication is that liberation-oriented discernment requires moving beyond superficial classifications and resting in what is steady and unaffected.
In the Śānti Parva’s Mokṣa-dharma discussions, Janaka speaks as a teacher-king, articulating a metaphysical characterization of the highest principle(s). The verse functions as a doctrinal statement within a dialogue on knowledge and liberation rather than an action-driven episode.