Shloka 20

ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः

Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction

Devanagari script

श्रूयतां चाभिधास्यामि जनकेन यथा पुरा । आत्मव्यवस्थानकरा गीता: श्लोका महात्मना,'पूर्वकालमें महात्मा राजा जनकने अन्तःकरणको स्थिर करनेवाले कुछ श्लोकोंका गान किया था। मैं उन श्लोकोंका वर्णन करता हूँ, आप सुनिये---

Transliteration

śrūyatāṃ cābhidhāsyāmi janakena yathā purā | ātmavyavasthānakarā gītāḥ ślokā mahātmanā ||

Translation

Listen, and I shall recount how, in former times, the great-souled King Janaka sang certain verses that steady and establish the self within. I will describe those verses—hear them attentively.

Word by Word

श्रूयताम्let it be heard / please listen (you two)

चand

अभिधास्यामिI will relate / I will tell

जनकेनby Janaka

यथाas / how

पुराformerly / in olden times

आत्मव्यवस्थानकराःcausing steadiness/establishment of the self (inner stability)

गीताःsung / chanted

श्लोकाःverses

महात्मनाby the great-souled one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janaka

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse introduces teachings attributed to King Janaka: verses meant to stabilize the inner self (ātma-vyavasthāna)—cultivating steadiness, self-governance, and ethical clarity as the basis for right action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, asks the listeners to pay attention and announces that he will recount ancient verses once sung by King Janaka—setting up a didactic passage within the Vana Parva.