Shloka 18
असंतोषादिदोष-निरूपणम्
On the Faults of Discontent and the Discipline of Detachment
अपि गाथां पुरा गीतां जनकेन वदन्त्युत । निर्दन्द्ेन विमुक्तेन मोक्ष समनुपश्यता
api gāthāṃ purā gītāṃ janakena vadanty uta | nirdvandvena vimuktena mokṣaṃ samanupaśyatā ||
Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «¿Acaso también recitan el antiguo verso que antaño cantó el rey Janaka—él, libre de los pares de opuestos y plenamente desprendido, que contempló la liberación de manera directa?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Liberation is associated with nirdvandvatā—freedom from the pull of opposing experiences (pleasure and pain, honor and dishonor, gain and loss). Janaka is invoked as one who, through such equanimity and inner release, directly apprehended mokṣa.
Yudhiṣṭhira asks whether a well-known ancient gāthā attributed to King Janaka is still recounted. By citing Janaka, he points the discussion toward authoritative teachings on detachment and the vision of liberation within the Shānti Parva’s discourse on dharma and peace.