Shloka 42

Aśmagīta: Janaka’s Inquiry on Loss, Kāla, and the Limits of Control (अश्मगीता)

Devanagari script

न दृष्टपूर्व प्रत्यक्ष परलोकं विदुर्बुधा: । आगरमांस्त्वनतिक्रम्य श्रद्धातव्यं बुभूषता

Transliteration

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

Translation

जनक ने कहा—बुद्धिमान जानते हैं कि परलोक न तो इन्द्रियों के प्रत्यक्ष है, न पहले देखा हुआ। तथापि जो अपना परम कल्याण चाहता है, उसे शास्त्र-आज्ञाओं का उल्लंघन न करके, उनके वचनों में श्रद्धा रखनी चाहिए।

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.