Shloka 35

Devanagari script

नौषधानि न मन्त्राश्न न होमा न पुनर्जपा: | त्रायन्ते मृत्युनोपेतं जरया चापि मानवम्‌

Transliteration

nauṣadhāni na mantrāś ca na homā na punar japāḥ | trāyante mṛtyunopetaṃ jarayā cāpi mānavam ||

Translation

ジャナカは言った。「薬も、真言も、火供（ホーマ）も、繰り返す誦唱も——死に捉えられた人を真に救うことはできない。老いに支配されたときもまた同じである。」

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• औषधानि: medicines, herbs
• औषधानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मन्त्राः: mantras, sacred formulas
• मन्त्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• होमाः: oblations, fire-sacrifices
• होमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• पुनः: again, further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• जपाः: muttered prayers, repetitions (japa)
• जपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्रायन्ते: protect, save
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (त्रायते)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Ātmanepada

• मृत्युना: by death
• मृत्युना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उपेतम्: overtaken, approached
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-इ (उपेत)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जरया: by old age
• जरया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• मानवम्: a man, human being
• मानवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• medicines (auṣadhi)
• mantras
• homa (fire-sacrifice)
• japa (recitation)
• death (mṛtyu)
• old age (jarā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That death and old age are inevitable and cannot ultimately be averted by medicine, mantra, ritual sacrifice, or repeated recitation; therefore one should prioritize enduring spiritual aims such as dharma, detachment, and self-knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janaka is speaking in a didactic context within the Śānti Parva, emphasizing the limits of worldly and ritual means when confronted with mortality, thereby steering the listener toward deeper ethical and spiritual reflection.