Shloka 14
जनक–ब्राह्मणसंवादः
Viṣaya, Mamatva, and Self-Mastery
कां वै बुद्धि समाश्रित्य सर्वो वै विषयस्तव । नावैषि विषयं येन सर्वो वा विषयस्तव
kāṃ vai buddhiṃ samāśritya sarvo vai viṣayas tava | nāvaiṣi viṣayaṃ yena sarvo vā viṣayas tava ||
ព្រះព្រាហ្មណ៍បានសួរ៖ «ដោយពឹងផ្អែកលើបញ្ញាបែបណា ទើបអ្នកចាត់ទុកគ្រប់ទីកន្លែងថាជាអាណាចក្ររបស់ខ្លួន? ហើយដោយបញ្ញាបែបណា ទើបអ្នកមិនទទួលស្គាល់ទីណាមួយថាជាអាណាចក្ររបស់ខ្លួន—ដល់ថ្នាក់ដែលក្នុងន័យជ្រាលជ្រៅ ផែនដីទាំងមូលក្លាយជាប្រទេសរបស់អ្នក?»
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse probes the paradox of true mastery: through right discernment (buddhi), one may act in the world without possessiveness. Such a person can treat all places as ‘mine’ in the sense of equal concern and responsibility, yet ‘not mine’ in the sense of non-attachment—making the whole earth a single homeland rather than a set of competing possessions.
A Brāhmaṇa addresses another interlocutor with a pointed question about the mental principle behind their stance toward territory and ownership. The inquiry frames a discussion on how perception and discernment shape one’s relationship to power, land, and identity—whether as possessive rule or as detached, universal belonging.