Shloka 43
Aśmagīta: Janaka’s Inquiry on Loss, Kāla, and the Limits of Control (अश्मगीता)
कुर्वीत पितृदैवत्यं धर्माणि च समाचरेत् । यजेच्च विद्वान् विधिवत त्रिवर्ग चाप्युपाचरेत्
kurvīta pitṛdaivatyaṁ dharmāṇi ca samācaret | yajec ca vidvān vidhivat trivargaṁ cāpy upācaret ||
ជនកៈបាននិយាយថា៖ «បុរសប្រាជ្ញគួរធ្វើពិធីដែលជំពាក់ចំពោះបិតរបុព្វបុរស និងទេវតា។ គួរអនុវត្តកិច្ចការតាមធម៌ និងបូជាយញ្ញតាមវិធីត្រឹមត្រូវ។ ហើយគួរតែប្រកបដោយវិន័យ និងស្របច្បាប់ ក្នុងការបន្តបីគោលដៅនៃជីវិត—ធម៌ (dharma), អត្ថ (artha), និងកាម (kāma)។»
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a balanced, rule-governed life: honor ancestors and gods through prescribed rites, practice dharma in conduct, and pursue artha and kāma only within the boundaries set by dharma (the trivarga pursued in harmony).
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living, King Janaka speaks as a moral teacher, advising how a wise person—especially in worldly life—should combine ritual obligations (to Pitṛs and Devas) with ethical conduct and the measured pursuit of life’s goals.