Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

नायमत्यन्तसंवासो लभ्यते जातु केनचित्‌ । अपि स्वेन शरीरेण किमुतान्येन केनचित्‌,किसी भी पुरुषको कभी किसीके साथ भी सदा एक स्थानमें रहनेका सुयोग नहीं मिलता। जब अपने शरीरके साथ भी बहुत दिनोंतक सम्बन्ध नहीं रहता, तब दूसरे किसीके साथ कैसे रह सकता है?

Transliteration

nāyam atyanta-saṃvāso labhyate jātu kenacit | api svena śarīreṇa kim utānyena kenacit ||

Translation

Janaka berkata: Tiada siapa pun benar-benar memperoleh kediaman bersama yang kekal atau persahabatan yang tidak terputus dengan sesiapa. Jika bahkan dengan tubuh sendiri pun perhubungan itu tidak bertahan lama, bagaimana mungkin ia bertahan dengan orang lain?

Word by Word

नnot

अयम्this

अत्यन्त-संवासःperpetual co-residence/constant living together

लभ्यतेis obtained/is possible

जातुever/at any time

केनचित्by anyone

अपिeven

स्वेनwith one's own

शरीरेणbody

किम्what? (how then?)

उतthen/indeed (emphatic)

अन्येनwith another

केनचित्by/with anyone (else)

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

śarīra (the body)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All associations are impermanent: lasting togetherness with anyone is unattainable. Recognizing that even the bond with one’s own body ends, one should practice detachment, emotional steadiness, and adherence to dharma without clinging.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janaka is speaking in a didactic context within Śānti Parva, offering a reflective argument about the inevitability of separation to guide the listener toward dispassion and inner stability.