Shloka 253

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

Devanagari script

निर्माणे यस्य यद्‌ दिष्टं तेन गच्छति सेतुना । रोग

Transliteration

nirmāṇe yasya yad diṣṭaṃ tena gacchati setunā | rogo 'gnir jalaṃ śastraṃ bubhukṣā pipāsā vipattir viṣaṃ jvaraś ca uccasthānād patanaṃ ca—etāni sarvāṇi jīvasya mṛtyu-nimittāni | janma-kāle yasya yac chubha-aśubhaṃ prārabdha-vaśān nimittaṃ niyataṃ kṛtaṃ tad eva tasya setuḥ; tenaiva sa gacchati, arthāt paralokaṃ yāti |

Translation

ଜନକ କହିଲେ—ଜନ୍ମ ସମୟରେ ପ୍ରାରବ୍ଧବଶ ଯାହା ପାଇଁ ଯେ ଅନ୍ତ୍ୟ-ନିମିତ୍ତ ନିୟତ ହୋଇଥାଏ, ସେଇ ‘ସେତୁ’ ଦ୍ୱାରା ସେ ଗମନ କରେ। ରୋଗ, ଅଗ୍ନି, ଜଳ, ଶସ୍ତ୍ର, ଭୁଖ, ପିଆସ, ବିପତ୍ତି, ବିଷ, ଜ୍ୱର ଓ ଉଚ୍ଚସ୍ଥାନରୁ ପତନ—ଏସବୁ ମୃତ୍ୟୁର ଅବସର ମାତ୍ର; କିନ୍ତୁ ଜନ୍ମ ସହିତ ଯେ ନିମିତ୍ତ ନିଶ୍ଚିତ, ସେଇ ଦ୍ୱାରା ସେ ପରଲୋକକୁ ଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• {'nirmāṇa': 'coming into being

• (here) the time of embodiment/birth', 'diṣṭa': 'ordained, appointed, destined', 'setu': 'bridge

• a fixed means of crossing (metaphor for the destined occasion of death)', 'gacchati': 'goes, departs', 'roga': 'disease', 'agni': 'fire', 'jala': 'water', 'śastra': 'weapon', 'bubhukṣā': 'hunger', 'pipāsā': 'thirst', 'vipatti': 'misfortune, calamity', 'viṣa': 'poison', 'jvara': 'fever', 'uccasthānāt patanam': 'falling from a high place', 'jīva': 'living being, embodied self', 'mṛtyu-nimitta': 'occasion/cause leading to death', 'janma-kāla': 'time of birth', 'prārabdha': 'already-begun karma bearing fruit in the present life', 'niyata': 'fixed, determined', 'paraloka': 'the other world

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Many external factors can appear to cause death, but the text emphasizes that the specific manner and moment of death are governed by prārabdha (ripened karma) fixed from birth; those factors are only instruments through which destiny operates.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janaka is speaking in a reflective, philosophical context, explaining to his listener(s) that death comes through a pre-appointed ‘bridge’ (setu), even though it may outwardly seem to arise from disease, accident, violence, or other contingencies.