Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

चरितत्रह्मचर्यों हि प्रजायेत यजेत च । पितृदेवमनुष्याणानृण्यादनसूयक:

Transliteration

carita-brahmacaryo hi prajāyeta yajeta ca | pitṛ-deva-manuṣyāṇām ṛṇyād anasūyakaḥ ||

Translation

ଜନକ ଶିଖାଇଲେ—ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଥମେ ବ୍ରହ୍ମଚର୍ୟକୁ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବେ ପାଳନ କରି, ତାପରେ ଗୃହସ୍ଥାଶ୍ରମ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରୁ। ପିତୃ, ଦେବ ଓ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ (ବିଶେଷତଃ ଅତିଥି) ପ୍ରତି ଥିବା ଋଣରୁ ମୁକ୍ତି ପାଇଁ ସନ୍ତାନୋତ୍ପାଦନ କରୁ ଓ ଯଜ୍ଞ କରୁ; ଏବଂ କାହା ପ୍ରତି ଦୋଷଦୃଷ୍ଟି କିମ୍ବା ଈର୍ଷ୍ୟା ରଖୁ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• चरितब्रह्मचर्यः: one who has practiced brahmacarya
• चरितब्रह्मचर्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरितब्रह्मचर्य (चरित + ब्रह्मचर्य)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• प्रजायेत: should beget offspring / should procreate
• प्रजायेत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• यजेत: should perform sacrifice / should worship
• यजेत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• पितृदेवमनुष्याणाम्: of the Pitṛs, gods, and humans (guests)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृदेवमनुष्य (पितृ + देव + मनुष्य)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• ऋण्यात्: from debt/obligation
• ऋण्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अनसूयकः: non-censorious; free from fault-finding
• अनसूयकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनसूयक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Devas (gods)
• Manuṣyas (humans/guests)
• Brahmacarya
• Gṛhastha-āśrama
• Yajña

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Complete brahmacarya first, then live as a householder who repays the three obligations—toward ancestors, gods, and humans—through progeny, sacrifice, and hospitality, while maintaining a non-censorious, non-envious attitude.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, King Janaka speaks as a teacher, outlining the proper sequence of life-stages and the ethical duties of the householder aimed at discharging social and cosmic obligations.