Shloka 3

जनक–सुलभा संवादः

Janaka–Sulabhā Dialogue on Mokṣa and Non-attachment

Devanagari script

अजसं त्विह क्रीडार्थ विकरोति जनाधिप । अव्यक्तबोधनाच्चैव बुध्यमानं वदन्त्यपि,जनेश्वर! जीवात्मा इस जगतमें सदा क्रीड़ा करनेके लिये ही विकारको प्राप्त होता है। वह अव्यक्त प्रकृतिको जानता है, इसलिये ऋषि-मुनि उसे “बुध्यमान' कहते हैं

Transliteration

ajasaṃ tv iha krīḍārthaṃ vikaroti janādhipa | avyaktabodhanāc caiva budhyamānaṃ vadanty api ||

Translation

ବସିଷ୍ଠ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଜନାଧିପ! ଏଠାରେ ଜୀବ ଲୀଳାର ନିମିତ୍ତେ ସ୍ୱଭାବପ୍ରେରଣାରେ ହିଁ ବିକାରକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୁଏ। ଏବଂ ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତ ପ୍ରକୃତିର ବୋଧ ଥିବାରୁ ଋଷିମୁନିମାନେ ତାକୁ ‘ବୁଧ୍ୟମାନ’—ଜ୍ଞାନରେ ଜାଗ୍ରତ ହେଉଥିବା—ବୋଲି ମଧ୍ୟ କହନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

अजसम्always, continually

तुbut, indeed

इहhere, in this world

क्रीडार्थम्for the sake of play/sport

विकारम्modification, change

एतिgoes to, attains

जनाधिपO ruler of people

अव्यक्तबोधनात्from (his) knowing/awakening to the Unmanifest

चand

एवindeed, just

बुध्यमानम्the one being awakened/knowing (i.e., the conscious one)

वदन्तिthey say, they call

अपिalso, even

जनेश्वरO lord of people

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वसिष्ठ (Vasiṣṭha)

ज

जनाधिप/जनेश्वर (a king addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames embodied change (vikāra) as a natural, almost playful movement of the jīva within worldly existence, while emphasizing that the jīva is distinguished by cognition—its capacity to apprehend the Unmanifest (avyakta/prakṛti). Hence sages call it ‘budhyamāna’, the self that is actively awakening/knowing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is instructing a ruler, explaining the nature of the living self in relation to prakṛti: why the jīva appears to transform in the world and how its defining mark is awareness, especially of the subtle, unmanifest ground of experience.