Shloka 22
जनक–ब्राह्मणसंवादः
Viṣaya, Mamatva, and Self-Mastery
नाहमात्मार्थमिच्छामि शब्दान् श्रोत्रगतानपि । तस्मान्मे निर्जिता: शब्दा वशे तिष्ठन्ति नित्यदा
nāham ātmārtham icchāmi śabdān śrotragatān api | tasmān me nirjitāḥ śabdā vaśe tiṣṭhanti nityadā ||
ஜனகர் கூறினார்—என் இன்பத்திற்காக, காதில் புகும் ஒலிகளையும் நான் விரும்பேன். ஆகையால் நான் வென்ற அந்த ஒலிகள் எப்போதும் என் கட்டுப்பாட்டிலேயே உள்ளன.
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
True mastery is not merely avoiding sense-objects but refusing to appropriate them for personal pleasure; when desire is absent, sensory inputs like sound no longer dominate the mind and become ‘conquered’—remaining under one’s control.
King Janaka is speaking as a model of inner renunciation while living an active life; he explains his discipline of sense-restraint, using hearing (śabda) as an example to show how he maintains sovereignty over impulses rather than being ruled by them.