Shloka 17

जनक–ब्राह्मणसंवादः

Viṣaya, Mamatva, and Self-Mastery

Devanagari script

एतां बुद्धिं समाश्रित्य ममत्व॑ वर्जितं मया । शृणु बुद्धि च यां ज्ञात्वा सर्वत्र विषयो मम,इसी बुद्धिका आश्रय लेकर मैंने मिथिलाके राज्यसे अपना ममत्व हटा लिया है। अब जिस बुद्धिका आश्रय लेकर मैं सर्वत्र अपना ही राज्य समझता हूँ, उसको सुनो

Transliteration

etāṁ buddhiṁ samāśritya mamatvaṁ varjitaṁ mayā | śṛṇu buddhiṁ ca yāṁ jñātvā sarvatra viṣayo mama ||

Translation

జనకుడు అన్నాడు—ఈ బుద్ధినే ఆశ్రయించి నేను మిథిలా రాజ్యంపై ‘నాది’ అనే భావాన్ని విడిచిపెట్టాను. ఇప్పుడు ఆ బుద్ధిని విను—దానిని తెలిసినవాడై నేను సర్వత్రాన్నీ నా పరిధిగా భావిస్తాను; కానీ మమకారరహితంగా, అంతఃసార్వభౌమ్యంలో స్థితుడనై.

Word by Word

एताम्this (f.)

बुद्धिम्understanding, intellect

समाश्रित्यhaving resorted to, relying on

ममत्वम्sense of 'mine'-ness, possessiveness

वर्जितम्abandoned, given up

मयाby me

शृणुhear, listen

बुद्धिम्the understanding

चand

याम्which (f.)

ज्ञात्वाhaving known, after understanding

सर्वत्रeverywhere

विषयःdomain, realm, sphere

ममmy

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

Mithilā

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?

Janaka teaches that true freedom and ethical clarity arise from buddhi (discernment) that abandons mamatva (possessive ‘mine-ness’). One may act in the world—even as a ruler—without inner clinging, resting instead in a broader, non-egoic sense of mastery grounded in wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janaka is speaking and explaining the mental discipline by which he withdrew possessive attachment from the kingdom of Mithilā. He then introduces a further, more expansive understanding—one that makes him view all domains of experience as ‘his’ in a transformed sense, i.e., not as personal property but as a field met with equanimity and sovereign discernment.