Shloka 9
जनक–ब्राह्मणसंवादः
Viṣaya, Mamatva, and Self-Mastery
नाधिगच्छं यदा पृथ्व्यां मिथिला मार्गिता मया । नाध्यगच्छं यदा तस्यां स्वप्रजा मार्गिता मया
nādhigacchaṃ yadā pṛthvyāṃ mithilā mārgitā mayā | nādhyagacchaṃ yadā tasyāṃ svaprajā mārgitā mayā ||
ชนกตรัสว่า “เมื่อเราสืบเสาะหามิถิลาไปทั่วแผ่นดิน ก็หาไม่พบ; และเมื่อสืบเสาะหาประชาราษฎร์ของเราในมิถิลานั้นเอง ก็หาไม่พบเช่นกัน”
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Janaka points to the instability of external identifications—city, kingdom, and even “my people.” The verse suggests that what we treat as firmly possessed or locatable in the world is ultimately elusive, urging a ruler (and reader) toward humility, non-attachment, and deeper self-inquiry as the basis for dharmic conduct.
Janaka speaks reflectively, describing two searches: first for Mithilā across the earth, and then for his own subjects within Mithilā. His inability to “find” them functions as a philosophical statement—highlighting the limits of worldly grasping and the need to ground governance and life in insight rather than mere possession.