Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

अप्रियैः सह संयोगो विप्रयोगश्न सुप्रियै: । अर्थानर्थो सुखं दुःखं विधानमनुवर्तते

Transliteration

apriyaiḥ saha saṁyogo viprayogaś ca supriyaiḥ | arthānartho sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ vidhānam anuvartate ||

Translation

Vua Janaka nói: “Gặp điều không ưa và lìa xa điều chí ái—cũng như được và mất, vui và khổ—tất cả đều đến với hữu tình theo mệnh lệnh của nghiệp đã khởi (prārabdha).”

Word by Word

• अप्रियैः: with the unpleasant (ones/things)
• अप्रियैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रिय
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• संयोगः: union/association
• संयोगः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयोग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विप्रयोगः: separation/disunion
• विप्रयोगः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रयोग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• सुप्रियैः: with the very dear (ones/things)
• सुप्रियैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्रिय
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अर्थः: gain/benefit (wealth, purpose)
• अर्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनर्थः: loss/misfortune
• अनर्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुखम्: happiness/pleasure
• सुखम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दुःखम्: sorrow/pain
• दुःखम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विधानम्: ordinance/dispensation (of fate)
• विधानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अनुवर्तते: follows/accords with
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु√वृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Life inevitably brings unwanted associations and painful separations, as well as gain/loss and pleasure/pain; these arise according to the dispensation of prārabdha. Therefore one should cultivate steadiness and not abandon dharma due to changing circumstances.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and right conduct, King Janaka speaks as a teacher-figure, articulating a reflective, renunciant ethic: worldly opposites occur by an ordering beyond immediate control, so the wise respond with composure and moral clarity.