Shloka 16

जनक–ब्राह्मणसंवादः

Viṣaya, Mamatva, and Self-Mastery

Devanagari script

कस्येदमिति कस्य स्वमिति वेदवचस्तथा । नाध्यगच्छमहं बुद्ध्या ममेदमिति यद्‌ भवेत्‌

Transliteration

kasyedam iti kasya svam iti vedavacas tathā | nādhyagaccham ahaṁ buddhyā mamedam iti yad bhavet ||

Translation

阇那迦说道：“吠陀之言本身也发问：‘此物属谁？此财属谁？’——意在表明，真实而言，它不属于任何人。故我以自心之慧审察时，找不到任何可以正当地定为‘我之所有’的东西。”

Word by Word

• कस्य: of whom/whose
• कस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus/quoting
• इति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• कस्य: of whom/whose
• कस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• स्वम्: property/one's own
• स्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus/quoting
• इति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• वेद: the Veda
• वेद: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वचः: statement/utterance
• वचः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• न: not
• न: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अध्यगच्छम्: I understood/found
• अध्यगच्छम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-गम्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• बुद्ध्या: by (my) intellect
• बुद्ध्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus (as 'mine')
• इति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: might be/would be
• भवेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• Veda

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches non-attachment by challenging the notion of personal ownership: even the Veda frames possessions as ultimately belonging to no one, so the wise refrain from the rigid claim ‘this is mine.’

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janaka is speaking in a didactic context, citing a Vedic formulation to support his reflective conclusion that, upon careful discernment, nothing can be securely established as one’s personal possession.