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Shloka 12

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

मानसानां पुनर्योनिर्दु:खानां चित्तविभ्रम: | अनिष्टोपनिपातो वा तृतीयं नोपपद्यते

mānasānāṃ punar yonir duḥkhānāṃ cittavibhramaḥ | aniṣṭopanipāto vā tṛtīyaṃ nopapadyate ||

阇那迦说道:“对人而言,心苦反复生起之源唯有二:一为迷妄与心识扰乱;二为不愿之事降临。第三种原因,于理不立。”

मानसानाम्of mental (sufferings/afflictions)
मानसानाम्:
Sambandha
TypeNoun
Rootमानस
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
पुनःagain, repeatedly
पुनः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः
योनिःsource, cause, origin
योनिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयोनि
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
दुःखानाम्of sufferings
दुःखानाम्:
Sambandha
TypeNoun
Rootदुःख
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
चित्तविभ्रमःconfusion/delusion of the mind
चित्तविभ्रमः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootचित्त-विभ्रम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अनिष्टोपनिपातःoccurrence/coming upon of the undesirable
अनिष्टोपनिपातः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअनिष्ट-उपनिपात
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
तृतीयम्a third (cause)
तृतीयम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootतृतीय
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
उपपद्यतेis possible, is admitted/occurs
उपपद्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootउपपद्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

जनक उवाच

J
Janaka

Educational Q&A

Janaka reduces mental suffering to two roots: inner confusion of the mind (cittavibhrama) and the external impact of unwanted events (aniṣṭopanipāta). The ethical implication is that clarity, discipline, and right understanding address the first, while steadiness and detachment help one endure the second.

In the Shanti Parva’s reflective instruction, King Janaka speaks as a teacher of inner wisdom, presenting a concise analysis of why people repeatedly experience mental distress, emphasizing that the causes can be exhaustively classified into these two.