Shloka 56

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

Devanagari script

स यज्ञशील: प्रजने निविष्ट: प्राग्‌ ब्रह्मचारी प्रविविक्तचक्षु: । आराधयेत्‌ स्वर्गमिमं च लोक॑ परं च मुक्त्वा हृदयव्यलीकम्‌

Transliteration

sa yajñaśīlaḥ prajane niviṣṭaḥ prāg brahmacārī pravivikta-cakṣuḥ | ārādhayet svargam imaṃ ca lokaṃ paraṃ ca muktvā hṛdaya-vyalīkam ||

Translation

阇那迦说道：“当使一人乐于祭祀，为求后嗣而安住家住之业；此前先为梵行者，令诸根清净而自持。弃除心之曲伪——忧苦、躁动与内在欺诳——当礼敬至上者，舍离对此世乃至天界诸乐的期待。”

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यज्ञशीलः: devoted to sacrifice; of sacrificial disposition
• यज्ञशीलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञशील
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रजने: in procreation; in begetting offspring
• प्रजने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजन
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• निविष्टः: engaged; settled; entered upon
• निविष्टः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विश्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (participial)

• प्राक्: formerly; earlier; first
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक्
• Form: Adverb

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate student; one observing brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रविविक्तचक्षुः: one whose eyes (senses) are withdrawn/guarded; with purified/controlled vision
• प्रविविक्तचक्षुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रविविक्तचक्षुस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आराधयेत्: should worship; should propitiate
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध्
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इमम्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Conjunction

• लोकम्: world
• लोकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परम्: the other; higher; beyond
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Conjunction

• मुक्त्वा: having abandoned; having given up
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Active

• हृदयव्यलीकम्: crookedness/guile in the heart; heart-deceit
• हृदयव्यलीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदयव्यलीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Janaka teaches a disciplined life-order: begin with brahmacarya and sense-restraint, enter household life for righteous progeny and yajña, but renounce craving for worldly and heavenly rewards; purify the heart and worship the Supreme with inner integrity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, King Janaka speaks as a teacher, outlining how a person should live—combining social duty (householder responsibilities and yajña) with inner renunciation and purification aimed at the highest good.