Arjuna Tells of Janaka and His Queen

Verse 1 (12.18.1)

तूष्णींभूतं तु राजानं पुनरेवार्जुनोऽब्रवीत् । संतप्तः शोकदुःखाभ्यां राजवाक्शल्यपीडितः ॥

tūṣṇīṃbhūtaṃ tu rājānaṃ punarevārjuno'bravīt | saṃtaptaḥ śokaduḥkhābhyāṃ rājavākśalyapīḍitaḥ

Arjuna, burning with grief and sorrow and wounded by the thorn of his brother's words, spoke once more to the king, who had fallen silent.

Verse 2 (12.18.2)

कथयन्ति पुरावृत्तमितिहासमिमं जनाः । विदेहराज्ञः संवादं भार्यया सह भारत ॥

kathayanti purāvṛttamitihāsamimaṃ janāḥ | videharājñaḥ saṃvādaṃ bhāryayā saha bhārata

People tell an ancient tale, O Bharata: the conversation of the king of Videha with his wife.

Verse 3 (12.18.3)

उत्सृज्य राज्यं भिक्षार्थं कृतबुद्धिं नरेश्वरम् । विदेहराजमहिषी दुःखिता प्रत्यभाषत ॥

utsṛjya rājyaṃ bhikṣārthaṃ kṛtabuddhiṃ nareśvaram | videharājamahiṣī duḥkhitā pratyabhāṣata

When the lord of men had resolved to give up his kingdom and live on alms, the queen of the king of Videha, in her distress, spoke to him.

Note on the text: Corrected महीषी → महिषी (misprint in Wikisource; long ई is not the word 'queen'; the critical edition reads mahiṣī). Recension variant, kept: line 1 उत्सृज्य राज्यं भिक्षार्थं कृतबुद्धिं नरेश्वरम् against CE janeśvaram; line 2 reads विदेहराजमहिषी against CE videharājaṃ mahiṣī.

Verse 4 (12.18.4)

धनान्यपत्यं मित्राणि रत्नानि विविधानि च । पन्थानं पावनं हित्वा जनको मौढ्यमास्थितः ॥

dhanānyapatyaṃ mitrāṇi ratnāni vividhāni ca | panthānaṃ pāvanaṃ hitvā janako mauḍhyamāsthitaḥ

Leaving behind wealth, children, friends, and jewels of every kind, and forsaking the pure path, Janaka had fallen into folly.

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource मौढ्यम् ('folly') against CE mauṇḍyam ('the shaven state').

Verse 5 (12.18.5)

तं ददर्श प्रिया भार्या भैक्षवृत्तिमकिंचनम् । धानामुष्टिमुपासीनं निरीहं गतमत्सरम् ॥

taṃ dadarśa priyā bhāryā bhaikṣavṛttimakiṃcanam | dhānāmuṣṭimupāsīnaṃ nirīhaṃ gatamatsaram

His beloved wife saw him living on alms, owning nothing, sitting with a handful of parched grain, free of longing and of envy.

Verse 6 (12.18.6)

तमुवाच समागम्य भर्तारमकुतोभयम् । क्रुद्धा मनस्विनी भार्या विविक्ते हेतुमद्वचः ॥

tamuvāca samāgamya bhartāramakutobhayam | kruddhā manasvinī bhāryā vivikte hetumadvacaḥ

Angry and proud-spirited, she met her fearless husband in private and spoke to him words full of reasons.

Note on the text: Corrected समामत्य → समागम्य (misprint in Wikisource; not a Sanskrit form; the critical edition reads samāgamya).

Verse 7 (12.18.7)

कथमुत्सृज्य राज्यं स्वं धनधान्यसमन्वितम् । कापालीं वृत्तिमास्थाय धान्यमुष्टिमुपाससे ॥

kathamutsṛjya rājyaṃ svaṃ dhanadhānyasamanvitam | kāpālīṃ vṛttimāsthāya dhānyamuṣṭimupāsase

Why have you given up your own kingdom, rich in wealth and grain, and taken to the beggar's way of life, waiting upon a handful of parched grain?

Note on the text: Speaker: the page's heading (verse 2) is अर्जुन, who narrates verses 3–6; from here to verse 36 it is the queen who speaks, as the preceding verse and the critical edition (12.18.7–35) show, and the page re-heads Arjuna at verse 37. Recension variant, kept: line 2 reads कापालीं वृत्तिमास्थाय धान्यमुष्टिमुपाससे against CE dhānāmuṣṭir vane 'caraḥ.

Verse 8 (12.18.8)

प्रतिज्ञा तेऽन्यथा राजन्विचेष्टा चान्यथा तव । यद्राज्यं महदुत्सृज्य स्वल्पे लुभ्यसि पार्थिव ॥

pratijñā te'nyathā rājanviceṣṭā cānyathā tava | yadrājyaṃ mahadutsṛjya svalpe lubhyasi pārthiva

Your vow is one thing, O king, and your conduct another, if after giving up so great a kingdom you hanker after so little, O lord of the earth.

Verse 9 (12.18.9)

नैतेनातिथयो राजन्देवर्षिपितरस्तथा । अद्य शक्यास्त्वया भर्तुं मोघस्तेऽयं परिश्रमः ॥

naitenātithayo rājandevarṣipitarastathā | adya śakyāstvayā bhartuṃ moghaste'yaṃ pariśramaḥ

With this you cannot today support guests, divine sages and ancestors, O king; this labour of yours is in vain.

Verse 10 (12.18.10)

देवतातिथिभिश्चैव पितृभिश्चैव पार्थिव । सर्वैरेतैः परित्यक्तः परिव्रजसि निष्क्रियः ॥

devatātithibhiścaiva pitṛbhiścaiva pārthiva | sarvairetaiḥ parityaktaḥ parivrajasi niṣkriyaḥ

Forsaken by the gods, by guests and by the ancestors, O lord of the earth, you wander about without duties.

Verse 11 (12.18.11)

यस्त्वं त्रैविद्यवृद्धानां ब्राह्मणानां सहस्रशः । भर्ता भूत्वा च लोकस्य सोऽद्यान्यैर्भूतिमिच्छसि ॥

yastvaṃ traividyavṛddhānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ sahasraśaḥ | bhartā bhūtvā ca lokasya so'dyānyairbhūtimicchasi

You who were the supporter of thousands of Brahmins, elders learned in the three Vedas, and the sustainer of the world, now seek your livelihood from others.

Verse 12 (12.18.12)

श्रियं हित्वा प्रदीप्तां त्वं श्ववत्संप्रति वीक्ष्यसे । अपुत्रा जननी तेऽद्य कौसल्या चापतिस्त्वया ॥

śriyaṃ hitvā pradīptāṃ tvaṃ śvavatsaṃprati vīkṣyase | aputrā jananī te'dya kausalyā cāpatistvayā

Having cast away blazing prosperity, you are now looked upon like a dog. Your mother is childless today, and Kausalya has been left without a husband by you.

Note on the text: 'Kausalya' is kept as the text gives it (the CE reads the same).

Verse 13 (12.18.13)

आश्रिता धर्मकामास्त्वां क्षत्रियाः पर्युपासते । त्वदाशामभिकाङ्क्षन्तः कृपणाः फलहेतुकाः ॥

āśritā dharmakāmāstvāṃ kṣatriyāḥ paryupāsate | tvadāśāmabhikāṅkṣantaḥ kṛpaṇāḥ phalahetukāḥ

Kshatriyas devoted to duty and desire depend on you and attend upon you, pinning their hopes on you, pitiable men with an eye to reward.

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource आश्रिता धर्मकामास्त्वां क्षत्रियाः against CE aśītir dharmakāmās tvāṃ kṣatriyāḥ.

Verse 14 (12.18.14)

तांश्च त्वं विफलान्कृत्वा कं नु लोकं गमिष्यसि । राजन्संशयिते मोक्षे परतन्त्रेषु देहिषु ॥

tāṃśca tvaṃ viphalānkṛtvā kaṃ nu lokaṃ gamiṣyasi | rājansaṃśayite mokṣe paratantreṣu dehiṣu

After making them all hopeless, to what world will you go, O king, when liberation itself is doubtful for embodied beings who are subject to others?

Verse 15 (12.18.15)

नैव तेऽस्ति परो लोको नापरः पापकर्मणः । धर्म्यान्दारान्परित्यज्य यस्त्वमिच्छसि जीवितुम् ॥

naiva te'sti paro loko nāparaḥ pāpakarmaṇaḥ | dharmyāndārānparityajya yastvamicchasi jīvitum

For you, a doer of wrong, there is no world beyond and none here, you who wish to live after abandoning your lawful wives.

Verse 16 (12.18.16)

स्रजो गन्धानलंकारान्वासांसि विविधानि च । किमर्थमभिसंत्यज्य परिव्रजसि निष्क्रियः ॥

srajo gandhānalaṃkārānvāsāṃsi vividhāni ca | kimarthamabhisaṃtyajya parivrajasi niṣkriyaḥ

Why have you given up garlands, perfumes, ornaments and clothes of many kinds, to wander about idle?

Verse 17 (12.18.17)

निपानं सर्वभूतानां भूत्वा त्वं पावनं महत् । आढ्यो वनस्पतिर्भूत्वा सोऽन्यांस्त्वं पर्युपाससे ॥

nipānaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ bhūtvā tvaṃ pāvanaṃ mahat | āḍhyo vanaspatirbhūtvā so'nyāṃstvaṃ paryupāsase

Having been a great and purifying watering-place for all beings, a rich lord of trees, you now wait upon others.

Note on the text: Corrected महत → महत् (misprint in Wikisource; final halant dropped) and सोन्यांस्त्वं → सोऽन्यांस्त्वं (avagraha dropped: सः + अन्यान्). Recension variant, kept: Wikisource अन्यान् against CE adyānyān.

Verse 18 (12.18.18)

खादन्ति हस्तिनं न्यासे क्रव्यादा बहवोऽप्युत । बहवः कृमयश्चैव किं पुनस्त्वामनर्थकम् ॥

khādanti hastinaṃ nyāse kravyādā bahavo'pyuta | bahavaḥ kṛmayaścaiva kiṃ punastvāmanarthakam

Many flesh-eaters devour even an elephant left lying, and many worms too; what then of you, so useless?

Verse 19 (12.18.19)

य इमां कुण्डिकां भिन्द्यान्त्रिविष्टब्धं च यो हरेत् । वासश्चापि हरेत्तस्मिन्कथं ते मानसं भवेत् ॥

ya imāṃ kuṇḍikāṃ bhindyāntriviṣṭabdhaṃ ca yo haret | vāsaścāpi harettasminkathaṃ te mānasaṃ bhavet

If someone were to smash this water-pot of yours, or steal your triple staff, or take away your garment as well, how would your mind be then?

Verse 20 (12.18.20)

यस्त्वं सर्वं समुत्सृज्य धानामुष्टिमनुग्रहः । यदनेन कृतं सर्वं किमिदं मम दीयते ॥

yastvaṃ sarvaṃ samutsṛjya dhānāmuṣṭimanugrahaḥ | yadanena kṛtaṃ sarvaṃ kimidaṃ mama dīyate

You gave up everything and treat a handful of grain as your favour; of all that has been done by it, what is this that is being given to me?

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.18.20a (variant: Wikisource धानामुष्टिमनुग्रहः against CE dhānāmuṣṭiparigrahaḥ); line 2 = CE 12.18.20c (variant: यदनेन कृतं against CE yadānena samaṃ). The CE verse has three lines (20a, 20c, 20e); Wikisource divides it into couplets, and the alignment found no match.

Verse 21 (12.18.21)

धानामुष्टेरिहार्थश्चेत्प्रतिज्ञा ते विनश्यति । का वाऽहं तव को मे त्वं कश्च ते मय्यनुग्रहः ॥

dhānāmuṣṭerihārthaścetpratijñā te vinaśyati | kā vā'haṃ tava ko me tvaṃ kaśca te mayyanugrahaḥ

If a handful of grain is your purpose here, your vow is destroyed. Who am I to you, who are you to me, and what kindness of yours is there towards me?

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.18.20e; line 2 = CE 12.18.21a (variant: Wikisource कश्च ते मय्यनुग्रहः against CE ko 'dya te mayy anugrahaḥ). The alignment found no match.

Verse 22 (12.18.22)

प्रशाधि पृथिवीं राजन्यत्र तेऽनुग्रहो भवेत् । प्रासादे शयनं यानं वासांस्याभरणानि च ॥

praśādhi pṛthivīṃ rājanyatra te'nugraho bhavet | prāsāde śayanaṃ yānaṃ vāsāṃsyābharaṇāni ca

Rule the earth, O king, where your favour can find its scope: in the palace, with bed and carriage, with clothes and ornaments.

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 = CE 12.18.21c and 21e (variants: Wikisource यत्र against CE yatra, प्रासादे against CE prāsādaṃ). The alignment found no match.

Verse 23 (12.18.23)

श्रियां निराशैरधनैस्त्यक्तमित्रैरकिंचनैः । सौखिकैः संभृतो योऽर्थः स संत्यजति किंनु तं ॥

śriyāṃ nirāśairadhanaistyaktamitrairakiṃcanaiḥ | saukhikaiḥ saṃbhṛto yo'rthaḥ sa saṃtyajati kiṃnu taṃ

Would a man living among those who have lost fortune and hope, who are penniless, deserted by friends and without possessions, truly give up the wealth that the comfortable have gathered?

Note on the text: Corrected अधनेस्त्यक्त → अधनैस्त्यक्त (misprint in Wikisource; not a Sanskrit form; the critical edition reads adhanais tyakta°). Recension variants, kept: श्रियां (CE śriyā) and, in line 2, सौखिकैः संभृतो योऽर्थः स संत्यजति किंनु तं against CE saukhikaiḥ saṃbhṛtān arthān yaḥ saṃtyajasi kiṃ nu tat. The sense of this verse is obscure in the Wikisource reading.

Verse 24 (12.18.24)

योऽत्यन्तं प्रतिगृह्णीयाद्यश्च दद्यात्सदैव हि । तयोस्त्वमन्तरं विद्धि श्रेयांस्ताभ्यां क उच्यते ॥

yo'tyantaṃ pratigṛhṇīyādyaśca dadyātsadaiva hi | tayostvamantaraṃ viddhi śreyāṃstābhyāṃ ka ucyate

Understand the difference between one who always takes without limit and one who always gives; which of the two is called the better?

Verse 25 (12.18.25)

सदैव याचमानेषु तथा दम्भान्वितेषु च । एतेषु दक्षिणा दत्ता दावाग्नाविव दुर्हुतम् ॥

sadaiva yācamāneṣu tathā dambhānviteṣu ca | eteṣu dakṣiṇā dattā dāvāgnāviva durhutam

Gifts made to those who are always begging, and to those full of pretence, are like an oblation badly poured into a forest fire.

Note on the text: Corrected दावाग्राविव → दावाग्नाविव (misprint in Wikisource; not a Sanskrit form; the critical edition reads dāvāgnāv iva). Recension variant, kept: Wikisource एतेषु दक्षिणा दत्ता against CE eteṣu dakṣiṇā dattā with line 1 सदैव याचमानेषु तथा दम्भान्वितेषु च against CE satsu dambhavivarjiṣu.

Verse 26 (12.18.26)

जातवेदा यथा राजन्नादग्ध्वैवोपशाम्यति । सदैव याचमानो वै तथा शाम्यति न द्विजः ॥

jātavedā yathā rājannādagdhvaivopaśāmyati | sadaiva yācamāno vai tathā śāmyati na dvijaḥ

As fire, O king, is not quenched until it has burned, so a twice-born who is always begging is never stilled.

Verse 27 (12.18.27)

सतां वै ददतोऽन्नं च लोकेऽस्मिन्प्रकृतिर्ध्रुवा । न चेद्राजा भवेद्दाता कुतः स्युर्मोक्षकाङ्क्षिणः ॥

satāṃ vai dadato'nnaṃ ca loke'sminprakṛtirdhruvā | na cedrājā bhaveddātā kutaḥ syurmokṣakāṅkṣiṇaḥ

It is the constant nature in this world of good people that they give food; if the king were not a giver, how could there be any seekers of liberation?

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource सतां वै ददतोऽन्नं च against CE satāṃ ca vedā annaṃ ca; न चेद्राजा भवेद्दाता against CE na ced dātā bhaved dātā.

Verse 28 (12.18.28)

अन्नाद्गृहस्था लोकेऽस्मिन्भिक्षवस्तत एव च । अन्नात्प्राणः प्रभवति अन्नदः प्राणदो भवेत् ॥

annādgṛhasthā loke'sminbhikṣavastata eva ca | annātprāṇaḥ prabhavati annadaḥ prāṇado bhavet

In this world householders live by food, and mendicants likewise; from food the breath of life arises, and the giver of food is the giver of life.

Verse 29 (12.18.29)

गृहस्थेभ्योऽपि निर्मुक्ता गृहस्थानेव संश्रिताः । प्रभवं च प्रतिष्ठां च दान्ता विन्दन्त आसते ॥

gṛhasthebhyo'pi nirmuktā gṛhasthāneva saṃśritāḥ | prabhavaṃ ca pratiṣṭhāṃ ca dāntā vindanta āsate

Though released from householders, they still depend on householders alone; the self-controlled find there their source and their support.

Note on the text: Recension variant, kept: Wikisource विन्दन्त (they find) against CE nindanta; गृहस्थेभ्योऽपि निर्मुक्ता against CE gṛhasthebhyo 'bhinirvṛttā.

Verse 30 (12.18.30)

त्यागान्न भिक्षुकं विन्द्यान्न मौढ्यान्न च याचनात् । ऋजुस्तु योऽर्थं त्यजति तं मुक्तं विद्धि भिक्षुकम् ॥

tyāgānna bhikṣukaṃ vindyānna mauḍhyānna ca yācanāt | ṛjustu yo'rthaṃ tyajati taṃ muktaṃ viddhi bhikṣukam

One should not know a mendicant by renunciation, nor by folly, nor by begging; know that the upright man who gives up wealth is the liberated mendicant.

Note on the text: Recension variants, kept: Wikisource मौढ्यात् against CE mauṇḍyāt; मुक्तं against CE sukhaṃ.

Verse 31 (12.18.31)

असक्तः शक्तवद्गच्छन्निः सङ्गो मुक्तबन्धनः । समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च स वै मुक्तो महीपते ॥

asaktaḥ śaktavadgacchanniḥ saṅgo muktabandhanaḥ | samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca sa vai mukto mahīpate

He who moves unattached as though attached, free of ties, his bonds loosed, equal to foe and friend, is truly liberated, O lord of the earth.

Verse 32 (12.18.32)

परिव्रजन्ति दानार्थं मुण्डाः काषायवाससः । सिता बहुविधैः पाशैः संचिन्वन्तो वृथामिषम् ॥

parivrajanti dānārthaṃ muṇḍāḥ kāṣāyavāsasaḥ | sitā bahuvidhaiḥ pāśaiḥ saṃcinvanto vṛthāmiṣam

Shaven-headed men in ochre robes wander about for the sake of gifts, bound by many kinds of bonds, heaping up idle objects of desire.

Verse 33 (12.18.33)

त्रयीं च नामवार्तां च त्यक्त्वा पुत्रान्व्रजन्ति ये । त्रिविष्टब्धं च वासश्च प्रतिगृह्णन्त्यबुद्धयः ॥

trayīṃ ca nāmavārtāṃ ca tyaktvā putrānvrajanti ye | triviṣṭabdhaṃ ca vāsaśca pratigṛhṇantyabuddhayaḥ

Those who give up the Vedas, their name and their trade, abandon their sons and go forth, and in their folly take up the triple staff and the robe.

Verse 34 (12.18.34)

अनिष्कषाये काषायमीहार्थमिति विद्धि तम् । धर्मध्वजानां मुण्डानां वृत्त्यर्थमिति मे मतिः ॥

aniṣkaṣāye kāṣāyamīhārthamiti viddhi tam | dharmadhvajānāṃ muṇḍānāṃ vṛttyarthamiti me matiḥ

Know that for one whose impurities are not washed away, the ochre robe is merely for gaining something; it is for the livelihood of the shaven bearers of the banner of dharma — such is my view.

Note on the text: Removed a stray zero-width non-joiner after तम् (Wikisource typesetting). Recension variant, kept: तम् against CE tat.

Verse 35 (12.18.35)

काषायैरजिनैश्चीरैर्नग्नान्मुण्डाञ्जटाधरान् । बिभ्रत्साधून्महाराज जय लोकाञ्जितेन्द्रियः ॥

kāṣāyairajinaiścīrairnagnānmuṇḍāñjaṭādharān | bibhratsādhūnmahārāja jaya lokāñjitendriyaḥ

Maintain the holy ones, naked, shaven or matted-haired, with ochre cloths, deerskins and bark garments, O great king, and win the worlds with your senses mastered.

Verse 36 (12.18.36)

अग्न्याधेयानि गुर्वर्थं क्रतूनपि सुदक्षिणान् । ददात्यहरहः पूर्वं को नु धर्मरतस्ततः ॥

agnyādheyāni gurvarthaṃ kratūnapi sudakṣiṇān | dadātyaharahaḥ pūrvaṃ ko nu dharmaratastataḥ

The man who each day gives, as before, the fire-establishing rites for the sake of his teachers and sacrifices with rich fees: who is more devoted to dharma than he?

Verse 37 (12.18.37)

तत्त्वज्ञो जनको राजा लोकेऽस्मिन्निति गीयते । सोऽप्यासीन्मोहसंपन्नो मा मोहवशमन्वगाः ॥

tattvajño janako rājā loke'sminniti gīyate | so'pyāsīnmohasaṃpanno mā mohavaśamanvagāḥ

In this world King Janaka is celebrated as a knower of the truth, yet even he was caught in delusion. Do not fall under the sway of delusion.

Note on the text: Speaker: Arjuna resumes (the page re-heads Arjuna here, ending the queen's speech).

Verse 38 (12.18.38)

एवं धर्ममनुक्रान्ताः सदा दानतपः पराः । आनृशंस्यगुणोपेताः कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः ॥

evaṃ dharmamanukrāntāḥ sadā dānatapaḥ parāḥ | ānṛśaṃsyaguṇopetāḥ kāmakrodhavivarjitāḥ

Those who have followed dharma in this way, ever devoted to giving and austerity, endowed with the virtue of gentleness, free of desire and anger,

Note on the text: Corrected अनुक्रान्ता → अनुक्रान्ताः (misprint in Wikisource; visarga dropped, the plural agrees with पराः / उपेताः / विवर्जिताः; compare 12.21.19). Line 1 = CE 12.18.37a (variant: Wikisource anukrāntāḥ … dānatapaḥ parāḥ against CE anukrāntaṃ … dānaparair naraiḥ), line 2 = CE 12.18.37c (variant उपेताः against CE upetaiḥ). The alignment wrongly pointed to 12.21.17.

Verse 39 (12.18.39)

प्रजानां पालने युक्ता दममुत्तममास्थिताः । इष्ट्वा लोकानवाप्स्यामो गुरुवृद्धोपचायिनः ॥

prajānāṃ pālane yuktā damamuttamamāsthitāḥ | iṣṭvā lokānavāpsyāmo guruvṛddhopacāyinaḥ

intent on protecting their subjects, set in the highest self-restraint, serving teachers and elders, we shall sacrifice and win the worlds,

Note on the text: Line 1 is a variant of CE 12.18.38a (CE pālayantaḥ prajāś caiva dānam uttamam āsthitāḥ; Wikisource's reading is that of 12.21.18a); line 2 = CE 12.18.38c (iṣṭāṃl lokān avāpsyāmo) with the star passage 12.18.38c*0025_01 (…guruvṛddhopacāyinaḥ). The alignment found no match.

Verse 40 (12.18.40)

देवतातिथिभूतानां निर्वपन्तो यथाविधि । स्थानमिष्टमवाप्स्यामो ब्रह्मण्याः सत्यवादिनः ॥

devatātithibhūtānāṃ nirvapanto yathāvidhi | sthānamiṣṭamavāpsyāmo brahmaṇyāḥ satyavādinaḥ

offering duly to gods, guests and dependants, devout towards Brahmins and truthful, we shall reach the state we desire.

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 = the star passage 12.18.38c*0025_02–03 (devatātithibhṛtyānāṃ nirvapanto yathāvidhi / sthānam iṣṭam avāpsyāmo) followed by CE 12.18.38d (brahmaṇyāḥ satyavādinaḥ). The alignment found no match.