Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingकर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः।
लोकसंग्रहमेवापि संपश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि
karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ
loka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasi
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaFor Janaka and others strove to attain liberation through action itself. You should perform your duties, keeping in view the prevention of mankind from going astray.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
जनकादि (ज्ञानी जन) भी कर्म द्वारा ही संसिद्धि को प्राप्त हुये लोक संग्रह (लोक रक्षण) को भी देखते हुये; तुम कर्म करने योग्य हो।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiकर्मणै वहि संसिद् धिम्
आस् थिता जन कादयः
लोक सङ्ग्र हमेवा पि
सम् पश्यन् कर्तु मर्हसि
॥ २० ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthakarmaṇāby the performance of prescribed duties
evaonly
hicertainly
sansiddhimperfection
āsthitāḥattained
janaka-ādayaḥKing Janak and other kings
loka-saṅgrahamfor the welfare of the masses
eva apionly
sampaśhyanconsidering
kartumto perform
arhasiyou should
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA3.20Janaka.
A very famous king-seer, the enlightened ruler who appears again and again wherever Karma-Yoga or even Jñāna-Yoga is discussed. He figures in the Rāmāyaṇa, the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad and the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā. He is the ideal Karma-Yogin: holding the busiest and most responsible position of all — that of a king — he discharges his duties faithfully while abiding not in his palace but in the Truth.