Janaka

Renunciation of all attachments is the highest means to achieve liberation. It is through knowledge that we can achieve renunciation and become free.

Free from attachments, with my soul fixed on the supreme Brahma, and unaffected by the company of others, I lived, following the threefold path prescribed in the treatises on liberation.

There is a mention of a verse sung by Janaka, who was free from the pairs of opposites, liberated from desire and pleasure, and followed the path of liberation. The verse says: 'My treasures are vast, yet I have nothing!'

By understanding the self, one can transcend both joy and sorrow. This understanding enables one to overcome death and achieve great success.

Neither your renunciation nor my royal status can help or hinder our liberation. Both of us can attain our goals through knowledge, regardless of our external circumstances.

Concerning this, there are the following verses: 'The subtle, ancient path that stretches far has been reached by me; indeed, I have realized it myself.'

Janaka said, You have said that unity is the attribute of the indestructible and variety is the attribute of the destructible.

After being invested with the sacred thread, one should devote themselves to studying the Vedas, practice penances, serve their preceptor, and observe their duties.

One should live in the domestic mode, have children and grandchildren, then retire to the forest, continue to worship the same fires, and entertain guests with hospitality.

Without the help of an understanding cleansed by studying scriptures and without a true conception of all things, known as Vijnana, attaining Emancipation is impossible.

Janaka said, 'Although I have a large territory under my rule within my ancestral kingdom, I still can't find my true dominion. I searched the entire Earth but couldn't find it. I then searched in Mithila, and when I couldn't find it there, I searched among my own children.

Their ancestor, Janaka, the king of Mithila, seeing his city burn, declared,

Your loving inquiry itself, O lord, has proven beneficial for our well-being, holy father.