निःशेषितजगत्कार्य प्राप्ताखिलमनोरथ । किमीप्सितं तवेत्याशु कृतस्वागतमाह तम् ॥ २८ ॥
niḥśēṣitajagatkārya prāptākhilamanōratha | kimīpsitaṁ tavētyāśu kṛtasvāgatamāha tam || 28 ||
Translation
Welcoming him at once, the king said to him: "You have finished all the world's work and gained every wish of the heart. What do you desire?"
Word by word
- niḥśēṣita
- you have finished all
- jagat
- the world's
- kārya
- work
- prāpta
- gained
- akhila
- every
- manōratha
- wish of the heart
- kim
- what
- īpsitaṁ
- do desire
- tava
- you
- ity
- (iti) thus
- āśu
- at once
- kṛta
- having made
- svāgatam
- welcome
- āha
- said
- tam
- to him
Meaning
Janaka welcomes Śuka and speaks to him as to one already complete. He has "finished the work of the world" (niḥśeṣita-jagat-kārya) and "gained every wish" (prāpta-akhila-manoratha). The commentary explains: you have done all that leads to the highest aim of man, and since every lesser happiness is contained in the happiness of the Self, every wish is fulfilled in reaching it. Then the question: "What do you desire?" (kim īpsitam). It is asked of one who, by the king's own words, has nothing left to desire. The question is a mirror held up to Śuka: if you have everything, what is it you still want?