Book 5 · Upaśama उपशम · chapters 8–12 · 5 chapters
King Janaka of Videha; the invisible Siddhas whose voices he overhears; his palace gatekeeper; the story is narrated by Vasishtha to Rama.
Vasishtha tells Rama of Janaka, the wise and prosperous king of Videha. One spring day, walking in a garden, Janaka overhears disembodied voices of Siddhas in a grove, each describing in different words the nature of the Self they worship. On hearing this, Janaka is struck with sudden despair. He returns home, sends his family away, and alone on his rooftop laments at length over the emptiness and impermanence of worldly life, kingship, wealth, and relations, working himself through grief toward calm. His chief gatekeeper interrupts to summon him to his royal bathing and daily duties; Janaka reflects further, questioning what is gained by action or inaction, and resolves to remain inwardly detached while outwardly performing his royal duties as they arise. Over succeeding nights he continues this self-examination, addressing his own restless mind, urging it toward peace and non-attachment to the visible world. Through this sustained, self-directed discrimination alone, without any teacher's instruction, Janaka's mind becomes purified; he perceives all beings as pervaded by the same consciousness, is no longer moved by joy or sorrow, and is described as liberated while still living, ruling Videha with an even mind ever after.
अथ शुश्राव कस्मिंश्चित्तमालवनगुल्मके| सिद्धानामप्रदृश्यानां स्वप्रसङ्गादुदाहृताः || ७ ||
Then he heard in a certain part of the Tāmāla forest grove, the words of the invisible Siddhas, spoken from their own context.
फिर उसने तामाल वन के एक झुंड में, अदृश्य सिद्धों के शब्द सुने, जो उनके अपने संदर्भ से कहे गए थे।
प्रबुद्धोऽस्मि प्रहृष्टोऽस्मि दृष्टश्चोरोऽयमात्मनः | मनो नाम निहन्म्येनं मनसास्मि चिरं हतः || ६० ||
I am awakened, I am joyful, I have seen this thief of the self. I will destroy this mind, by the mind I have been long defeated.
मैं जाग्रत हूँ, मैं प्रसन्न हूँ, मैंने इस आत्मा के चोर को देखा है। मैं इस मन को नष्ट करूँगा, मन से मैं लंबे समय से हारा हुआ हूँ।
जीवन्मुक्तो बभूवासौ ततःप्रभृति मानदः | जनको जरठज्ञानी ज्ञातलोकपरावरः || ९ ||
He became liberated while living, from that time onward, the respected Janaka, the wise old man, knowing the higher and lower worlds.
उसने जीवन में ही मुक्ति प्राप्त कर ली, तब से आगे सम्मानित जनक, बुद्धिमान बुजुर्ग, ऊपरी और नीचे लोकों को जानने वाला।
The story occupies chapters 8–12 of Book 5. Each link opens that chapter complete — Sanskrit in Devanagari and IAST, with a plain English and Hindi translation of every verse. The number under each link is its verse count.