Shloka 13

जनक-राज्ञः मौण्ड्य-परिव्रज्या-विवादः

Janaka’s Renunciation Questioned; Discourse on Dāna and Detachment

Devanagari script

'पृथ्वीनाथ! आप सम्पूर्ण देवताओं, अतिथियों और पितरोंसे परित्यक्त होकर अकर्मण्य हो घर छोड़ रहे हैं ।। यस्त्वं त्रैविद्यवृद्धानां ब्राह्मणानां सहस्रश: । भर्ता भूत्वा च लोकस्य सोड्द्य तैर्भतिमिच्छसि,अमी च धर्मकामास्त्यां क्षत्रिया: पर्युपासते । त्वदाशामभिकांक्षन्त: कृपणा: फलहेतुका: 'ये धर्मकी इच्छा रखनेवाले क्षत्रिय जो सदा आपकी सेवामें बैठे रहते हैं, आपसे बड़ी- बड़ी आशाएँ रखते हैं, इन बेचारोंको सेवाका फल चाहिये

Transliteration

pṛthvīnātha! āpa sampūrṇa devatāoṃ, atithiyoṃ aura pitṛoṃ se parityakta hokara akarmaṇya ho ghara choṛa rahe haiṃ. yastvaṃ traividyavṛddhānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ sahasraśaḥ bhartā bhūtvā ca lokasya soḍḍhya tair bhatim icchasi, amī ca dharmakāmāstyāṃ kṣatriyāḥ paryupāsate tvadāśām abhikāṅkṣantaḥ kṛpaṇāḥ phalahetukāḥ.

Translation

Arjuna sprach: „O Herr der Erde! Du gibst deine Pflichten auf und verlässt das Haus in Untätigkeit, als wärest du von allen Göttern, von den Gästen, die auf deine Gastfreundschaft bauen, und von den Ahnen, die auf deine Riten angewiesen sind, verlassen worden. Du, der du lange der Ernährer von Tausenden ehrwürdiger Brahmanen warst, kundig in den drei Veden, und der du als Beschützer die Last des Volkes getragen hast—wie kannst du nun wünschen, dich dieser Verantwortung zu entziehen? Und diese Kshatriyas, die nach Dharma verlangen, sitzen stets in deinem Dienst, blicken mit großen Erwartungen zu dir auf—arme Männer, deren Dienst durch die Hoffnung auf seine rechtmäßigen Früchte getragen wird.“

Word by Word

पृथ्वी-नाथO lord of the earth (king)

यःwho

त्वम्you

त्रै-विद्य-वृद्धानाम्of those advanced in the three Vedas

ब्राह्मणानाम्of Brahmins

सहस्रशःby thousands; in thousands

भर्ताprotector; supporter

भूत्वाhaving become

चand

लोकस्यof the people/world

सःthat (you); he

उद्यhaving gone forth; having set out

तैःby them

भृतिम्maintenance; support; wages

इच्छसिyou desire

अमीthese (those here)

चand

धर्म-कामाःdesirous of dharma

इमाम्this (one)

क्षत्रियाःKshatriyas

पर्युपासतेattend upon; sit in service around

त्वत्-आशाम्hope in you; expectation from you

अभिकाङ्क्षन्तःdesiring; longing for

कृपणाःpoor; pitiable

फल-हेतुकाःmotivated by reward; having fruit as motive

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

king (pṛthvīnātha)

devas (devatāḥ)

guests (atithayaḥ)

ancestors (pitaraḥ)

Brahmins learned in the three Vedas (traividyavṛddhā brāhmaṇāḥ)

Kshatriyas (kṣatriyāḥ)

the people/world (lokaḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse stresses rajadharma: a ruler’s moral identity is defined by sustaining social and sacred obligations—supporting Vedic learning, honoring guests, maintaining ancestral rites, and protecting dependents. Renunciation that abandons these responsibilities is portrayed as ethically problematic, because it harms those who rely on the king’s patronage and protection.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses a king who is attempting to leave home and become inactive. He argues that such withdrawal amounts to forsaking gods, guests, and ancestors, and betrays the expectations of Brahmins and Kshatriyas who attend upon the king seeking rightful support and the fruits of service.