Shloka 4

जनक-राज्ञः मौण्ड्य-परिव्रज्या-विवादः

Janaka’s Renunciation Questioned; Discourse on Dāna and Detachment

Devanagari script

धनान्यपत्यं दाराक्ष रत्नानि विविधानि च । पन्थानं पावकं हित्वा जनको मौढ्यमास्थित:

Transliteration

dhanāny apatyaṃ dārāś ca ratnāni vividhāni ca | panthānaṃ pāvakaṃ hitvā janako mauḍhyam āsthitaḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna dijo: “Abandonando riquezas, hijos, esposa y joyas de muchas clases—y aun dejando el sendero de la disciplina purificadora—Janaka cayó en la ilusión.”

Word by Word

• धनानि: wealths, riches
• धनानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अपत्यम्: offspring, child
• अपत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दाराः: wives
• दाराः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• रत्नानि: gems
• रत्नानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• विविधानि: various, manifold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पन्थानम्: path, way
• पन्थानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्/पन्थान्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पावकम्: fire
• पावकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हित्वा: having abandoned, leaving
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (जहाति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• जनकः: Janaka (the king)
• जनकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मौढ्यम्: folly, delusion
• मौढ्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौढ्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थितः: having resorted to, having adopted
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (तिष्ठति)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Janaka
• wealth (dhana)
• children (apatya)
• wife/spouse (dārāḥ)
• jewels (ratna)
• the purifying path/discipline (pāvaka panthā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that mere abandonment of possessions and relationships is not automatically virtuous; if one abandons the ‘purifying path’ of right discipline and discernment, renunciation can degenerate into delusion rather than liberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna cites Janaka as an example, stating that Janaka gave up wealth, family ties, and valuables, yet—by forsaking the proper purifying course of conduct—ended up in a state of folly. The remark functions as a caution within the ethical discussions of the Śānti Parva.