Shloka 10

Devanagari script

पितृहीनमपि होनं गुणतो वरयामहे । बहुमानाच्च भवतस्तथैवैरावतस्य च

Transliteration

pitṛhīnam api hīnaṃ guṇato varayāmahe | bahumānāc ca bhavatas tathaivairāvatasya ca

Translation

Nārada dijo: «Aun quien carece de linaje paterno y parece ‘inferior’ ante la sociedad puede ser elegido por la sola fuerza de sus virtudes. Y así es también por respeto: tanto hacia ti como, del mismo modo, hacia Airāvata».

Word by Word

पितृहीनम्even (one) without a father / fatherless

अपिeven, although

हीनम्inferior, deficient

गुणतःin respect of qualities

वरयामहेwe choose / we prefer

बहुमानात्from respect / out of esteem

चand

भवतःof you (honorific)

तथाso, likewise

एवindeed, just

ऐरावतस्यof Airāvata

चand

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Airāvata

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse prioritizes guṇa (personal virtue and merit) over inherited status or lineage, asserting that ethical worth can justify choosing someone even if they lack conventional social credentials, while also emphasizing that choices should be made with due respect to all concerned.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is explaining a decision of preference/selection: despite someone being ‘pitṛhīna’ and considered ‘hīna’ by social measures, they are chosen because of their qualities, and the choice is framed as being made with respectful consideration toward the addressed person and toward Airāvata.