Shloka 34

धर्मद्वारबहुत्वविमर्शः — Reflection on the Many ‘Doors’ of Dharma (Śānti-parva 342)

Devanagari script

तेषामेकान्तिन: श्रेष्ठा ये चैवानन्यदेवता: । अहमेव गतिस्तेषां निराशी: कर्मकारिणाम्‌

Transliteration

teṣām ekāntinaḥ śreṣṭhā ye caivānanyadevatāḥ | aham eva gatis teṣāṃ nirāśīḥ karmakāriṇām ||

Translation

Parmi eux, les meilleurs sont ceux dont l’engagement est d’un seul point : ceux qui ne reconnaissent aucune autre divinité. Pour ces êtres qui accomplissent leur devoir sans attente de récompense, moi seul suis leur refuge et leur terme ultime.

Word by Word

तेषाम्of them

एकान्तिनःexclusive devotees (single-minded ones)

श्रेष्ठाःthe best

येwho

चand

एवindeed/only

अनन्यदेवताःthose whose deity is none other (exclusive worshippers)

अहम्I

एवalone/indeed

गतिःrefuge/goal

तेषाम्for them/of them

निराशीःfree from desire/without expectation

कर्मकारिणाम्of those who perform actions (doers of duty)

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Aham (the speaker’s self-reference, i.e., the addressed supreme refuge in context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises single-pointed, exclusive devotion joined with niṣkāma-karma (acting without craving for results). Such a person’s ethical life is grounded in duty performed without bargaining for reward, and their ultimate refuge is the supreme reality addressed as “I.”

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna speaks, identifying a highest type among practitioners: those who are unwavering and do not seek other divine supports. He states that for those who act without expectation, the speaker (the supreme refuge in the discourse) is their sole destination and support.