Shloka 8

जनक-राज्ञः मौण्ड्य-परिव्रज्या-विवादः

Janaka’s Renunciation Questioned; Discourse on Dāna and Detachment

Devanagari script

प्रतिज्ञा तेडन्यूथा राजन्‌ विचेष्टा चान्यथा तव । यद्‌ राज्यं महदुत्सृज्य स्वल्पे तुष्यसि पार्थिव

Transliteration

pratijñā te 'nyathā rājan viceṣṭā cānyathā tava | yad rājyaṁ mahad utsṛjya svalpe tuṣyasi pārthiva ||

Translation

“ਰਾਜਨ! ਤੁਹਾਡੀ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਗਿਆ ਤਾਂ ਇੱਕ ਹੋਰ ਸੀ, ਪਰ ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਆਚਰਨ ਕੁਝ ਹੋਰ ਹੀ ਦਿੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ; ਕਿਉਂਕਿ, ਹੇ ਪਾਰਥਿਵ! ਵੱਡਾ ਰਾਜ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਥੋੜ੍ਹੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੀ ਸੰਤੁਸ਼ਟ ਹੋ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ।”

Word by Word

• प्रतिज्ञा: promise, vow
• प्रतिज्ञा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिज्ञा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• अन्यथा: otherwise, differently
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा
• Form: true

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विचेष्टा: effort, conduct, activity
• विचेष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचेष्टा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

• अन्यथा: otherwise, differently
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा
• Form: true

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• यत्: since/that (which)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राज्यम्: kingdom, sovereignty
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महत्: great, vast
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned, having given up
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√सृज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• स्वल्पे: in a small (thing), in little
• स्वल्पे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तुष्यसि: you are satisfied, you take contentment
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तुष्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• पार्थिव: O king, O ruler
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• a king (addressed as rājan/pārthiva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical demand for integrity: a ruler’s proclaimed vow (pratijñā) should align with his actual conduct (viceṣṭā). It also raises the moral tension between worldly sovereignty and the virtue of contentment after renunciation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses a king and challenges him: the king’s earlier resolve and his present behavior do not match. Arjuna points to the king’s act of giving up a great kingdom and being satisfied with a small portion, questioning the consistency and intent behind this change.