Shloka 10

Devanagari script

देवतातिथिभिश्नैव पितृभिश्नैव पार्थिव । सर्वरेतै: परित्यक्त: परिव्रजसि निष्क्रिय:

Transliteration

devatātithibhiś caiva pitṛbhiś caiva pārthiva | sarvair etaiḥ parityaktaḥ parivrajasi niṣkriyaḥ ||

Translation

அர்ஜுனன் கூறினான்—ஓ அரசே! தேவர்கள், விருந்தினர்கள், பித்ருக்கள் ஆகியோருக்குரிய கடமைகளை—மேலும் இத்தகைய எல்லாப் பொறுப்புகளையும்—கைவிட்டு, நீர் செயல் இன்றிச் சன்னியாசிபோல் அலைகிறீர். அறநெறியைத் தாங்கும் கடமைகளை விட்டுவிட்டு இவ்வாறு விலகுதல் எவ்வாறு நியாயம்?

Word by Word

देवताभिःby/with the deities

अतिथिभिःby/with the guests

नnot

एवindeed/just

पितृभिःby/with the ancestors (manes)

नnot

एवindeed/just

पार्थिवO king

सर्वैःby all

एतैःby these

परित्यक्तःabandoned/left behind

परिव्रजसिyou wander/roam (as a mendicant)

निष्क्रियःinactive/without duties

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

King (pārthiva)

Devas (devatāḥ)

Guests (atithayaḥ)

Ancestors (pitaraḥ)

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 frames a dharmic critique of premature or irresponsible renunciation: abandoning obligations to gods (sacrifice), guests (hospitality), and ancestors (śrāddha/lineage duties) is portrayed as ethically problematic when it undermines the sustaining duties of social and ritual order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses a king and questions his renunciant conduct. He points out that the king appears to have forsaken key traditional responsibilities—toward devas, guests, and ancestors—and is now wandering as an inactive mendicant, prompting a discussion on the legitimacy and timing of renunciation versus duty.