Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तेषां च रक्षणार्थाय युध्यते फाल्गुन: परै: । एतज्ज्ञात्वा महाबाहो कार्यद्वयमुपस्थितम्‌

Transliteration

teṣāṃ ca rakṣaṇārthāya yudhyate phālgunaḥ paraiḥ | etaj jñātvā mahābāho kāryadvayam upasthitam ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“为护佑他们，法尔古那（阿周那）正与其余诸敌交战。知此情形，噢大臂者，你面前已出现两重职责。”

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

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

• रक्षणार्थाय: for (the purpose of) protection
• रक्षणार्थाय: Prayojana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षणार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• युध्यते: fights
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: Lat, Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• फाल्गुनः: Phalguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परैः: by others / with enemies
• परैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Absolutive (Tumun/ktvā), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कार्यद्वयम्: a twofold task
• कार्यद्वयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्यद्वय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उपस्थितम्: has arisen / is present
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Phālguna (Arjuna)
• Mahābāhu (epithet of the addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a warrior’s ethical tension: protection of one’s side is a legitimate duty, yet circumstances can present a ‘twofold task’ where competing obligations arise. It points to dharma as situational—requiring discernment when duties conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna is actively fighting to protect his people. He then tells the addressed hero (called ‘Mahābāhu’) that, in light of this, two urgent courses of action or responsibilities have now presented themselves.