Shloka 10

Adhyāya 283: Varṇa-vṛtti, Nyāya-ārjana, and the Decline-and-Restoration of Dharma (वर्णवृत्तिः न्यायार्जनं च)

Devanagari script

आहूता मन्त्रिता: सर्वे देवाश्न सह पत्निभि:

Transliteration

āhūtā mantritāḥ sarve devāś ca saha patnībhiḥ

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：诸神尽被召集，同坐共议，并携其神后同来——这表明那是一场庄严而集体的商议，连神圣秩序中“家室”的一面也被纳入谋议之中。

Word by Word

• आहूताः: invited/called
• आहूताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आहूत (आ + √ह्वा)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मन्त्रिताः: consulted/advised
• मन्त्रिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्रित (√मन्त्र्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• पत्निभिः: with (their) wives
• पत्निभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• devāḥ (the gods)
• patnīḥ (wives/consorts of the gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the importance of collective counsel (mantra) before major decisions: even the gods act through consultation, suggesting that wise governance and dharma rely on deliberation rather than impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that all the gods were called together and consulted, along with their consorts, setting the scene for a formal divine assembly and a decision reached through shared deliberation.