Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 31
Baka Dālbhya at Avakīrṇa-tīrtha: Rāṣṭra-kṣaya and Release through Prasāda (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 40)
पयस्विनीस्तथा थेनूर्यानानि शयनानि च । अथ वस्त्राण्यलड्कारं भक्ष्यं पेयं च शोभनम्
payasvinīs tathā dhenūr yānāni śayanāni ca | atha vastrāṇy alaṅkāraṃ bhakṣyaṃ peyaṃ ca śobhanam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “They also provided milk-yielding cows, vehicles, and beds; and further, fine garments and ornaments, along with excellent foods and drinks.” The verse highlights the customary ethic of honoring others through generous gifts and hospitality, even amid the larger pressures of the war narrative.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dāna and atithi-satkāra—ethical generosity and proper hospitality—expressed through providing necessities and luxuries (cows, transport, bedding, clothing, ornaments, food, drink) as a marker of righteous conduct and social duty.
Vaiśaṃpāyana lists the items being bestowed or arranged—milch-cows, conveyances, beds, fine clothing and ornaments, and good food and drink—describing a scene of provisioning and honoring (typically in reception, reward, or ritual gifting) within the broader Shalya Parva storyline.
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