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Shloka 143

Adhyāya 64 — Omens, Conch Signals, and Arjuna’s Assault on the Elephant Division

Devanagari script

सदण्डकोशनिचयान ब्राह्मणे भ्यो हमन्यत । उस विस्तृत यज्ञमें यजमान अम्बरीषने उन मूर्धथाभिषिक्त नरेशों और सैकड़ों राजकुमारोंको दण्ड और खजानों-सहित ब्राह्मणोंके अधीन कर दिया

Transliteration

sadaṇḍakośanicayān brāhmaṇebhyo ’manyata | tasmin vistṛte yajñe yajamāno ’mbharīṣo mūrdhābhiṣiktān nareśān śatāni ca rājakumārān daṇḍa-kośa-sahitān brāhmaṇānām adhīnaṃ cakāra ||

Translation

قال نارادا: في ذلك اليَجْنَا الفسيح، جعل الملك أمبريشا، بوصفه اليَجَمَانَا (راعي القربان)، الملوكَ المُتَوَّجين ومئاتِ الأمراء—مع أدوات سلطانهم وخزائنهم المكدَّسة—تحت ولايةِ البراهمة وإشرافهم.

Word by Word

सदण्डकोशनिचयान्those (kings) together with staffs/punitive power and treasuries/accumulated wealth

ब्राह्मणेभ्यःto/for the Brahmins

अमन्यतhe assigned/considered (as belonging)

सःhe

विस्तृतेin the extensive

यज्ञेin the sacrifice

यजमानःthe sacrificer/patron

अम्बरीषःAmbarīṣa

तान्those

मूर्धाभिषिक्तान्crowned/anointed on the head

नरेशान्kings

चand

सैकतान्hundreds (of)

राजकुमारान्princes

दण्डकोशैःwith punitive power and treasuries

सहितान्accompanied by/along with

ब्राह्मणानाम्of the Brahmins

अधीनम्under the control of

अकरोत्he made/placed

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Ambarīṣa

Brāhmaṇas

consecrated kings (mūrdhābhiṣiktāḥ nareśāḥ)

princes (rājakumārāḥ)

daṇḍa (rod of authority)

kośa (treasury)

yajña (sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal authority (daṇḍa) and wealth (kośa) are ethically legitimate when subordinated to dharma and guided by Vedic discipline; the king’s power is portrayed as accountable to sacred law and the custodians of ritual knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes an elaborate sacrifice sponsored by King Ambarīṣa, during which crowned kings and many princes, along with their power and treasuries, are placed under the direction/oversight of the Brāhmaṇas—signaling the ritual and moral hierarchy governing the event.