Mahabharata 7.65.8 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 65, Shloka 8

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 65 — Duḥśāsana’s Elephant Corps Engages Arjuna; Retreat to the Śakaṭa-vyūha

Devanagari script

एतद्‌ धनमपर्याप्तमश्वमेधे महामखे । शशबिन्दुर्महा भागो ब्राह्मणे भ्यो हमन्यत,यह अपार धन महाभाग शशबिन्दुने अपने अश्वमेध नामक महायजञ्ञमें ब्राह्मणोंके लिये दान किया था

Transliteration

etad dhanam aparyāptam aśvamedhe mahāmakhe | śaśabindur mahābhāgo brāhmaṇebhyo ’manyata ||

Translation

قال نارادا: «كان هذا المال فوق الحصر. وفي القربان العظيم، أشفاميدها، خصَّص الملكُ السعيدُ الحظّ شَشَبِندُو ثرواتٍ جليلةً ثم بذلها للبراهمة.»

Word by Word

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

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अपर्याप्तम्: immeasurable; not insufficient (i.e., abundant)
• अपर्याप्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर्याप्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अश्वमेधे: in the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महामखे: in the great sacrifice
• महामखे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: महामख
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शशबिन्दुः: Śaśabindu (a king)
• शशबिन्दुः: Karta
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: शशबिन्दु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाभागः: highly fortunate; illustrious
• महाभागः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Dative/Ablative, Plural

• अमन्यत: he thought/considered
• अमन्यत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (मन्यते)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śaśabindu
• Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• Brāhmaṇas
• wealth/treasure (dhanam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna as a royal and ethical duty: immense wealth gains higher meaning when dedicated to righteous giving, especially in the context of yajña and support of Brāhmaṇas who preserve and transmit sacred learning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada cites the exemplary generosity of King Śaśabindu, describing how, during a grand Aśvamedha sacrifice, he allocated immeasurable wealth as gifts for the Brāhmaṇas—an illustrative precedent within the broader discourse of Drona Parva.