Shloka 10

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

Devanagari script

भक्ष्यानज्नपाननिचया: पर्वता: क्रोशमुच्छिता: । तस्याश्वमेधे निर्वत्ते राज्ञ: शिष्टास्त्रयोदश

Transliteration

bhakṣyānajñapānanicayāḥ parvatāḥ krośamucchitāḥ | tasyāśvamedhe nirvṛtte rājñaḥ śiṣṭās trayodaśa

Translation

নাৰদে ক’লে—ভক্ষ্য, অন্ন আৰু পানীয়ৰ সঞ্চয় পৰ্বতৰ দৰে এক ক্রোশ উঁচা আছিল। সেই ৰজাৰ অশ্বমেধ যজ্ঞ সম্পন্ন হোৱাৰ পাছতো তেৰটা (অংশ/সঞ্চয়) অৱশিষ্ট থাকিল।

Word by Word

भक्ष्यedibles, foods

अन्नcooked food, grain

पानdrinks

निचयाःheaps, accumulations

पर्वताःmountains (piles like mountains)

क्रोशम्a krośa (a measure of distance)

उच्छिताःraised up, towering

तस्यof him/that

अश्वमेधेin the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

निर्वृत्तेwhen completed, having been carried out

राज्ञःof the king

शिष्टाःremaining, left over

त्रयोदशthirteen

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Aśvamedha (Horse Sacrifice)

the king (rājā; unnamed in this verse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the immense scale of royal ritual giving and hospitality: abundance is portrayed not for indulgence alone but as a sign of a king’s capacity to sustain guests, priests, and dependents through dharmic sacrifice and distribution.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes the extraordinary provisions arranged for a king’s Aśvamedha—piles of food and drink compared to mountains—and notes that even after the sacrifice concluded, thirteen remained as surplus/leftovers.