Shloka 13

Haryaśva’s Agreement with Gālava and the Birth of Vasumanā

Nārada’s narration

Devanagari script

अस्या: शुल्कं प्रदास्यन्ति नृपा राज्यमपि ध्रुवम्‌ । कि पुन: श्यामकर्णानां हयानां द्वे चतु:ःशते

Transliteration

asyāḥ śulkaṃ pradāsyanti nṛpā rājyam api dhruvam | ki punaḥ śyāmakarṇānāṃ hayānāṃ dve catuḥśate ||

Translation

এর শুল্করূপে রাজারা নিশ্চয়ই নিজেদের রাজ্য পর্যন্ত দেবে; তবে শ্যামকর্ণ আটশো অশ্ব তো কতই না সহজ।

Word by Word

• अस्याः: of this (woman)
• अस्याः: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (स्त्री.)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• शुल्कम्: bride-price; fee
• शुल्कम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रदास्यन्ति: will give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (प्र + दा)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• ध्रुवम्: certainly; surely
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, adverbial accusative

• किम्: what?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, in idiom 'कि पुनः' = 'how much more'

• पुनः: again; moreover (in 'how much more')
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• श्यामकर्णानाम्: of black-eared (horses)
• श्यामकर्णानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्यामकर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हयानाम्: of horses
• हयानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• द्वे: two
• Type: Numeral
• Root: द्वि
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Dual

• चतुःशते: two sets of four hundred (i.e., eight hundred)
• चतुःशते: Karma
• Type: Numeral
• Root: चतुःशत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Dual

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• kings (nṛpāḥ)
• kingdom (rājyam)
• dark-eared horses (śyāmakarṇa hayāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how desire for alliance or possession can make even sovereignty seem expendable, inviting ethical reflection on commodifying persons and treating political authority as a tradable asset rather than a dharmic responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada emphasizes the immense ‘bride-price’ expected for a particular woman, stating that kings would even give away their kingdoms—so offering eight hundred prized horses would be trivial by comparison.