Shloka 67

Droṇa’s Ācārya-Dakṣiṇā: Capture of Drupada and Division of Pāñcāla (द्रोण-आचार्यदक्षिणा)

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तदा नागो वासुकिं प्रत्यभाषत । यदि नागेन्द्र तुष्टो&सि किमस्य धनसंचयै:,उनके यों कहनेपर आर्यक नागने वासुकिसे कहा--“नागराज! यदि आप प्रसन्न हैं तो यह धनराशि लेकर क्या करेगा”

Transliteration

evam uktas tadā nāgo vāsukiṁ pratyabhāṣata | yadi nāgendra tuṣṭo 'si kim asya dhana-saṁcayaiḥ ||

Translation

So angesprochen, erwiderte die Schlange Vāsuki: „O Herr der Schlangen, wenn du bereits zufrieden bist, wozu taugt ihm dieser Hort an Reichtum?“

Word by Word

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

तदाthen

नागःthe serpent

वासुकिम्Vasuki

प्रत्यभाषतreplied / spoke in return

यदिif

नागेन्द्रO lord of serpents

तुष्टःpleased / satisfied

असिyou are

किम्what (use?)

अस्यof this (one) / for him

धन-संचयैःwith hoards of wealth / by accumulations of riches

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Nāga (serpent)

Vāsuki

Nāgendra (lord of serpents)

dhana-saṁcaya (hoard of wealth)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse suggests that once genuine satisfaction or goodwill is obtained, hoarding wealth loses its purpose; ethical value lies more in contentment and right relationship than in mere accumulation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a dialogue among the Nāgas, a serpent responds to Vāsuki, questioning the utility of a treasure-hoard when the Nāga-lord is already pleased—framing the situation as one where approval matters more than material gain.