Shloka 16
Vidurovācā: Śreyas, Mantra, and Conciliation toward the Pāṇḍavas (विदुरोवाच—श्रेयः-मन्त्र-समाधानम्)
शतं गजानामपि पद्मिनां तथा शतं गिरीणामिव हेमश्ज्ञिणाम् । तथैव दासीशतम ग्र्ययौवनं महाहवेषाभरणाम्बरस्रजम्,पद्म आदि उत्तम लक्षणोंसे युक्त सौ हाथी तथा पर्वतोंके समान ऊँचे और सुनहरे हौदोंसे सुशोभित सौ हाथी और (साथ ही) बहुमूल्य शुंगार-सामग्री, वस्त्राभूषण एवं हार धारण करनेवाली एक सौ नवयौवना दासियाँ भी भेंट की
vaiśampāyana uvāca | śataṃ gajānām api padmināṃ tathā śataṃ girīṇām iva hemaśṛṅgiṇām | tathaiva dāsīśataṃ gryayauvanaṃ mahāhaveṣābharaṇāmbarasrajam ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Er schenkte auch hundert edle Elefanten—mit glückverheißenden Zeichen wie dem Lotos—und weitere hundert, hoch wie Berge, mit goldenen Prunkgeschirren geschmückt. Ebenso gab er hundert junge Dienerinnen in der Blüte der Jugend, reich ausgestattet mit kostbaren Schmuckstücken, Gewändern und Girlanden.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how royal generosity and conspicuous gifting function as instruments of status and political relationship. Ethically, it invites reflection on dāna as a virtue when aligned with dharma, while also revealing the epic’s historical social assumptions—especially the objectification of human attendants as part of wealth.
A king or patron (contextually, the giver in this episode) is described as presenting lavish gifts: large numbers of high-quality elephants with splendid golden equipment, and a hundred young maidservants adorned with valuable clothing, jewelry, and garlands.