Shloka 2

Khāṇḍava-dāha: Indra’s Countermeasures and the Nāga Aśvasena’s Escape (आदि पर्व, अध्याय २१८)

Devanagari script

तत्र दान ददुर्वीरा ब्राह्मणेभ्य: सहस्रश: । भोजवृष्ण्यन्धकाश्नैव महे तस्य गिरेस्तदा,पर्वतपर होनेवाले उस उत्सवमें भोज, वृष्णि और अन्धकवंशके वीरोंने सहस्रों ब्राह्मणोंको दान दिया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

tatra dānaṃ dadur vīrā brāhmaṇebhyaḥ sahasraśaḥ |

bhojavṛṣṇyandhakāś caiva mahe tasya gires tadā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Dort, bei dem großen Fest, das auf dem Berge begangen wurde, spendeten die tapferen Helden der Bhoja-, Vṛṣṇi- und Andhaka-Geschlechter den Brāhmaṇas Gaben zu Tausenden. Die Szene betont die soziale Ethik, heilige Gelehrsamkeit zu ehren und die religiöse Ordnung durch großzügiges Geben bei öffentlichen Riten zu erhalten.

Word by Word

तत्रthere

दानम्gift, donation

ददुःgave

वीराःheroes, warriors

ब्राह्मणेभ्यःto the Brahmins

सहस्रशःby thousands, in thousands

भोजthe Bhojas

वृष्णिthe Vṛṣṇis

अन्धकाःthe Andhakas

चand

एवindeed, just

महेin the great (festival/occasion)

तस्यof that

गिरेःof the mountain

तदाthen, at that time

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Brāhmaṇas

Bhojas

Vṛṣṇis

Andhakas

Mountain (giri)

Festival/celebration (mahotsava context)

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 highlights dāna as a central dharmic practice: during major communal rites, rulers and warriors uphold social and religious stability by honoring brāhmaṇas and supporting sacred learning through generous gifts.

What is happening in the narrative?

At a grand celebration connected with a mountain gathering, the heroes of the Bhoja, Vṛṣṇi, and Andhaka clans distribute abundant donations—'in thousands'—to brāhmaṇas, marking the event with public generosity and ritual propriety.