Shloka 12
Droṇānīka-praveśa: Arjuna’s respectful appeal to Droṇa and renewed advance toward Jayadratha (द्रोणानीकप्रवेशः)
राजा गयने अश्वमेध नामक महायज्ञमें मणिमय रेतवाली सोनेकी पृथ्वी बनवाकर ब्राह्मणोंको दान की थी ।। जाम्बूनदमया यूपा: सर्वे रत्नपरिच्छदा: । गयस्यासन् समृद्धास्तु सर्वभूतमनोहरा:
jāmbūnadamayā yūpāḥ sarve ratnaparicchadāḥ | gayasyāsan samṛddhās tu sarvabhūtamanoharāḥ ||
Nārada sprach: Beim großen Aśvamedha-Opfer des Königs Gaya waren die Opferpfähle (yūpa) sämtlich aus reinem Jāmbūnada-Gold gefertigt und mit Edelsteinen geschmückt. In strahlender Fülle standen sie da und bezauberten die Herzen aller Wesen—ein Bild königlichen Wohlstands, der dem heiligen Geben und der Ehrung der Brāhmaṇas zugewandt ist.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic kingship: wealth and power gain ethical meaning when directed toward yajña and generous giving, especially in honoring learned Brahmins. Splendor is presented not as mere luxury but as an instrument for religious merit and social responsibility.
Nārada describes King Gaya’s Aśvamedha sacrifice, emphasizing the extraordinary opulence of its ritual apparatus—golden, jewel-adorned sacrificial posts—thereby illustrating Gaya’s prosperity and his commitment to grand Vedic rites and largesse.