Shloka 11
अर्जुनस्य प्रतिघातः — श्रुताय्वच्युतायुवधः तथा गजसैन्यविदारणम्
Arjuna’s Counterstroke: Slaying of Śrutāyu and Acyutāyu; Breaking the Elephant Corps
इष्ट्वा शाकुन्तलो राजा तर्पयित्वा द्विजान् धनै: । सहस्रं यत्र पद्मानां कण्वाय भरतो ददौ
iṣṭvā śākuntalo rājā tarpayitvā dvijān dhanaiḥ | sahasraṃ yatra padmānāṃ kaṇvāya bharato dadau ||
Nārada sprach: Nachdem er die vorgeschriebenen Riten vollzogen hatte, besänftigte König Bharata—der Sohn Śakuntalās—die Zweimalgeborenen (Brāhmaṇas) mit Gaben an Reichtum. In eben diesem Zusammenhang schenkte er Kaṇva tausend Lotosblüten, als Zeichen seiner Ehrfurcht vor dem Weisen und seines Bekenntnisses zu dharmischer Freigebigkeit.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights rājadharma expressed through yajña and dāna: a king upholds social and spiritual order by performing rites and by honoring sages and brāhmaṇas with appropriate gifts, showing gratitude, humility, and commitment to dharma.
Nārada recounts Bharata’s righteous conduct: after completing ritual worship, he gratifies the dvijas with wealth and, on that occasion, gives Kaṇva a notable offering—one thousand lotus-flowers—signifying reverence toward the sage associated with Śakuntalā’s lineage.