Shloka 3

अक्षदेवन-प्रवर्तनम् | Commencement of the Dice Game

Devanagari script

दक्षिणार्थ समानीता राजभि: कांस्यदोहना: । आरण्या बहुसाहस्रा अपश्यंस्तत्र तत्र गा:

Transliteration

dakṣiṇārthaṃ samānītā rājabhiḥ kāṃsyadohanāḥ | āraṇyā bahusāhasrā apaśyaṃs tatra tatra gāḥ ||

Translation

Duryodhana sprach: „Als Tribut (dakṣiṇā) haben die Könige Kühe herbeigebracht, deren Milch in bronzene Gefäße gemolken wird. Doch sehe ich hier und dort viele Tausende von Waldherden.“

Word by Word

• दक्षिणार्थम्: for the sacrificial fee (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समानीताः: brought/collected
• समानीताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + नी (नी)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• राजभिः: by kings
• राजभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कांस्यदोहनाḥ: having bronze (milking-)vessels; milked into bronze pails
• कांस्यदोहनाḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कांस्य-दोहन
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• आरण्याः: wild/forest(-dwelling)
• आरण्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आरण्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• बहुसाहस्राः: many thousands (in number)
• बहुसाहस्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-साहस्र
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• अपश्यन्: they saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• तत्र: here and there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• kings (rājānaḥ)
• cows/cattle (gāvaḥ)
• bronze vessels (kāṃsya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how public displays of wealth and tribute can inflame jealousy and rivalry; ethical steadiness is tested when others prosper, and envy can distort perception into grievance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana remarks on the vast cattle wealth being gathered as tribute—cows brought by subordinate kings and countless forest cattle seen everywhere—underscoring the scale of prosperity that provokes his resentment.