Shloka 21

Devanagari script

शकुनिने कहा--राजन्‌! हमलोगोंके पास बैल, घोड़े और बहुत-सी दुधारू गौएँ हैं। भेड़ और बकरियोंकी तो गिनती ही नहीं है। हाथी, खजाना, दास-दासी तथा सुवर्ण सब कुछ हैं

Transliteration

śakunir uvāca—rājan! asmākaṃ go-vṛṣa-aśva-sampad bahvī; bahvyaś ca dugdhadā gāvaḥ santi. avi-ajānāṃ tu gaṇanāpi nāsti. hastinaḥ, kośaḥ, dāsa-dāsyaḥ tathā suvarṇaṃ—sarvam asmākaṃ vidyate.

Translation

Shakuni sagte: „O König, wir besitzen Reichtum im Überfluss—Stiere und Pferde und viele milchgebende Kühe. Was Schafe und Ziegen betrifft, so sind sie jenseits jeder Zählung. Elefanten, Schatzkammer, Knechte und Mägde und Gold—alles ist in unserer Hand.“

Word by Word

शकुनिःShakuni

कहाsaid

राजन्O king

अस्माकम्of us / our

पाश्वेat (our) side / in our possession

वृषभाःbulls

अश्वाःhorses

बह्व्यःmany

दोग्ध्रीःmilch-cows (milk-giving females)

गावःcows

सन्तिare / exist

अवयम्indeed / moreover

अविकाःsheep

अजाःgoats

असंख्येयाःcountless

सन्तिare

हस्तिनःelephants

कोशःtreasury

दासाःmale slaves/servants

दास्यःfemale slaves/maids

सुवर्णम्gold

सर्वम्all

अस्तिis / exists

Speaker

(वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śakuni

King (Rājan)

bulls

horses

milk-giving cows

sheep

goats

elephants

treasury

male servants

female servants

gold

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 how political speech can equate legitimacy with possessions—cattle, gold, servants, and treasury—inviting reflection on the ethical gap between mere wealth (artha) and righteous rule (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Shakuni addresses the king and lists the Kuru side’s abundant resources—livestock, elephants, treasury, servants, and gold—asserting overwhelming prosperity and strength as part of the ongoing courtly/political maneuvering in the Sabha Parva.