Shloka 117

Śoka-śamana: Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation and Nārada’s Exempla to Sṛñjaya

Chapter 29

Devanagari script

सौवर्णी पृथिवीं कृत्वा दशव्यामां द्विरायताम्‌ । दक्षिणामददद्‌ राजा वाजिमेधे महाक्रतौ,“राजा गयने महायज्ञ अश्वमेधमें दस व्याम (पचास हाथ) चौड़ी और इससे दूनी लंबी सोनेकी पृथ्वी बनवाकर दक्षिणारूपसे दान की थी

Transliteration

sauvarṇī pṛthivīṃ kṛtvā daśavyāmāṃ dvirāyatām | dakṣiṇām adadad rājā vājimedhe mahākratau |

Translation

Vāyu sprach: „Nachdem der König eine ‚goldene Erde‘ hatte anfertigen lassen—zehn Vyāmas breit und doppelt so lang—, schenkte er sie als Dakṣiṇā, die Opfergabe, im großen Ritus des Aśvamedha.“

Word by Word

सौवर्णीम्golden (made of gold)

पृथिवीम्earth; ground (a piece of land)

कृत्वाhaving made

दशव्यामाम्ten-vyāma in extent (ten spans/arm-lengths)

द्विरायताम्twice as long (double in length)

दक्षिणाम्sacrificial fee; gift (dakṣiṇā)

अददत्gave

राजाthe king

वाजिमेधेin the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

महाक्रतौin the great rite/sacrifice

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva (speaker)

rājā (the king)

Aśvamedha (vājimedha)

dakṣiṇā (sacrificial fee)

sauvarṇī pṛthivī (golden earth/ground representation)

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 underscores dharmic kingship expressed through regulated generosity: a ruler should convert wealth into merit by giving appropriate dakṣiṇā in a properly performed sacrifice, treating riches as instruments of duty rather than private indulgence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu describes a king’s extraordinary gift at an Aśvamedha: a gold-made ‘earth’ (a crafted representation/expanse) measured ten vyāmas wide and twice as long, given as the ritual fee to officiants, illustrating the scale and intent of sacrificial giving.