Shloka 4
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
घुष्यमाणे महादाने दिक्षु सर्वासु भारत । पतत्सु पुष्पवर्षेषु धर्मराजस्य मूर्थनि,भरतश्रेष्ठ] भारत! उस यज्ञमें श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणों, जातिवालों, सम्बन्धियों, बन्धु-बान्धवों, अन्धों तथा दीन-दरिद्रोंके तृप्त हो जानेपर जब युधिष्ठिरके महान् दानका चारों ओर शोर हो गया और धर्मराजके मस्तकपर फूलोंकी वर्षा होने लगी उसी समय वहाँ एक नेवला आया। अनघ! उसकी आँखें नीली थीं और उसके शरीरके एक ओरका भाग सोनेका था। पृथ्वीनाथ! उसने आते ही एक बार वज्रके समान भयंकर गर्जना की
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
ghuṣyamāṇe mahādāne dikṣu sarvāsu bhārata |
patatsu puṣpavarṣeṣu dharmarājasya mūrdhani ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: O Bhārata, as Dharmarāja’s great gift was being proclaimed in all directions and showers of flowers were falling upon his head—public acclaim for generosity and dharma—the scene was set for a moral test of what truly constitutes “great giving.”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Public acclaim and ritual signs (like a rain of flowers) may celebrate generosity, but the narrative context points toward a deeper ethical inquiry: the true greatness of dāna is measured by intention, sacrifice, and the relief of suffering—not merely by scale or reputation.
During Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha-related festivities, his immense charity is being loudly praised in every direction, and flowers are said to rain upon his head as a mark of honor; this moment introduces the ensuing episode that challenges conventional ideas of “great giving.”