Shloka 143
Adhyāya 64 — Omens, Conch Signals, and Arjuna’s Assault on the Elephant Division
सदण्डकोशनिचयान ब्राह्मणे भ्यो हमन्यत । उस विस्तृत यज्ञमें यजमान अम्बरीषने उन मूर्धथाभिषिक्त नरेशों और सैकड़ों राजकुमारोंको दण्ड और खजानों-सहित ब्राह्मणोंके अधीन कर दिया
sadaṇḍakośanicayān brāhmaṇebhyo ’manyata | tasmin vistṛte yajñe yajamāno ’mbharīṣo mūrdhābhiṣiktān nareśān śatāni ca rājakumārān daṇḍa-kośa-sahitān brāhmaṇānām adhīnaṃ cakāra ||
Nārada said: In that expansive sacrifice, the patron-king Ambarīṣa placed the consecrated rulers and hundreds of princes—together with their instruments of authority and their amassed treasuries—under the stewardship of the Brāhmaṇas.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal authority (daṇḍa) and wealth (kośa) are ethically legitimate when subordinated to dharma and guided by Vedic discipline; the king’s power is portrayed as accountable to sacred law and the custodians of ritual knowledge.
Nārada describes an elaborate sacrifice sponsored by King Ambarīṣa, during which crowned kings and many princes, along with their power and treasuries, are placed under the direction/oversight of the Brāhmaṇas—signaling the ritual and moral hierarchy governing the event.