Shloka 12
राजा गयने अश्वमेध नामक महायज्ञमें मणिमय रेतवाली सोनेकी पृथ्वी बनवाकर ब्राह्मणोंको दान की थी ।। जाम्बूनदमया यूपा: सर्वे रत्नपरिच्छदा: । गयस्यासन् समृद्धास्तु सर्वभूतमनोहरा:
jāmbūnadamayā yūpāḥ sarve ratnaparicchadāḥ | gayasyāsan samṛddhās tu sarvabhūtamanoharāḥ ||
Nārada said: In King Gaya’s great Aśvamedha sacrifice, the sacrificial posts were all made of pure Jāmbūnada gold and were adorned with jewels. They stood in splendid abundance, captivating the hearts of all beings—an image of royal prosperity directed toward sacred giving and the honoring of Brahmins.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic kingship: wealth and power gain ethical meaning when directed toward yajña and generous giving, especially in honoring learned Brahmins. Splendor is presented not as mere luxury but as an instrument for religious merit and social responsibility.
Nārada describes King Gaya’s Aśvamedha sacrifice, emphasizing the extraordinary opulence of its ritual apparatus—golden, jewel-adorned sacrificial posts—thereby illustrating Gaya’s prosperity and his commitment to grand Vedic rites and largesse.