Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अश्मसारमयं भाण्डं शुद्धदन्तत्सरूनसीन्‌ । प्राग्ज्योतिषाधिपो दत्त्वा भगदत्तो5व्रजत्‌ तदा,उस समय प्राग्ज्योतिषनरेश भगदत्त हीरे और पद्मराग आदि मणियोंके आभूषण तथा विशुद्ध हाथी-दाँतकी मूँठवाले खड्ग देकर भीतर गये थे

Transliteration

aśmasāramayaṁ bhāṇḍaṁ śuddhadantatsarūnasīn | prāgjyotiṣādhipo dattvā bhagadatto ’vrajat tadā ||

Translation

Duryodhana said: “At that time Bhagadatta, the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa, presented a vessel made of hard stone and swords furnished with handles of pure ivory; having given these gifts, he then withdrew.”

Word by Word

अश्मसारमयम्made of stone-essence (hard as stone)

भाण्डम्vessel, container

शुद्धदन्तत्सरूनसीन्swords with hilts of pure ivory

प्राग्ज्योतिषाधिपःthe lord of Pragjyotiṣa

दत्त्वाhaving given

भगदत्तःBhagadatta

अव्रजत्went, departed

तदाthen, at that time

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Bhagadatta

Prāgjyotiṣa

stone vessel (aśmasāramaya bhāṇḍa)

ivory-hilted swords (śuddhadantatsarū asayaḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how royal gifts function as instruments of political relationship and reputation: offerings in an assembly are not merely material, but public signals of loyalty, power, and standing within a dharma-governed court.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Kuru assembly, Duryodhana recounts the gifts brought by Bhagadatta, ruler of Prāgjyotiṣa—an exceptionally hard stone vessel and swords with pure-ivory hilts—after which Bhagadatta departs, completing his formal presentation.