Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अस्या: शुल्कं प्रदास्यन्ति नृपा राज्यमपि ध्रुवम्‌ । कि पुन: श्यामकर्णानां हयानां द्वे चतु:ःशते,“इसके शुल्कके रूपमें राजालोग निश्चय ही अपना राज्य भी आपको दे देंगे; फिर आठ सौ श्यामकर्ण घोड़ोंकी तो बात ही क्‍या है?

Transliteration

asyāḥ śulkaṃ pradāsyanti nṛpā rājyam api dhruvam | ki punaḥ śyāmakarṇānāṃ hayānāṃ dve catuḥśate ||

Translation

Nārada said: “As her bride-price, kings will certainly offer even their kingdoms. How much more readily, then, would they give eight hundred horses with dark ears?”

Word by Word

अस्याःof this (woman)

शुल्कम्bride-price; fee

प्रदास्यन्तिwill give

नृपाःkings

राज्यम्kingdom

अपिeven; also

ध्रुवम्certainly; surely

किम्what?

पुनःagain; moreover (in 'how much more')

श्यामकर्णानाम्of black-eared (horses)

हयानाम्of horses

द्वेtwo

चतुःशतेtwo sets of four hundred (i.e., eight hundred)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

kings (nṛpāḥ)

kingdom (rājyam)

dark-eared horses (śyāmakarṇa hayāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how desire for alliance or possession can make even sovereignty seem expendable, inviting ethical reflection on commodifying persons and treating political authority as a tradable asset rather than a dharmic responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada emphasizes the immense ‘bride-price’ expected for a particular woman, stating that kings would even give away their kingdoms—so offering eight hundred prized horses would be trivial by comparison.