Shloka 2
Akṣa-hṛdaya-dāna and Phalāśruti of the Nalopākhyāna (अक्षहृदयदानम् / नलोपाख्यान-फलश्रुतिः)
रथेनैकेन शुभ्रेण दन्तिभि: परिषोडशै: । पज्चाशद्/ि्यैश्वेव षघट्शतैश्व पदातिभि:,उनके साथ चारों ओरसे सोलह हाथियोंद्वारा घिरा हुआ एक सुन्दर रथ, पचास घोड़े और छः: सौ पैदल सैनिक थे
bṛhadaśva uvāca | rathenaikena śubhreṇa dantibhiḥ pariṣoḍaśaiḥ | pañcāśad-aśvaiś caiva ṣaṭ-śataiś ca padātibhiḥ ||
Bṛhadaśva said: With a single splendid chariot, encircled by sixteen elephants, and accompanied by fifty horses and six hundred foot-soldiers, he advanced.
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the outward signs of sovereignty—chariot, elephants, cavalry, and infantry—implying that power is maintained through organized strength; ethically, it invites reflection on how such force should be governed by dharma rather than mere dominance.
Bṛhadaśva describes a figure moving with a well-equipped escort: one splendid chariot, sixteen elephants around it, fifty horses, and six hundred foot-soldiers, portraying a formal royal or martial procession.