Shloka 38

Devanagari script

प्रहर्षात्‌ प्रददौ वित्तं बहु राजा महामना: । बललवाय महारज्रे यथा वैश्रवणस्तथा,उस समय कुबेरके समान महामनस्वी राजा विराटने अत्यन्त हर्षमें भरकर बलल्‍लवको उस विशाल रंगभूमिमें ही बहुत धन दिया

Transliteration

prahārṣāt pradadau vittaṃ bahu rājā mahāmanāḥ | ballavāya mahāraṅge yathā vaiśravaṇas tathā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Overwhelmed with joy, the high-minded King Virāṭa bestowed abundant wealth upon Ballava, right there in that vast arena—giving like Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera) himself.

Word by Word

प्रहर्षात्from/owing to joy

प्रददौgave

वित्तम्wealth, money

बहुmuch, abundant

राजाthe king

महामना:great-souled, magnanimous

बललवायto Ballava

महाराजेin/at the great king (i.e., in the king's presence/court)

यथाas, just as

वैश्रवणःVaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

तथाso, likewise

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Virāṭa

Ballava

Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

mahāraṅga (great arena)

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 dāna (generous giving) as a royal virtue: a righteous king responds to worthy service with gratitude and abundant reward, modeling ethical leadership and the dharmic duty to honor merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being pleased and delighted, King Virāṭa rewards Ballava with much wealth in the great arena itself, and the narrator likens Virāṭa’s lavish giving to Kubera, the divine lord of riches.