Shloka 16
Śāṇḍilī–Suparṇa Saṃvāda
Conduct, Intention, and Restoration
गुरवे संश्रुतानीह शतान्यष्टौ हि वाजिनाम् | एकत: श्यामकर्णानां शुभ्राणां चन्द्रवर्चसाम्
gurave saṁśrutānīha śatāny aṣṭau hi vājinām | ekataḥ śyāmakarṇānāṁ śubhrāṇāṁ candravarcasām |
Gālava dit : «Ici, j’ai fait vœu envers mon maître de lui offrir huit cents chevaux — d’un blanc éclatant, rayonnants comme la lune, et portant une marque sombre sur un seul côté de leurs oreilles.»
गालव उवाच
Educational Q&A
A pledge made to one’s teacher is treated as a dharmic bond: truthfulness and responsibility require the disciple to strive to fulfill even an arduous promise, placing integrity above convenience.
Gālava states the specific terms of the obligation he has undertaken for his guru: he must procure eight hundred rare horses—white and moon-bright, with dark coloration on one side of their ears—setting up the difficulty that drives the ensuing events.