Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 1536

यज्ञवाटवैभववर्णनम् / Description of the Splendour of the Sacrificial Enclosure

Devanagari script

प्रियाख्याननिमित्तं वै ददौ बहुधनं तदा । यह शुभ समाचार सुनकर राजा युधिष्ठिरकी आँखोंमें आनन्दके आँसू छलक आये और यह प्रिय वृत्तान्त निवेदन करनेके कारण उस दूतको पुरस्काररूपमें उन्होंने बहुत-सा धन दिया

Transliteration

priyākhyāna-nimittaṃ vai dadau bahu-dhanaṃ tadā |

Translation

આ પ્રિય સમાચાર સાંભળતાં રાજા યુધિષ્ઠિરની આંખોમાં આનંદના આંસુ છલકાયા; અને તે શુભ વૃત્તાંત જણાવવાના કારણે તેમણે દૂતને પુરસ્કારરૂપે બહુ ધન આપ્યું.

Word by Word

• प्रियाख्याननिमित्तम्: for the reason/cause of the pleasing report
• प्रियाख्याननिमित्तम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय-आख्यान-निमित्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• ददौ: gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (दाने)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• बहुधनम्: much wealth
• बहुधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु-धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

युधिष्ठिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• messenger (dūta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A righteous king responds to auspicious service with gratitude and generosity: good tidings and faithful reporting are to be honoured, and wealth is used ethically as a reward that reinforces trust and dharmic conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira receives a welcome report; moved by the pleasing news, he rewards the messenger by giving him abundant wealth.