Shloka 108

Śoka-śamana: Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation and Nārada’s Exempla to Sṛñjaya

Chapter 29

Devanagari script

रथे रथे शतं चाश्वा देशजा हेममालिन: । अश्वे अश्वे शतं गावो गवां तद्घदजाविकम्‌

Transliteration

rathe rathe śataṃ cāśvā deśajā hemamālinaḥ | aśve aśve śataṃ gāvo gavāṃ tad ghadajāvikam ||

Translation

દરેક રથ સાથે સુવર્ણમાળાથી શોભિત દેશજ સો-સો ઘોડા હતા. દરેક ઘોડા સાથે સો ગાયો, અને દરેક ગાય સાથે આગળ સો-સો ઘેટાં અને બકરાં પણ મળતાં હતાં.

Word by Word

• रथे: in/for a chariot
• रथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• रथे: in/for each chariot
• रथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देशजाः: local/native-born
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देशज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हेममालिनः: wearing garlands of gold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेममालिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्वे: in/for a horse
• अश्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अश्वे: in/for each horse
• अश्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• गवाम्: of cows
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• तत्: that; then/thereupon (referring to the following)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• घदजाविकम्: sheep-and-goats (small cattle)
• घदजाविकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: घदजाविक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• chariots (ratha)
• horses (aśva)
• cows (go)
• sheep (avi)
• goats (aja)
• golden garlands (hema-mālā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the dharmic ideal of dāna: righteous prosperity is expressed through generous distribution of wealth, especially in forms that sustain society—cattle and livestock—rather than mere hoarding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu describes an extraordinary scale of endowments: each chariot is accompanied by a hundred horses; each horse by a hundred cows; and each cow by a hundred sheep and goats—depicting a cascading abundance of gifts or possessions.