Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 19

Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity

Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

ईषादन्तान्‌ महाकायान्‌ काञ्चनस्रग्विभूषितान्‌ । पद्मिनो वै सहस््राणि प्रादां दश च सप्त च

Transliteration

īṣādantān mahākāyān kāñcanasragvibhūṣitān | padmino vai sahasrāṇi prādāṁ daśa ca sapta ca ||

Translation

भगिरथ ने कहा—मैंने हल के डंडे के समान दाँतों वाले, महाकाय, स्वर्ण-मालाओं से विभूषित, पद्म-चिह्न वाले हाथियों के सहस्रों दान किए—कुल सत्रह हज़ार।

Word by Word

• ईषादन्तान्: having pole-like tusks
• ईषादन्तान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईषादन्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महाकायान्: huge-bodied
• महाकायान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकाय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• काञ्चनस्रग्विभूषितान्: adorned with golden garlands
• काञ्चनस्रग्विभूषितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चनस्रग्विभूषित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पद्मिनः: elephants (of the ‘padmin’ class)
• पद्मिनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• प्रादाम्: I gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा
• Form: Aorist (simple past), 1st, Singular

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

Speaker

भगीरथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• elephants (padminaḥ)
• golden garlands (kāñcana-srag)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna as a central royal and ethical duty: a ruler’s prosperity gains meaning when converted into righteous giving, especially of valuable, auspicious gifts, thereby supporting dharma and accruing merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhagīratha is recounting his acts of generosity, specifying that he donated a vast number of richly adorned, auspicious elephants—seventeen thousand—illustrating the scale and intent of his charitable conduct.