Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यानमाच्छादनं भोगान्‌ दासीश्व समलंकृता: । ददौ राजा समुद्दिश्य तयोमत्रोर्महीपति:,उस समय जो मनुष्य जिस वस्तुको जितनी मात्रामें लेना चाहता, वह उस वस्तुको उतनी ही मात्रामें प्राप्त कर लेता था। राजा युधिष्ठिरने अपनी उन दोनों माताओंके उद्देश्यसे शय्या, भोजन, सवारी, मणि, रत्न, धन, वाहन, वस्त्र, नाना प्रकारके भोग तथा वस्त्राभूषणोंसे विभूषित दासियाँ प्रदान कीं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | yānam ācchādanaṃ bhogān dāsīś ca samalaṅkṛtāḥ | dadau rājā samuddiśya tayor mātroḥ mahīpatiḥ ||

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata: Sang raja, penguasa bumi, mempersembahkan hadiah demi penghormatan kepada kedua ibunya—kendaraan, penutup dan pakaian, berbagai kenikmatan, serta dayang-dayang yang berhias perhiasan. Dalam tatanan kemurahan istana itu, apa pun yang diinginkan seseorang—sebanyak ukuran yang ia kehendaki—sebanyak itulah disediakan; suatu gambaran dana yang tertib, digerakkan oleh dharma dan bakti kepada para sesepuh.

Word by Word

यानम्vehicle, conveyance

आच्छादनम्covering, clothing

भोगान्enjoyments, luxuries

दासीःfemale servants

चand

समलङ्कृताःadorned, decorated

ददौgave

राजाthe king

समुद्दिश्यhaving intended/with reference to

तयोःof those two

मात्रोःof (his) two mothers

महीपतिःlord of the earth, king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

the king (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied by context)

the two mothers (Kuntī and Gāndhārī, by context)

vehicles/conveyances (yāna)

garments/coverings (ācchādana)

enjoyments/comforts (bhoga)

adorned maidservants (samalaṅkṛtā dāsī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic kingship expressed through regulated generosity: wealth and comforts are distributed as gifts, and offerings are explicitly dedicated in honor of elders (the king’s mothers), showing that charity is not mere display but a duty guided by reverence and social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the king arranging and giving substantial provisions—conveyances, garments, comforts, and ornamented attendants—dedicating these gifts to his two mothers. The surrounding description emphasizes abundance and the smooth fulfillment of people’s needs during the distribution.