Shloka 12
Droṇānīka-praveśa: Arjuna’s respectful appeal to Droṇa and renewed advance toward Jayadratha (द्रोणानीकप्रवेशः)
राजा गयने अश्वमेध नामक महायज्ञमें मणिमय रेतवाली सोनेकी पृथ्वी बनवाकर ब्राह्मणोंको दान की थी ।। जाम्बूनदमया यूपा: सर्वे रत्नपरिच्छदा: । गयस्यासन् समृद्धास्तु सर्वभूतमनोहरा:
jāmbūnadamayā yūpāḥ sarve ratnaparicchadāḥ | gayasyāsan samṛddhās tu sarvabhūtamanoharāḥ ||
Narada berkata: Dalam mahayajña Aśvamedha milik Raja Gaya, ia menyiapkan “bumi” yang seakan-akan dari emas dengan pasir bertahtakan permata, lalu menganugerahkannya kepada para brāhmaṇa. Tiang-tiang kurban (yūpa) semuanya dari emas Jāmbūnada murni dan berhias ratna; berdiri dalam kelimpahan yang gemilang, memikat hati semua makhluk.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic kingship: wealth and power gain ethical meaning when directed toward yajña and generous giving, especially in honoring learned Brahmins. Splendor is presented not as mere luxury but as an instrument for religious merit and social responsibility.
Nārada describes King Gaya’s Aśvamedha sacrifice, emphasizing the extraordinary opulence of its ritual apparatus—golden, jewel-adorned sacrificial posts—thereby illustrating Gaya’s prosperity and his commitment to grand Vedic rites and largesse.