Shloka 36
शकुनेः पुत्रेण सह आश्वमेधाश्वविषयः संघर्षः — Arjuna’s restrained engagement with Śakuni’s son during the horse-escort
ब्राह्मणानां विशां चैव बहुमृष्टान्नमृद्धिमत् । पूर्णे शतसहस्रे तु विप्राणां तत्र भुञज्जताम्
brāhmaṇānāṁ viśāṁ caiva bahumṛṣṭānnam ṛddhimat | pūrṇe śatasahasre tu viprāṇāṁ tatra bhuñjatām ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “For the Brāhmaṇas and the Vaiśyas, abundant, well-prepared food—rich and prosperous—was provided. Indeed, as a full hundred thousand Brahmins sat there to eat, the rite displayed the king’s commitment to generous giving and proper honoring of the learned.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic kingship expressed through generous hospitality and proper honoring of Brahmins and householders during a sacrificial occasion—prosperity is shown not by hoarding but by righteous distribution and respectful service.
During the Ashvamedha-related proceedings, a vast assembly—said to be a full hundred thousand Brahmins—are being fed with abundant, high-quality food, indicating the scale of the ritual and the king’s largesse.