Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अर-क्रा् सप्तपजञ्चाशत्तमो< ध्याय: राजा पौरवके अद्भुत दानका वृत्तान्त नारद उवाच राजानं पौरवं वीरं मृतं सृज्जय शुश्रुम । सहस््र॑ यः सहस्राणां श्वेतानश्वानवासृजत्‌,नारदजी कहते हैं--सृंजय! हमने वीर राजा पौरवकी भी मृत्यु हुई सुनी है, जिन्होंने दस लाख श्वेत घोड़ोंका दान किया था

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | rājānaṃ pauravaṃ vīraṃ mṛtaṃ sṛñjaya śuśruma | sahasraṃ yaḥ sahasrāṇāṃ śvetān aśvān avāsṛjat ||

Translation

Narada said: “O Sṛñjaya, we have heard that the heroic king of the Paurava line has also died—he who released (gave away) a thousand thousands of white horses in charity.” The verse frames royal greatness not by conquest but by the ethical memory of generosity, while also reminding that even the most renowned donors are subject to death.

Word by Word

• {'nārada uvāca': 'Narada said', 'rājānam': 'the king (accusative singular)', 'pauravam': 'of the Paurava lineage

• descendant of Pūru', 'vīram': 'heroic, valiant', 'mṛtam': 'dead

• having died', 'sṛñjaya': 'O Sṛñjaya (vocative)', 'śuśruma': 'we have heard (perfect of √śru)', 'sahasram': 'a thousand', 'sahasrāṇām': 'of thousands

• in the sense of ‘a thousand (of) thousands’', 'śvetān': 'white (accusative plural)', 'aśvān': 'horses (accusative plural)', 'avāsṛjat': 'he released/let go

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sṛñjaya
• Paurava king (a king of the Paurava lineage)
• white horses

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even extraordinary merit and fame gained through great charity do not exempt one from death; the verse upholds dāna as a royal dharma while underscoring impermanence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Narada addresses Sṛñjaya and reports news he has heard: a heroic Paurava king has died, remembered especially for donating (releasing as gifts) an immense number of white horses.