Shloka 10
द्रोणपर्व अध्याय ६७ — अर्जुनस्य प्रवेशः, श्रुतायुध-वधः, सुदक्षिण-वधः
Arjuna’s advance; deaths of Śrutāyudha and Sudakṣiṇa
ऋषिभ्य: करकान् कुम्भान् स्थाली: पिठरमेव च । शयनासनयानानि प्रासादांश्ष गृहाणि च,वे ऋषियोंको करवे, घड़े, बटलोई, पिठर, शय्या, आसन, सवारी, महल और घर, भाँति-भाँतिके वृक्ष तथा अन्न-धन दिया करते थे। बुद्धिमान् रन्तिदेवकी सारी देय वस्तुएँ सुवर्णमय ही होती थीं
ṛṣibhyaḥ karakān kumbhān sthālīḥ piṭharam eva ca | śayanāsanayanāni prāsādāṁś ca gṛhāṇi ca ||
Nārada said: “To the seers he would give water-pots and jars, cooking vessels and storage containers; beds and seats, conveyances, and even mansions and houses.” The passage highlights Rantideva’s expansive generosity—his wealth is treated as a trust to be redistributed in service of the worthy, especially ascetics—presenting dāna (charitable giving) as a lived form of dharma rather than mere ritual display.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that true dharma for a ruler includes generous, practical giving—supporting sages and the needy with real necessities (vessels, shelter, bedding, transport), not merely symbolic offerings. Wealth is portrayed as something to be used for the welfare of others.
Nārada is describing the exemplary conduct of King Rantideva, emphasizing the scale and variety of his gifts to ṛṣis. The description functions as praise of his virtue and as an ethical model within the broader Drona Parva discourse.