Shloka 28
Book 10, Adhyāya 12: Aśvatthāmā’s Request for the Cakra and the Brahmaśiras Context
यस्मात् प्रियतरो नास्ति ममान्य: पुरुषो भुवि । नादेयं यस्य मे किज्चिदपि दारा: सुतास्तथा
yasmāt priyataro nāsti mamānyaḥ puruṣo bhuvi | nādeyaṃ yasya me kiñcid api dārāḥ sutās tathā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “For me, on this earth, there is no other man dearer than he. There is nothing of mine that I would not give to him—my possessions, even my wife and my sons as well.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse expresses extreme personal loyalty and affection—so strong that the speaker claims nothing is too precious to give for the beloved person. Ethically, it highlights the power of attachment and devotion, while also implicitly raising questions about the limits of giving when family members are spoken of as ‘giveable’.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a character is being described (or is speaking) in terms of intense preference and commitment: declaring that no one on earth is dearer, and that the speaker would withhold nothing—wealth and even family—from that person. This sets a tone of deep allegiance within the unfolding events of the Sauptika Parva.