Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वाहनानि च देयानि हया मत्ताश्ष वारणा: । शयनं शिबिकाश्रैव स्यन्दनाश्च स्वलंकृता:

Transliteration

vāhanāni ca deyāni hayā mattāś ca vāraṇāḥ | śayanaṃ śibikāś caiva syandanāś ca suvalaṅkṛtāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Vehicles are to be given in charity—spirited horses and rutting elephants; also beds and palanquins, and well-adorned chariots.” The verse underscores the ethic of generous gifting of valuable conveyances and comforts, presenting dāna as a concrete expression of dharma at life’s culmination.

Word by Word

वाहनानिvehicles, conveyances

चand

देयानिto be given, should be given

हयाःhorses

मत्ताःintoxicated, in rut (excited)

चand

वारणाःelephants

शयनम्bed, couch

शिबिकाःpalanquins, litters

एवindeed, also

स्यन्दनाःchariots

चand

स्वलङ्कृताःwell-adorned

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

vāhana (vehicles)

haya (horses)

vāraṇa (elephants)

śayana (bed)

śibikā (palanquin)

syandana (chariot)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches dāna as dharma: one should give away valuable and socially significant possessions—means of transport and comfort—signaling detachment from wealth and concern for others’ welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana lists items prescribed for gifting—horses, elephants, beds, palanquins, and decorated chariots—within the Svargārohaṇa context, where conduct and merit are emphasized as the epic moves toward its concluding moral reckoning.