Shloka 2

Akṣa-hṛdaya-dāna and Phalāśruti of the Nalopākhyāna (अक्षहृदयदानम् / नलोपाख्यान-फलश्रुतिः)

Devanagari script

रथेनैकेन शुभ्रेण दन्तिभि: परिषोडशै: । पज्चाशद्/ि्यैश्वेव षघट्शतैश्व पदातिभि:,उनके साथ चारों ओरसे सोलह हाथियोंद्वारा घिरा हुआ एक सुन्दर रथ, पचास घोड़े और छः: सौ पैदल सैनिक थे

Transliteration

bṛhadaśva uvāca | rathenaikena śubhreṇa dantibhiḥ pariṣoḍaśaiḥ | pañcāśad-aśvaiś caiva ṣaṭ-śataiś ca padātibhiḥ ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: With a single splendid chariot, encircled by sixteen elephants, and accompanied by fifty horses and six hundred foot-soldiers, he advanced in full martial array—an image of royal power and organized force, suggesting both protection and the capacity for violence when dharma is contested.

Word by Word

रथेनby/with a chariot

एकेनwith one (single)

शुभ्रेणbright/beautiful

दन्तिभिःby elephants (tusked ones)

परिषोडशैःsixteen in number (all around)

पञ्चाशत्fifty

अश्वैःwith horses

एवindeed/just

षट्six

शतैःby hundreds

पदातिभिःwith foot-soldiers

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva

ratha (chariot)

dantin (elephants)

aśva (horses)

padāti (foot-soldiers)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes