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Shloka 6

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 65 — Duḥśāsana’s Elephant Corps Engages Arjuna; Retreat to the Śakaṭa-vyūha

पिता महाराज शशबिन्दुने अश्वमेध-यज्ञ करके उसमें अपने वे सभी पुत्र ब्राह्मणोंको दे डाले। एक-एक राजकुमारके पीछे सौ-सौ रथ और हाथी गये थे ।। राजपुत्र॑ तदा कन्यास्तपनीयस्वलंकृता: । कन्यां कन्यां शतं नागा नागे नागे शतं रथा:,उस समय प्रत्येक राजकुमारके साथ सुवर्ण-भूषित सौ-सौ कन्याएँ थीं। एक-एक कन्याके पीछे सौ-सौ हाथी और प्रत्येक हाथीके पीछे सौ-सौ रथ थे

rājaputrās tadā kanyās tapanīya-sv-alaṅkṛtāḥ | kanyāṃ kanyāṃ śataṃ nāgā nāge nāge śataṃ rathāḥ ||

ナーラダは語った。「その時、王子一人ひとりには黄金の飾りをまとった乙女が百人ずつ従っていた。乙女一人の後ろには象が百頭、象一頭の後ろには戦車が百両——祭儀の功徳を求めて“ダーナ(布施)”として差し出された王家の富の、度を越えた誇示であり、その壮麗さと、生きた従属者を贈与とすることの倫理的な緊張とを同時に映していた。」

राजपुत्राःprinces (king's sons)
राजपुत्राः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootराजपुत्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तदाthen, at that time
तदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
कन्याःmaidens, girls
कन्याः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकन्या
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
तपनीयwith gold (made of refined gold)
तपनीय:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootतपनीय
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
सुwell, beautifully
सु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसु
अलंकृताःadorned, decorated
अलंकृताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअलंकृत
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
कन्याम्a maiden (each maiden)
कन्याम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकन्या
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
कन्याम्a maiden (each maiden)
कन्याम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकन्या
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
शतम्a hundred
शतम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशत
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
नागाःelephants
नागाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नागेbehind/with each elephant (lit. in/at an elephant)
नागे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
नागेbehind/with each elephant (repetition for distributive sense)
नागे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
शतम्a hundred
शतम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशत
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
रथाःchariots
रथाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

नारद उवाच

N
Nārada
R
rājaputrāḥ (princes)
K
kanyāḥ (maidens)
N
nāgāḥ (elephants)
R
rathāḥ (chariots)
T
tapanīya (gold)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the immense scale of royal giving associated with sacrifice, prompting reflection on dharma: generosity and ritual prestige can be outwardly magnificent, yet ethically complex when gifts involve people and social dependents rather than mere property.

Nārada describes a scene of lavish accompaniment: for each prince there are gold-adorned maidens, and for each maiden a vast retinue of elephants and chariots—depicting the extraordinary royal resources being marshalled and (in the surrounding account) given away as part of sacrificial gifting.