Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

एतद्‌ धनमपर्याप्तमश्वमेधे महामखे । शशबिन्दुर्महा भागो ब्राह्मणे भ्यो हमन्यत,यह अपार धन महाभाग शशबिन्दुने अपने अश्वमेध नामक महायजञ्ञमें ब्राह्मणोंके लिये दान किया था

Transliteration

etad dhanam aparyāptam aśvamedhe mahāmakhe | śaśabindur mahābhāgo brāhmaṇebhyo ’manyata ||

Translation

ナーラダは語った。「この富は量り知れぬ。大いなるアシュヴァメーダ（馬祭）において、幸運に恵まれた王シャシャビンドゥは、婆羅門たちのために無尽の財宝を取り分け、施し与えた。」

Word by Word

एतत्this

धनम्wealth

अपर्याप्तम्immeasurable; not insufficient (i.e., abundant)

अश्वमेधेin the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

महामखेin the great sacrifice

शशबिन्दुःŚaśabindu (a king)

महाभागःhighly fortunate; illustrious

ब्राह्मणेभ्यःto the Brahmins

अमन्यतhe thought/considered

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Śaśabindu

Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

Brāhmaṇas

wealth/treasure (dhanam)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

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 highlights dāna as a royal and ethical duty: immense wealth gains higher meaning when dedicated to righteous giving, especially in the context of yajña and support of Brāhmaṇas who preserve and transmit sacred learning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada cites the exemplary generosity of King Śaśabindu, describing how, during a grand Aśvamedha sacrifice, he allocated immeasurable wealth as gifts for the Brāhmaṇas—an illustrative precedent within the broader discourse of Drona Parva.