Shloka 109

Śoka-śamana: Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation and Nārada’s Exempla to Sṛñjaya

Chapter 29

Devanagari script

एतद्‌ धनमपर्यन्तमश्वमेधे महामखे । शशबिन्दुर्महाराज ब्राह्मणे भ्य: समार्पयत्‌

Transliteration

etad dhanam aparyantam aśvamedhe mahāmakhe | śaśabindur mahārāja brāhmaṇebhyaḥ samārpayat ||

Translation

ആ മഹാ അശ്വമേധ മഹായാഗത്തിൽ മഹാരാജാവ് ശശബിന്ദു ഈ അളവറ്റ ധനം മുഴുവനായും ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ദാനമായി സമർപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपर्यन्तम्: boundless, without limit
• अपर्यन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर्यन्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अश्वमेधे: in the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महामखे: in the great sacrifice
• महामखे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: महामख
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शशबिन्दुः: Śaśabindu (name of a king)
• शशबिन्दुः: Karta
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: शशबिन्दु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun (Vocative)
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• समार्पयत्: offered, presented
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√र्प (अर्प्)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• शशबिन्दु (Śaśabindu)
• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇas)
• अश्वमेध (Aśvamedha)
• धन (wealth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna as a central royal duty: wealth gains ethical and spiritual value when it is formally offered in a righteous context (a great yajña) to worthy recipients (Brāhmaṇas), emphasizing generosity, restraint, and dharmic kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is recounting an exemplary act: King Śaśabindu, during a grand Aśvamedha sacrifice, donates immeasurable wealth to the Brāhmaṇas, illustrating the scale and intent of his ritual generosity.