Shloka 12
Divodāsa–Mādhavī Saṃvāda: Pratardana-janma and Kanyā-niryātana (दिवोदास–माधवी संवादः / प्रतर्दन-जननम् / कन्या-निर्यातनम्)
नृपेभ्यो हि चतुर्भ्यस्ते पूर्णान्यष्टी शतानि मे । भविष्यन्ति तथा पुत्रा मम चत्वार एव च,“इस प्रकार चार राजाओंसे दो-दो सौ घोड़े लेनेपर आपके आठ सौ घोड़े पूरे हो जायाँगे और मेरे भी चार ही पुत्र होंगे
nṛpebhyo hi caturbhyas te pūrṇāny aṣṭī śatāni me | bhaviṣyanti tathā putrā mama catvāra eva ca ||
Nārada berkata: “Sesungguhnya, daripada empat orang raja, dengan mengambil dua ratus ekor kuda daripada setiap seorang, jumlahmu akan lengkap menjadi lapan ratus. Dan bagiku pula, aku hanya akan mempunyai empat orang putera.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes fulfillment of a stated requirement through orderly, proportional means—completing a fixed total (eight hundred) by taking equal shares from four rulers—reflecting the Mahābhārata’s concern with measured action, clear commitments, and the ethics of completing what is due.
Nārada speaks in a matter-of-fact, advisory tone, stating that by obtaining two hundred horses from each of four kings the required count will be completed as eight hundred, and he adds a parallel statement about his own circumstance—having only four sons—linking the discussion to concrete counts and outcomes.