Shloka 10

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

Devanagari script

भक्ष्यानज्नपाननिचया: पर्वता: क्रोशमुच्छिता: । तस्याश्वमेधे निर्वत्ते राज्ञ: शिष्टास्त्रयोदश

Transliteration

bhakṣyānajñapānanicayāḥ parvatāḥ krośamucchitāḥ | tasyāśvamedhe nirvṛtte rājñaḥ śiṣṭās trayodaśa

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ଭକ୍ଷ୍ୟ, ଅନ୍ନ ଓ ପାନୀୟର ଢେର ପର୍ବତ ପରି ଏକ କ୍ରୋଶ ଉଚ୍ଚ ଥିଲା। ସେଇ ରାଜାଙ୍କ ଅଶ୍ୱମେଧ ଯଜ୍ଞ ସମାପ୍ତ ହେଲା ପରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତେରଟି (ଭାଗ/ଢେର) ଶେଷ ରହିଗଲା।

Word by Word

भक्ष्यedibles, foods

अन्नcooked food, grain

पानdrinks

निचयाःheaps, accumulations

पर्वताःmountains (piles like mountains)

क्रोशम्a krośa (a measure of distance)

उच्छिताःraised up, towering

तस्यof him/that

अश्वमेधेin the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

निर्वृत्तेwhen completed, having been carried out

राज्ञःof the king

शिष्टाःremaining, left over

त्रयोदशthirteen

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Aśvamedha (Horse Sacrifice)

the king (rājā; unnamed in this verse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 the immense scale of royal ritual giving and hospitality: abundance is portrayed not for indulgence alone but as a sign of a king’s capacity to sustain guests, priests, and dependents through dharmic sacrifice and distribution.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes the extraordinary provisions arranged for a king’s Aśvamedha—piles of food and drink compared to mountains—and notes that even after the sacrifice concluded, thirteen remained as surplus/leftovers.