Shloka 32
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
राजभ्योडपि ततः प्रादाद् रत्नानि विविधानि च । गजानश्चानलंकारान् स्त्रियो वासांसि काउ्चनम्
rājabhyo 'pi tataḥ prādād ratnāni vividhāni ca | gajān aśvān alaṅkārān striyo vāsāṃsi kāñcanam ||
वैशम्पायन उवाच—ततः स राजभ्यः विविधानि रत्नानि प्रादात्; गजान् अश्वांश्च, अलङ्कारान्, स्त्रीपरिचारिकाः, वासांसि च सुवर्णं च ददौ।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dāna as a key royal virtue: a righteous ruler legitimizes power and wealth by honoring guests and peers through generous, ritually appropriate giving, thereby sustaining dharma and repairing social trust.
During the Aśvamedha proceedings, gifts are distributed to the visiting kings—gems, elephants, horses, ornaments, attendants, garments, and gold—signaling hospitality, political conciliation, and the successful completion of the sacrificial economy.