Shloka 51

Śārṅgakānāṃ Avināśaḥ (Why the Śārṅga Birds Were Spared) | शार्ङ्गकानामविनाशः

Devanagari script

पृष्ठ्यानामपि चाश्वानां बाह्नलिकानां जनार्दन: । ददौ शतसहस्राख्यं कन्याधनमनुत्तमम्‌,जनार्दनने उत्तम दहेजके रूपमें बाह्नीकदेशके एक लाख घोड़े दिये, जो पीठपर सवारी ढोनेवाले थे

Transliteration

pṛṣṭhyānām api cāśvānāṃ bāhṇalikānāṃ janārdanaḥ | dadau śatasahasrākhyaṃ kanyādhanaṃ anuttamam ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—ชนารทนะได้ประทานเป็นกัญญาธนะอันยอดยิ่ง ม้าจากแคว้นพาหลีกะจำนวนหนึ่งแสนตัว ซึ่งเหมาะแก่การรับผู้ขี่บนหลัง

Word by Word

पृष्ठ्यानाम्of (those) fit for carrying on the back / riding

अपिalso/even

चand

अश्वानाम्of horses

बाह्नलिकानाम्of the Bāhnlīka/Bāhlīka (country/people)

जनार्दनःJanārdana (Krishna)

ददौgave

शतसहस्राख्यम्named/amounting to a hundred thousand

कन्याधनम्maiden’s wealth / dowry

अनुत्तमम्unsurpassed, excellent

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Janārdana

Bāhlīka (country/people)

aśvāḥ (horses)

kanyādhana (bridal gift/dowry)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores dāna (generous giving) and the dharma of honoring marriage alliances through appropriate, publicly recognized gifts—wealth used to uphold social responsibility and familial bonds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Janārdana provides an exceptional bridal gift: a dowry counted as one hundred thousand riding-horses from the Bāhlīka region.