Shloka 18

Devanagari script

दशाहमेवं दानानि दत्त्वा राजाम्बिकासुतः । बभूव पुत्रपौत्राणामनृणो भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ! इस प्रकार लगातार दस दिनोंतक दान देकर अम्बिकानन्दन राजा धृतराष्ट्र पुत्रों और पौत्रोंके ऋणसे मुक्त हो गये

Transliteration

daśāham evaṁ dānāni dattvā rājāmbikāsutaḥ | babhūva putrapautrāṇām anṛṇo bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “Sa gayon, sa loob ng sampung araw, ang hari—ang anak ni Ambikā (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)—ay patuloy na nagkaloob ng mga handog na kawanggawa; at sa paggawa nito, O pinakamatatag sa angkan ng Bharata, napawi ang utang na nadarama niya sa kanyang mga anak at mga apo.”

Word by Word

दशten (as a measure)

अहम्I

एवम्thus, in this manner

दानानिgifts, donations

दत्त्वाhaving given

राजाthe king

अम्बिकासुतःAmbikā's son (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

बभूवbecame

पुत्रपौत्राणाम्of (his) sons and grandsons

अनृणःfree from debt/obligation

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Ambikā

Bharata lineage (Bharatas)

sons and grandsons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sustained dāna (charitable giving) is presented as a dharmic means to discharge one’s perceived obligations (ṛṇa) toward family and dependents—transforming inner guilt or duty into constructive, socially beneficial action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that Dhṛtarāṣṭra, identified as Ambikā’s son, continues giving gifts for ten consecutive days; through this prolonged charity he is described as becoming ‘anṛṇa’—freed from the burden of debt/obligation toward his sons and grandsons.