Shloka 16

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

अब्रवीच्च भृशं तुष्ट: स राजा तमृषिं तदा । अर्बुदेन गवां ब्रह्मन्‌ मम राज्येन वा पुन:

Transliteration

abravīc ca bhṛśaṃ tuṣṭaḥ sa rājā tam ṛṣiṃ tadā | arbudena gavāṃ brahman mama rājyena vā punaḥ ||

Translation

Bấy giờ nhà vua vô cùng hoan hỷ, liền thưa với vị hiền triết: “Bạch Bà-la-môn, ta nên đền đáp bằng một arbuda bò (mười triệu con), hay bằng chính vương quốc của ta nữa chăng?”

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), 3, singular, parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भृशम्: greatly, exceedingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृश

• तुष्टः: pleased, satisfied
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• ऋषिम्: sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• तदा: then, at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• अर्बुदेन: with a crore/ten-million (as a measure/amount)
• अर्बुदेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• गवाम्: of cows
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: feminine, genitive, plural

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin (sir)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• मम: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

• राज्येन: with (my) kingdom
• राज्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पुनः: again; alternatively
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• गन्धर्व (Gandharva, speaker)
• राजा (the king)
• ऋषि (the sage)
• गावः (cows)
• राज्य (kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dāna-dharma: a ruler should express gratitude and reverence through generous giving, yet must also consider propriety—whether material wealth (cows) or political power (kingdom) is an appropriate offering to a sage.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Gandharva narrates that a king, delighted with a sage, offers an extraordinary reward—either an immense number of cows or even his kingdom—showing the king’s eagerness to honor and repay the sage.