Shloka 4

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Public Request for Consent to Enter the Forest (अनुज्ञा-प्रार्थना)

Devanagari script

कम्बलानि च रत्नानि ग्रामान्‌ क्षेत्र तथा धनम्‌ । सालड्कारान्‌ गजानश्चान्‌ कन्याश्वैव वरस्त्रिय:

Transliteration

kambalāni ca ratnāni grāmān kṣetrāṇi tathā dhanam | sa-alaṅkārān gajān caiva kanyāś caiva vara-striyaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Họ dâng tặng chăn mền và ngọc báu, lại cả làng mạc, ruộng đất và của cải; những voi được trang sức bằng đồ trang sức, và cả các thiếu nữ cùng những phụ nữ cao quý.”

Word by Word

• कम्बलानि: blankets
• कम्बलानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कम्बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• रत्नानि: jewels
• रत्नानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• ग्रामान्: villages
• ग्रामान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• क्षेत्र: land/field
• क्षेत्र: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सालङ्कारान्: adorned (with ornaments)
• सालङ्कारान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सालङ्कार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गजान्: elephants
• गजान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• कन्याः: maidens/daughters
• कन्याः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• वरस्त्रियः: excellent women
• वरस्त्रियः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरस्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• blankets (kambala)
• gems (ratna)
• villages (grāma)
• fields (kṣetra)
• wealth (dhana)
• ornamented elephants (sa-alaṅkāra gaja)
• maidens (kanyā)
• noble women (vara-striya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the scale of dāna and royal largesse—material prosperity being distributed as part of duty and social order—while also inviting reflection on the moral complexity of listing people among transferable ‘gifts’ in epic-era conventions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana enumerates the items being given: textiles, jewels, land grants, wealth, ornamented elephants, and women—an inventory-style description emphasizing abundance and the formal character of the donations.