Shloka 2
Akṣa-hṛdaya-dāna and Phalāśruti of the Nalopākhyāna (अक्षहृदयदानम् / नलोपाख्यान-फलश्रुतिः)
रथेनैकेन शुभ्रेण दन्तिभि: परिषोडशै: । पज्चाशद्/ि्यैश्वेव षघट्शतैश्व पदातिभि:,उनके साथ चारों ओरसे सोलह हाथियोंद्वारा घिरा हुआ एक सुन्दर रथ, पचास घोड़े और छः: सौ पैदल सैनिक थे
bṛhadaśva uvāca | rathenaikena śubhreṇa dantibhiḥ pariṣoḍaśaiḥ | pañcāśad-aśvaiś caiva ṣaṭ-śataiś ca padātibhiḥ ||
Bṛhadaśva nói: “Ngài tiến lên với một cỗ chiến xa lộng lẫy, chung quanh có mười sáu voi hộ vệ, cùng năm mươi ngựa và sáu trăm bộ binh theo hầu.”
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the outward signs of sovereignty—chariot, elephants, cavalry, and infantry—implying that power is maintained through organized strength; ethically, it invites reflection on how such force should be governed by dharma rather than mere dominance.
Bṛhadaśva describes a figure moving with a well-equipped escort: one splendid chariot, sixteen elephants around it, fifty horses, and six hundred foot-soldiers, portraying a formal royal or martial procession.