Shloka 30

शकुनेः पुत्रेण सह आश्वमेधाश्वविषयः संघर्षः — Arjuna’s restrained engagement with Śakuni’s son during the horse-escort

Devanagari script

घटान्‌ पात्री: कटाहानि कलशान्‌ वर्धमानकान्‌ | न हि किज्चिदसौवर्णमपश्यन्‌ वसुधाधिपा:

Transliteration

ghaṭān pātrīḥ kaṭāhāni kalaśān vardhamānakān | na hi kiñcid asauvarṇam apaśyan vasudhādhipāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“他们看见坛罐、器皿、大釜、水罐以及许多碗盏；而那些国王——大地之主——在那里竟看不见任何一物不是以黄金铸成。”

Word by Word

• घटान्: pots/jars
• घटान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पात्रीः: bowls/vessels
• पात्रीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• कटाहानि: cauldrons/pans
• कटाहानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटाह
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• कलशान्: pitchers/urns
• कलशान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वर्धमानकान्: large bowls/cups (vessels called vardhamānaka)
• वर्धमानकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्धमानक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किञ्चित्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• असौवर्णम्: not made of gold/non-golden
• असौवर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-सौवर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपश्यन्: they saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• वसुधाधिपाः: lords of the earth/kings
• वसुधाधिपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा-अधिप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• vasudhādhipāḥ (kings)
• ghaṭa (jars)
• pātra (vessels)
• kaṭāha (cauldrons)
• kalaśa (pots/pitchers)
• vardhamānaka (bowls/cups)
• gold (sauvarṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the extraordinary abundance associated with a major royal sacrifice, implying an ethical ideal of kingship where public rites are supported by lavish provision and generosity—though it also invites reflection on the tension between spiritual aims and material display.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group of kings observes the sacrificial setting and notices that all the utensils—jars, vessels, cauldrons, pitchers, and bowls—appear to be made of gold; they find nothing that is not golden.