Shloka 118

Śoka-śamana: Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation and Nārada’s Exempla to Sṛñjaya

Chapter 29

Devanagari script

यावत्य: सिकता राजन्‌ गज़जायां पुरुषर्षभ । तावतीरेव गा: प्रादादामूर्तरयसो गय:

Transliteration

yāvatyaḥ sikatā rājan gajajāyāṃ puruṣarṣabha | tāvatīr eva gāḥ prādād āmūrtarayaso gayaḥ ||

Translation

风神婆由说道：“大王啊，人中雄者！伽阇迦（Gajajā）之地有多少沙粒，伽耶（Gaya）——其施舍皆以充足而可触可见之实物而行——便布施了多少头牛。”

Word by Word

• यावत्यः: as many (as)
• यावत्यः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सिकताः: grains of sand
• सिकताः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिकता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गङ्गाजले: in the water of the Ganga
• गङ्गाजले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गाजल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पुरुषर्षभ: O bull among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तावतीः: so many (that many)
• तावतीः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

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

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रादात्: gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Aorist (luṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अमूर्तरयसो: Amūrtarayas (proper name)
• अमूर्तरयसो: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमूर्तरयस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गयः: Gaya (proper name)
• गयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva (Vāyu)
• King (rājan, addressee)
• Gaya
• Gajajā (place)
• cows
• sand (sikatā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises extraordinary dāna as a pillar of dharma: a righteous king uses real, substantial wealth to benefit others, and such generosity becomes an ethical exemplar for rulers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses a king and cites Gaya as an illustration of supreme generosity, stating that Gaya donated an immense number of cows—likened to the countless grains of sand at Gajajā.