Shloka 91

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

Chapter 29

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधशतेनेष्टवा राजसूयशतेन च । अददादू रोहितान्‌ मत्स्यान्‌ ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशाम्पते

Transliteration

aśvamedhaśateneṣṭvā rājasūyaśatena ca | adadād rohitān matsyān brāhmaṇebhyo viśāmpate ||

Translation

风神伐由说道：“那位民众之主行毕一百次马祭（Aśvamedha）与一百次王权祭（Rājasūya）之后，便将名为‘罗希多’的鱼施与婆罗门。这些鱼以黄金铸成，数量众多，长十由旬，高一由旬。婆罗门取走其应得之分后，余下的便由其他人分取。”此段彰显王者以宏大祭仪与厚赐示其慷慨，并暗示当主要受施者满足之后，剩余财富亦将流入众人之间而再分配。

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधशतेन: with a hundred Aśvamedhas
• अश्वमेधशतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध-शत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• इष्ट्वा: having performed (sacrificed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• राजसूयशतेन: with a hundred Rājasūyas
• राजसूयशतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसूय-शत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• अददात्: gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रोहितान्: rohita-fish (red/golden rohitās)
• रोहितान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मत्स्यान्: fish
• मत्स्यान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people (Vaiśya/subjects)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu-deva)
• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇas)
• अश्वमेध (Aśvamedha)
• राजसूय (Rājasūya)
• रोहित मत्स्य (Rohita fish, golden fish-objects)
• विशाम्पति (Viśāmpati, epithet: lord of the people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the dharmic ideal of royal generosity: a king gains merit not only through grand sacrifices but also through abundant giving (dāna), especially to Brāhmaṇas, and wealth is portrayed as something to be redistributed rather than hoarded.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu describes a king who performed immense ritual acts (a hundred Aśvamedhas and a hundred Rājasūyas) and then donated many large, gold-made ‘rohita’ fish to Brāhmaṇas; whatever remained after they took their portion was subsequently divided among others.