शते द्वे तु ममाश्वानाम् ईदृशानां द्विजोत्तम ॥
इतरेषां सहस्राणि सुबहूनि चरन्ति मे ॥
अहम् अप्य् एकम् एवास्यां जनयिष्यामि गालव ॥
पुत्रं द्विज गतं मार्गं गमिष्यामि परैर् अहम् ॥
मूल्येनापि समं कुर्यां तवाहं द्विजसत्तम ॥
पौरजानपदार्थं तु ममार्थो नात्मभोगतः ॥
कामतो हि धनं राजा पारक्यं यः प्रयच्छति ॥
न स धर्मेण धर्मात्मन् युज्यते यशसा न च ॥
सो ऽहं प्रतिग्रहीष्यामि ददात्व् एतां भवान् मम ॥
कुमारीं देवगर्भाभाम् एकपुत्रभवाय मे ॥
śate dve tu mamāśvānām īdṛśānāṃ dvijottama ||
itareṣāṃ sahasrāṇi subahūni caranti me ||
aham apy ekam evāsyāṃ janayiṣyāmi gālava ||
putraṃ dvija gataṃ mārgaṃ gamiṣyāmi parair aham ||
mūlyenāpi samaṃ kuryāṃ tavāhaṃ dvijasattama ||
paurajānapadārthaṃ tu mamārtho nātmabhogataḥ ||
kāmato hi dhanaṃ rājā pārakyaṃ yaḥ prayacchati ||
na sa dharmeṇa dharmātman yujyate yaśasā na ca ||
so 'haṃ pratigrahīṣyāmi dadātv etāṃ bhavān mama ||
kumārīṃ devagarbhābhām ekaputrabhavāya me ||
"I have only two hundred such horses as these, O best of the twice-born; other horses of mine, many thousands of them, roam in great numbers. I too shall beget from her but a single son, O Galava, O brahmin, and shall follow the path others have walked. I could indeed make up the value for you in full, O best of the twice-born, but my wealth belongs to the townsfolk and the people of the realm, not to my own enjoyment. For a king who out of mere caprice gives away another's wealth, O righteous one, is joined neither to dharma nor to glory. Therefore I shall accept her; let your grace give me this maiden, who resembles a divine womb, that one son may be born to me through her."
ae2591cb7da6 · published Jul 17, 2026, 5:35:25 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Aushinara's answer is notable for its moral boundary. He desires Madhavi and acknowledges the power of fate, yet he refuses to make up the missing price with what belongs to others. A king has no right to turn his subjects' wealth into a means of his own pleasure; so he accepts only the part of the bargain he can fulfill righteously.