अक्षतैः सुमनोभिश् च वाचयित्वा महाभुजः ॥
तान् द्विजान् मधुसर्पिर्भ्यां फलैः श्रेष्ठैः सुमङ्गलैः ॥
प्रादात् काञ्चनम् एकैकं निष्कं विप्राय पाण्डवः ॥
अलंकृतं चाश्वशतं वासांसीष्टाश् च दक्षिणाः ॥
तथा गाः कपिला दोग्ध्रीः सर्षभाः पाण्डुनन्दनः ॥
हेमशृङ्गी रूप्यखुरा दत्त्वा चक्रे प्रदक्षिणम् ॥
akṣataiḥ sumanobhiś ca vācayitvā mahābhujaḥ ||
tān dvijān madhusarpirbhyāṃ phalaiḥ śreṣṭhaiḥ sumaṅgalaiḥ ||
prādāt kāñcanam ekaikaṃ niṣkaṃ viprāya pāṇḍavaḥ ||
alaṃkṛtaṃ cāśvaśataṃ vāsāṃsīṣṭāś ca dakṣiṇāḥ ||
tathā gāḥ kapilā dogdhrīḥ sarṣabhāḥ pāṇḍunandanaḥ ||
hemaśṛṅgī rūpyakhurā dattvā cakre pradakṣiṇam ||
Having induced them to bless him with unbroken grain and flowers, the mighty-armed [honored] those twice-born with honey, clarified butter, and the finest auspicious fruits. The Pandava gave each brahmin a golden nishka-ingot, a hundred adorned horses, garments, and desired gifts; and, giving the delight of Pandu brown, milk-giving cows with bulls, golden-horned and silver-hooved, he performed circumambulation [sunwise].
9ec44536d954 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
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The king's generosity to the brahmins is abundant and ritual: gold nishkas, horses, garments, milk-giving cows "hemaśṛṅgīḥ rūpyakhurāḥ", golden-horned, silver-hooved. And the gift is crowned by "pradakṣiṇam", sunwise circumambulation — a mark of reverence. It is telling that on the day of battle the king multiplies gifts and blessings: favor to the worthy lays up merit. The verse teaches that giving to brahmins and honoring them is the foundation of righteous rule; and that a great undertaking ought to be preceded by generosity to the keepers of dharma, for their blessing is dearer than any weapon.