Devanagari
दशधेनुसहस्राणि पारिबर्हमदाद् विभु: ।
युवतीनां त्रिसाहस्रं निष्कग्रीवसुवाससम् ॥ ५० ॥
नवनागसहस्राणि नागाच्छतगुणान् रथान् ।
रथाच्छतगुणानश्वानश्वाच्छतगुणान् नरान् ॥ ५१ ॥
Verse text
daśa-dhenu-sahasrāṇi
pāribarham adād vibhuḥ
yuvatīnāṁ tri-sāhasraṁ
niṣka-grīva-suvāsasam
nava-nāga-sahasrāṇi
nāgāc chata-guṇān rathān
rathāc chata-guṇān aśvān
aśvāc chata-guṇān narān
Synonyms
daśa
—
ten
;
dhenu
—
of cows
;
sahasrāṇi
—
thousands
;
pāribarham
—
wedding gift
;
adāt
—
gave
;
vibhuḥ
—
the powerful (King Nagnajit)
;
yuvatīnām
—
of young women
;
tri
—
sāhasram — three thousand
;
niṣka
—
golden ornaments
;
grīva
—
on whose necks
;
su
—
excellent
;
vāsasam
—
whose dress
;
nava
—
nine
;
nāga
—
of elephants
;
sahasrāṇi
—
thousands
;
nāgāt
—
than the elephants
;
śata
—
guṇān — one hundred times more (nine hundred thousand)
;
rathān
—
chariots
;
rathāt
—
than the chariots
;
śata
—
guṇān — one hundred times more (ninety million)
;
aśvān
—
horses
;
aśvāt
—
than the horses
;
śata
—
guṇān — one hundred times more (nine billion)
;
narān
—
men .
Translation
As the dowry, powerful King Nagnajit gave ten thousand cows, three thousand young maidservants wearing golden ornaments on their necks and bedecked in fine clothing, nine thousand elephants, a hundred times as many chariots as elephants, a hundred times as many horses as chariots, and a hundred times as many manservants as horses.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
As the dowry, powerful King Nagnajit gave ten thousand cows, three thousand young maidservants wearing golden ornaments on their necks and bedecked in fine clothing, nine thousand elephants, a hundred times as many chariots as elephants, a hundred times as many horses as chariots, and a hundred times as many manservants as horses.
KB 10.58.50-51
King Nagnajit was so much pleased that he gave a dowry to his daughter and son-in-law, as follows.
First of all he gave them 10,000 cows and 3,000 well-dressed young maidservants, ornamented up to their necks. This system of dowry is still current in India, especially for kṣatriya princes. When a kṣatriya prince is married, at least a dozen maidservants of similar age are given along with the bride. After giving the cows and maidservants, the King enriched the dowry by giving 9,000 elephants and a hundred times more chariots than elephants. This means that he gave 900,000 chariots. And he gave a hundred times more horses than chariots, or 90,000,000 horses, and a hundred times more menservants than horses. Royal princes maintained such menservants and maidservants with all provisions, as if they were their own children or family members.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
There were a hundred times more chariots than elephants, and a hundred times more horses than chariots. And a hundred times more troops than horses.
Previously those kings had been defeated by the bulls. Now they were defeated by the Yadus.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The cows given had newly given birth to calves. He gave them with the calves. The king was fully capable of giving (prabhuḥ) all these items. Cows are mentioned first because they were the best donation or since cows were very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. The servant girls are mentioned before the elephants and chariots because of their superiority of service etc. Successively, more elephants, chariots, horses and foot soldiers were given. The number of maid servants was only a third of the number of elephants. Niṣkas only are mentioned since this was their main ornament, but it is understood the maid servants also wore other ornaments. The singular nāgāt, rathāt, and aśvāt are used to indicate a class. Narān refers to servants and foot soldiers.