daśa—tendhenu—of cowssahasrāṇi—thousandspāribarham—wedding giftadāt—gavevibhuḥ—the powerful (King Nagnajit)yuvatīnām—of young womentri - sāhasram—three thousandniṣka—golden ornamentsgrīva—on whose neckssu—excellentvāsasam—whose dressnava—ninenāga—of elephantssahasrāṇi—thousandsnāgāt—than the elephantsśata - guṇān—one hundred times more (nine hundred thousand)rathān—chariotsrathāt—than the chariotsśata - guṇān—one hundred times more (ninety million)aśvān—horsesaśvāt—than the horsesśata - guṇān—one hundred times more (nine billion)narān—men .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
daśa-dhenu-sahasrāṇi
daśa
ten
dhenu
of cows
sahasrāṇi
thousands
pāribarham adād vibhuḥ
pāribarham
wedding gift
adāt
gave
vibhuḥ
the powerful (King Nagnajit)
yuvatīnāṁ tri-sāhasraṁ
yuvatīnām
of young women
tri - sāhasram
three thousand
niṣka-grīva-suvāsasam
niṣka
golden ornaments
grīva
on whose necks
su
excellent
vāsasam
whose dress
nava-nāga-sahasrāṇi
nava
nine
nāga
of elephants
sahasrāṇi
thousands
nāgāc chata-guṇān rathān
nāgāt
than the elephants
śata - guṇān
one hundred times more (nine hundred thousand)
rathān
chariots
rathāc chata-guṇān aśvān
rathāt
than the chariots
śata - guṇān
one hundred times more (ninety million)
aśvān
horses
aśvāc chata-guṇān narān
aśvāt
than the horses
śata - guṇān
one hundred times more (nine billion)
narān
men .
Important Words
pāribarham—wedding gift
Sanskrit for marriage-gift; the father's send-off offering. Gauḍīya: the bride's father gives to the groom what the bride is worth in his eyes; here the worth is enormous because the bride is going to Bhagavān.
dhenu—of cows
Milking cows. Gauḍīya: gauḥ is the favourite gift to Kṛṣṇa — go-pāla, He who cares for cows. The dowry begins with cattle by rasa-logic; only later does the count run to horses and men.
niṣka - grīva—with golden ornaments on the neck
Compound niṣka (gold coin) + grīva (neck). The maidservants are decorated. Gauḍīya: the gift's smallest member is not stripped to bare attendance; even servants are gold-adorned, because they are going to serve Kṛṣṇa's household.
vibhuḥ—the powerful (King Nagnajit)
Powerful, lord. Often applied to Bhagavān, but here to the giving king. Gauḍīya: by giving, Nagnajit becomes vibhu — power is shown in giving, not in keeping.
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.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
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.
Commentary
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.
Jīva Gosvāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
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.
Powerful Nagnajit gives ten thousand cows, three thousand maidservants in gold ornaments, nine thousand elephants, a hundred times as many chariots as elephants. Dowry is detailed; specific abundance is part of honoring the daughter.
Reflection Questions
Where do you give vaguely when specificity would honor more?
What single specific gift could you upgrade in your next celebration?
Analogy
When a father gives his daughter to the supreme Lord, the dowry is not a payment — it is the visible measure of his joy. Nagnajit's lakhs of cattle, elephants, chariots, and attendants stack into a single sentence: bhakti's overflow needs a quantity to be seen at all.